Non-mainstream photographic processes are…

AlternativePhotography.com and Dutch Alternative Photography carried out a survey to define non-mainstream photographic techniques and to collect data for defining various user groups. Here are the findings.

The most suitable collective name for non-mainstream photographic processes is:

Alternative Photography

Analog Photography Analogue Photography

Traditional Photography Traditional Analog Photography

Chemical Photography Hand-made Photography

4%

15% 8%

4%

37%

Other names we suggested: 19th Century Photography (1%) Art Photography (2%) Conventional Photography (0%) Craft Photography (3%) Darkroom Photography (1%) Experimental Photography (3%) Other names you suggested: Altography (German alt - old) Argentique Photography (French for "silver based" photography) Chemical Manipulation of Light-Sensitive Materials Contemporary Analogue Elective Photography Fringe Photographic Techniques Hybrid Alternative Photo Graphy Photography Photography With a Soul Pixelgraphy Post-Factory Photography Pure Photography Wet Photography Wet Process Photography

Historical Photography (2%) Non-Digital Photography (2%) Non-Mainstream Photography (3%) Slow Photography (2%) Vintage Photography (1%)

Your choice for as suitable name describing non-mainstream photographic techniques was based on:

20%

19%

14% 9%

8%

7%

6%

5%

3% 3%

2% 2% 2% Easy to understand

Describing what I do

Fitting the style of photography

Not conflicting with other terms in the photographic field

Frequently used

Recognizable

Other

Fitting the photographic equipment used

Good for promotion of non-mainstream photography

I’m not sure

Commercially attractive

Easy to find via search engine

Likeable (attractive)

Comparing your choice with Google search:

Google search results

Percentage choice of

the survey’s participants

Optional names describing a collective name for non-mainstream photographic processes

508,000,000 2% Art Photography

111,000,000 5% Traditional Photography

96,900,000 2% Historical Photography

65,700,000 1% Vintage Photography

64,000,000 2% Slow Photography

43,900,000 3% Chemical Photography

43,000,000 2% Non-Digital Photography

32,200,000 4% Hand-made Photography

27,300,000 37% Alternative Photography

21,500,000 3% Craft Photography

17,400,000 1% 19th Century Photography

10,500,000 3% Experimental Photography

5,270,000 9% Analog Photography

3,780,000 0% Conventional Photography

1,610,000 1% Darkroom Photography

1,460,000 6% Analogue Photography

1,050,000 3% Non-Mainstream Photography

598,000 3% Traditional Analog Photography

You regard MAINSTREAM photographic techniques as:

1% Technical

Alternative Processes

2% Historical

Photographic Processes

8% Pinhole

Photography

22% Lomography

24% Hybrid

Photographic Process

32% Instant

Photography

44% Film

Photography

91% Digital

Photography

92% Historical

Photographic Processes

55% Film

Photography

53% Technical

Alternative Processes

47% Pinhole

Photography

37% Hybrid

Photographic Process

30% Instant

Photography

18% Lomography

4% Digital

Photography

You regard NON-MAINSTREAM photographic techniques as:

We use 149 different processes. Together we practice a total of 1776 techniques.

The most popular techniques are: Black & White film processing (61%)

Film photography with 120 Black & White film (44%)

Film photography with 35mm Black & White film (31%)

Digital photography (28%)

Cyanotype using self-made emulsion (27%)

Film photography with 35mm color negative film (20%)

Film photography with 120 color negative film (19%)

Film photography with sheet Black & White film (18%)

C-41 color film processing (17%)

Instant film photography (14%) Percentages = percentage of the total survey’s participants.

The techniques we practice are: >1% >1% >1% >1%

1% >1% >1% >1%

>1%

1% >1% >1% >1%

1% >1%

>1% >1% >1% >1% 11% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1%

110 film Acrylic gel lifts and transfers Albumen on glass negative Albumen print using ready-made emulsion kit Albumen print using self-made emulsion Alcohol gel transfers Allotype Altered B&W darkroom, solarization, selective development, etc. Ambrotype using ready-made emulsion kit Ambrotype using self-made Wet Plate Collodion Amphitype Anaglyph photography Analog color printing RA4 Anthotype Argyrotype (including Argentotype) using self-made emulsion Aristotype Astro photography Aurotype Autochrome B&W film processing Bayard process Beerenol or Beerol Bleach Bypassing Bromoil print using ready-made emulsion kit Bromoil print using self-made emulsion Burn Negatives

3% 1%

>1% 1%

>1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1%

1% >1% >1%

1% 5%

>1% >1% >1%

5% >1%

1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1%

C-41 color film processing Caffenol Calotype (Talbotype) Carbon print Carbro print Casein print Chemigram Chlorophyll process Chromogenic print Collaged prints Copper gravure Cross processing Crystoleum Cyanotype rex Cyanotype using ready-made emulsion kit Cyanotype using self-made emulsion Daguerreotype Becquerel process Daguerreotype classic process Destroyed/modified film Digital photography Director carbón print Double exposure Double or multiple exposure Dry plate collodion Dry plate gelatin silver E6-slide film development ECN2 Enlargement to silver-based papers

And also…: >1% >1%

8% 3% 1%

5% 4% 1%

1% 3%

>1% >1%

1%

>1%

2% >1%

1% >1% >1%

2%

>1% >1% >1% >1%

Experimental filters (triple image, etc) Ferro-tannic process Film photography with 120 B&W film Film photography with 120 color negative film Film photography with 120 color positive (reverse/slide) film Film photography with 35mm B&W film Film photography with 35mm color negative film Film photography with 35mm color positive (reverse/slide) film Film photography with B&W infrared Film photography with handmade film Film photography with sheet color negative film Film photography with sheet color positive (reverse/slide) film Film photography, photographing with direct positive paper Gelatin silver handmade paper Gelatin silver print on Barite paper Gelatin silver print on glass plate Gelatin silver print on RC paper Glass negative Gum bichromate print using ready-made emulsion kit Gum bichromate print using self-made emulsion Gum oil print Gum platinum print Hand coloured and toned prints Heliography

>1% >1% >1%

1% 1% 1%

>1% >1% >1% 3 % >1% >1% >1% >1%

1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1%

1% >1%

1%

1%

Heliogravure Holography Hyalotype Hybrid – shooting digital with non-digital printing Hybrid – shooting non-digital with digital printing Infrared photography Inkjet wet transfer Inkodye print Instant film lift Instant film photography Instant film transfer Intaglio photogravure Kallitype (Sensitor, Soline) using self-made emulsion Liquid emulsion Lith print Lumen print Mordancage print Multiple Exposure Oil print Orotone Other alternative photographic process(es) Other film photographic process(es) Other historical photographic process(es) Own invented technique Palladium / Platinum print using ready-made emulsion kit Palladium / Platinum print using self-made emulsion Paper negative

And these too: >1% >1%

1% 1%

>1% >1% >1% >1%

2%

>1%

>1%

2%

1%

1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1%

2% >1%

Pellet print Photogenic drawing Photogram Photogravure Photolithorgraphy Photopolymer Phototropic drawing Physautotype Pinhole photography using manufactured analog camera with film Pinhole photography using manufactured analog camera with paper Pinhole photography using manufactured digital camera Pinhole photography using own made camera with film Pinhole photography using own made camera with paper Platinotype Pontontype Print and film solarizations Pyro developer RA-4 Color printing Rawlins process Rayograph Redscale shooting Salt print using self-made emulsion Scanography

>1% >1% >1% >1% >1% >1%

>1%

>1% >1%

1% >1% >1% >1%

>1%

1%

>1%

1%

>1% >1% >1% >1%

Sepiatype Slit-scan photography Solargraphy Stereo photography Tintype (classic) process Tintype (Ferrotype, Alumnitype) using ready-made emulsion kit Tintype (Ferrotype, Alumnitype) using self-made Wet Plate Collodion Uranotype Uraynotype (Uranium Nitrate prints) Van Dyke Brown using ready-made emulsion kit Van Dyke Brown using self-made emulsion Washing fp100c negatives Waxing paper negatives. Wet plate collodion – Ambrotype using self-made emulsion Wet plate collodion – Tintype using ready-made emulsion kit Wet plate collodion – Tintype using self-made emulsion Wet plate collodion using ready-made emulsion kit Wet plate collodion using self-made emulsion Wood printing X-ray art photography Ziatype print using ready-made emulsion kit Ziatype print using self-made emulsion

The typical user

We have divided you into groups based on the question: “I consider myself to be a…” and came up with the following types of users:

Analog & Experimental Photographer

53%

Digital Photographer

8%

Lomographer & Polaroid

Lover 3%

Alternative Photograph

& Pinhole Artist

27%

Alchemist Photographer

9%

Alchemist Photographer

Location: 33% Europe, 29% North America, 29% South America, 4% Austrasia and 4% Asia. Sex: 58% men and 42% women. Age: 87% are between the ages of 31 and 60. Primary techniques: various historical photographic techniques (58%), wet plate collodion - ambrotype, as well as tintype using self-made emulsion (42%) and various historical printing techniques (35%). Practicing non-mainstream photographic techniques : 10 years or less (54%). Darkroom usage: 58% develop and print both film and alternative photographic processes. Of the darkroom users, 81% use their own private darkrooms. Shoot digital photographs: 10% or less. Role in the non-mainstream photographic field: 46% are non-commercial photographers or artists, 27% are either commercial photographers, employees or owners of a commercial establishment in the field. Amount of cameras: 72% own between 0 and 20 cameras, whereof 58% own 6-10 cameras. Favorite activity: a workshop regarding non-mainstream photographic processes (19%), a photography exhibition (12%) or a photography festival (12%). Like their photographs to be : artistic and creative (31%) or educational (15%). Suggested name for non-mainstream photographic techniques: Alternative Photography (46%). This name should be describing what you do (23%).

Alternative Photography & Pinhole Artist Location: 47% North America, 38% Europe, 8% Austrasia, 5% South America and 1% Asia. Sex: 79% men and 21% women. Age: 77% are 41 years or older. Primary techniques: various historical printing techniques (32%), film photography (31%) and various historical photographic techniques (27%). Practicing non-mainstream photographic techniques : 10 years or less (61%). Darkroom usage: 53% develop and print both film and alternative photographic processes. Of the darkroom users, 67% use their own private darkrooms. Shoot digital photographs: less than 10%. Role in the non-mainstream photographic field: 57% are non-commercial photographers or artists, 25% are either commercial photographers, employees or owners of a commercial establishment in the field. Amount of cameras: 62% own between 0 and 20 cameras. Favorite activity: a course regarding mainstream photographic processes (13%), a second-hand photography market (9%) or a social meetup (7%). Like their photographs to be : artistic and creative (45%). Suggested name for non-mainstream photographic techniques: Alternative Photography (43%). This name should be describing what you do (25%) or be easy to understand (19%).

Analog & Experimental Photographer

Location: 56% Europe, 29% North America, 7% South America, 5% Austrasia and 3% Asia. Sex: 83% men and 17% women. Age: 48% are between the ages of 31 and 50. Primary techniques: : B&W film processing (32%), film photography with 120 B&W film (11%), film photography with 35mm B&W film (9%) and film photography with 35mm color negative film (8%). Practicing non-mainstream photographic techniques: 80% practices 20 years or less, whereof 51% practices 5 years or less. Darkroom usage: 32% develop and print film photography, 24% develop and print both film and alternative photographic processes and 20% develop film photography. Of the darkroom users, 70% use their own private darkrooms. Shoot digital photographs: either 50%, 10% or less. Role in the non-mainstream photographic field: 65% are non-commercial photographers or artists. Amount of cameras: 73% own between 0 and 20 cameras. Favorite activity: a photography exhibition (21%) or a second-hand photography market (14%). Like their photographs to be : artistic and creative (31%), beautiful (16%), fun (12%) or durable and of quality (10%). Suggested name for non-mainstream photographic techniques: Alternative Photography (32%), Analog or Analogue Photography (17%), Traditional Analog Photography or Traditional Photography (10%). This name should be easy to understand (18%), describe what you do (13%), fit the style of photography (13%) or be recognizable (10%).

Digital Photographer

Location: 48% North America, 43% Europe, 5% South America and 5% Asia. Sex: 86% men and 14% women. Age: 38% are over 60 years of age and 29% are between 25 and 30 years of age. Primary techniques: digital photography (91%). Practicing non-mainstream photographic technique: 5 years or less (40%) and 6 - 10 years (35%). Darkroom usage: 23% do not use the darkroom and 36% develop and print either film or both film and alternative photographic processes. Of the darkroom users, 36% use their own private darkrooms. Shoot digital photographs: 70 - 90%. Role in the non-mainstream photographic field: 36% are non-commercial photographers or artists, 14% are commercial photographers or artists and 18% are users of mainstream photography (e.g. digital photography). Amount of cameras: 23% own 5 or less cameras, 23% own 11-20 cameras, 18% own 6-10 cameras and 18% own more than 30 cameras. Favorite activity: a workshop regarding non-mainstream photographic processes (27%) or a second-hand photography market (23%). Like their photographs to be: artistic and creative (23%) or fun (23%). Suggested name for non-mainstream photographic techniques: Alternative Photography (40%).

Lomographer & Polaroid Lover

Location: 44% Europe, 33% North America, 11% Asia and 11% Austrasia. Sex: 67% women and 33% men. Age: 66% are evenly spread between the ages of under 25, 31-40 and over 60. Primary techniques: instant photography (33%), film photography with 35mm color negative film (22%), film photography with 120 color negative film (22%). Practicing non-mainstream photographic technique: 6 - 10 years (56%) or 5 years or less (22%). Darkroom usage: 44% develop film photography. Of the darkroom users 56% use their own private darkrooms, 11% use public darkrooms and 11% use school’s darkrooms. Shoot digital photographs: less than 10%. Role in the non-mainstream photographic field: 33% are non-commercial photographers or artists and 22% are commercial photographers or artists. Amount of cameras: 44% own either 11 - 20 cameras or 21-30 cameras. Favorite activity: a photography exhibition (22%) or a social meetup (22%) Like their photographs to be: beautiful (56%) or fun (22%). Suggested name for non-mainstream photographic techniques: Alternative Photography (63%) or Analogue Photography (35%). This name should be easy to understand (50%) or fit the style of photography (35%).

• Participants prefer naming non-mainstream photographic techniques as Alternative Photography. Their choice is mainly based on the idea that the name should be easy to understand, describe practices or fit the photography style. • When comparing the participants’ choices with Google search, the participants’ choice seems to be less popular on Google. Some of the Google results do not necessarily reflect on the subject “collective non-mainstream photographic techniques”. • The participants regard digital photography as a mainstream technique. About half of the participants regard film photography as a mainstream technique and about a third regard instant photography as one too. • The participants regard historical photographic processes as non- mainstream techniques. More than half regard film photography and technical alternative photographic techniques, such as X-ray art photography, holography, scanography, etc., as non-mainstream photographic processes. • The most popular primarily used techniques are: film processing and film photography using B&W or color negatives, digital photography and cyanotype. • The different user groups are quite similar in demographics and practices. Alternative Photography Artists and Pinhole Photographers have the same characteristics. The same goes for the Analog Photographer and Experimental Photographer and for the Lomographer and Polaroid Lover. In some cases, there is a difference between how the participant describe themselves and the form of photography they choose to practice. • Most participants (78%) are from Europe and North America. The ages are fairly even spread. Most participants (72%) are men. • Eighty percent of the participants practice non-mainstream techniques for 30 years or less, whereas 52% practice 10 years or less

and 32% practice 5 years or less. • This survey shows a wide spread of users’ demographics, practices and opinions regarding the definition of non-mainstream

photographic techniques. It is therefore difficult to determine specific user groups and to define non-mainstream techniques, however the survey does offer some insight for establishments on preferences of different users.

Thank you to all who participated in this survey.

This survey was initiated and carried out by AlternativePhotography.com and Dutch Alternative Photography in the autumn of 2015. Design and images © .IMG-I.