Cyanotype toning book, washing soda crystals, and tea bags laid out for a private cyanotype printing lesson at Halide Studios, showing botanical toning and alternative photography processes

Cyanotype on

Alternative Surfaces

Join us at Halide Studios for a two day deep dive into the cyanotype process, with a focus on making work on ceramic and glass.

This workshop is designed to build both technical understanding and practical confidence. You will work in a small group, hands on and side by side with us, Kate van der Drift and Cassey Locke, at the newly opened Halide Studios in Raglan.

You will be welcomed into a calm and supportive environment where experimentation is encouraged. There will be time to ask questions, test ideas, and explore how cyanotype might extend or shift your existing practice.

Friday Evening

6.30pm - 8.30pm (Optional)

Digital negatives and UV exposure

This optional first evening begins with introductions, followed by a guided session on making digital negatives. We will show you how to prepare images for cyanotype printing, adjust contrast for optimal results, and explain the differences between transparency substrates.

You will print negatives to use throughout the weekend and learn how to build a simple UV exposure box suitable for home use.

Saturday

9.30am - 4.00pm

Preparing surfaces and cyanotype on ceramics

The morning focuses on preparing non-porous surfaces. You will learn how to clean and prep glass and other smooth materials before coating with a gelatin and cyanotype chemistry mixture. You will have time to prepare your own glass and vitrified clay surfaces.

After lunch we will introduce clay and ceramics, with an emphasis on how different ceramic surfaces behave and how cyanotype chemistry responds to them. You will coat and expose your own cyanotypes on pre-fired ceramic tiles.

Sunday

9.30am - 4.00pm

Cyanotype on glass and contemporary practice

On Sunday we will start with a seminar exploring artists using cyanotype within contemporary practice and discuss different conceptual and material approaches to the technique. Then you will have the chance to expose your coated glass plates and complete your glass cyanotype prints. Once we've finished with our coated plates we'll talk about toning your cyanotype artworks using plant based toners.

Who this is for

This workshop is suited to artists and makers who want to deepen their understanding of the cyanotype process and extend their skills beyond paper. Some prior experience with photographic or print processes is helpful, but not essential.

What to Bring

An old shirt or apron
Objects for cyanotype printing
Two images you would like to turn into digital negatives
A notebook and pen

All cyanotype materials are provided, along with snacks and non alcoholic drinks.

What you’ll take away

Some cyanotype works on ceramic and glass
A recording of the full workshop for future reference
Increased confidence and technical understanding so you can continue experimenting at home

How it works

Book and pay for your place online
We will be in touch before the workshop with practical information about finding the studio, parking, and what to bring
Spend two days immersed in the cyanotype process, making work together
After the workshop, you will receive a recording covering the key techniques and discussions

Session Details

Dates: 20th - 22nd February 2026

Location: Halide Studios, 49B Hills Road, Raglan, Waikato

Spaces: Limited to 8 participants

Cost: NZ$650

Payment information

Full payment is required at the time of booking

Cancellation policy

If you cancel within 14 days of the workshop, we will do our best to fill your place.

If your place can be filled, you will receive a refund minus a $25 administration fee.
If we are unable to rebook your place, the full workshop fee remains payable.

For questions or availability, contact: [email protected]

Your Facilitators

Kate van der Drift

Artist and educator working across analogue and experimental photography, with 15 years of collaborative experience in portraiture, fashion, and advertising. Drawing from her background as both a practicing artist and educator at Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, as well as through platforms such as Art Photo School (online art education), Kate brings a grounded, hands-on approach to learning. Her workshops at Halide Studios bridge technical skill with creative experimentation, encouraging curiosity and a deeper connection to photographic practice.

Cassey Locke

Photographic artist and wedding photographer based in Whāingaroa. Her work explores the poetic and philosophical nature of image-making, and she brings a thoughtful, grounded approach to teaching.

Between us, we’ve worked across commercial and fine art photography, exhibitions, and creative business, and we know the ups and downs of making a creative life that works.