what is dark art sessions?

Founded by Corrine Gretton-West, Dark Art Sessions exists to appreciate and teach experimental photographic processes, and push the boundaries of photography.

Why “Dark Art Sessions”? There was once a belief that taking a photograph could capture a person's soul or essence. This belief was rooted in the mystery of the photographic process and the idea that a photograph could preserve more than just their image. 

Some held superstitious notions that photography had a mystical or even harmful aspect, contributing to the perception of photography as a form of sorcery - This is why I refer to myself as a “Creative Sorceress"

Some photographic processes were known as “The Black Art, or “The Dark Art” due to the connection to sorcery and the silver nitrate stains.

So, what can we learn? You can learn various experimental photography techniques, such as making photographs with plants, emulsion lifts, film soup and much more! Each course comes with sessions that demonstrate how to do each process, the ins and outs, the history, tips, and inspiration. There will be engaging tasks to keep you inspired and you will learn new ways to express yourself, as well as create a truly unique portfolio of work!

Will the courses be online, or in person? Most of the courses are online, with the exception of the Wet Plate Collodion course - this needs to be done in person due to the health and safety aspects. All online courses come with regular meetings on Zoom. We also have our very own Discord, where all those taking the course can interact, ask questions, and share their work!

What is your favourite photographic process? My favourite has to be Wet Plate Collodion, a 170 year old photographic process. I travelled to Austria to learn the process. I was taught by an incredible photographer, Markus Hofstatter, who captured the image of me on this page. This image marks the start of an incredible journey, this journey! I want to share with you all just how incredible experimental analogue photographic processes can be.

Do you do one to one mentoring? Yes, I can be hired for one to one mentoring, for group workshops, and talks. Contact corrine@darkartsessions.co.uk for any questions or bookings.