Bismarck State College
10/11/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/11/2024 10:39
Historic wet plate photography art elective offered this spring at BSC
Historic wet plate photography art elective offered this spring at BSC
Published: Oct 11 2024
Thanks to the popularity of modern digital photography, darkrooms have become a thing of the past, but a new art elective course is bringing a unique, historic photography process back to the forefront and into the classroom. For the first time in more than a decade, Bismarck State College (BSC) students will have the opportunity to go back into the darkroom to develop photographs and their photography skills - this time with renowned wet plate photographer and BSC alum Shane Balkowitsch.
Balkowitsch is the instructor of ART 199: Wet Plate Photography, a three-credit class offered for the Spring 2025 semester at BSC beginning in January. Students enrolled in the course will have a unique opportunity to learn the historic wet plate collodion process, an alternative and analog form of photography. Each week, Balkowitsch will hold his one-hour lectures on the BSC campus, and then students will participate in two-hour lab sessions at his studio, Nostalgic Glass Wet Plate Studio in Bismarck. For their final grade, each student will produce their own wet plate photograph.
"This is something I've been passionate about for years. I've hosted many classes at my studio, but now I have the privilege of teaching my own at my alma mater," says Balkowitsch. "I want to thank BSC President Doug Jensen for the opportunity to create this course and bring wet plate photography back to the college. It's an honor."
Balkowitsch's work has been featured in the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and over 85 museums worldwide. Since he began in 2012, he has photographed more than 5,034 individuals, including celebrities and historical figures. Despite his notable achievements, Balkowitsch is a self-taught photographer known for his dedication to the art of wet plate photography.
Due to limited space, ART 199 is limited to 14 students. Anyone interested in this course is encouraged to register early. Current BSC students should contact their advisor to learn more about this ART elective and to enroll. Individuals interested in the course but not currently enrolled at BSC should contact BSC Admissions via email at [email protected], phone at 1-800-445-5073, or text at 701-390-1075.
Balkowitsch is the instructor of ART 199: Wet Plate Photography, a three-credit class offered for the Spring 2025 semester at BSC beginning in January. Students enrolled in the course will have a unique opportunity to learn the historic wet plate collodion process, an alternative and analog form of photography. Each week, Balkowitsch will hold his one-hour lectures on the BSC campus, and then students will participate in two-hour lab sessions at his studio, Nostalgic Glass Wet Plate Studio in Bismarck. For their final grade, each student will produce their own wet plate photograph.
"This is something I've been passionate about for years. I've hosted many classes at my studio, but now I have the privilege of teaching my own at my alma mater," says Balkowitsch. "I want to thank BSC President Doug Jensen for the opportunity to create this course and bring wet plate photography back to the college. It's an honor."
Balkowitsch's work has been featured in the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and over 85 museums worldwide. Since he began in 2012, he has photographed more than 5,034 individuals, including celebrities and historical figures. Despite his notable achievements, Balkowitsch is a self-taught photographer known for his dedication to the art of wet plate photography.
Due to limited space, ART 199 is limited to 14 students. Anyone interested in this course is encouraged to register early. Current BSC students should contact their advisor to learn more about this ART elective and to enroll. Individuals interested in the course but not currently enrolled at BSC should contact BSC Admissions via email at [email protected], phone at 1-800-445-5073, or text at 701-390-1075.