974 enthusiastic photographers from 66 countries participated in the worldwide survey of alternative photographic processes, held in the autumn of 2014. They shared their ideas, practices and wishes, and made it possible to know what is going on in the Alternative Photography community. This is a summary of the survey's results.

1. THE PRACTICE OF
ALTERNATIVE
PHOTOGRAPHIC
PROCESSES
WORLDWIDE
974 enthusiastic photographers from 66 countries
participated in the worldwide survey of alternative
photographic processes, held in the autumn of 2014.
They shared their ideas, practices and wishes, and
made it possible to know what is going on in the
Alternative Photography community.
a summary
of the
survey’s
results

2. 1% 8%
41% 41%
9%
Under 18 18 – 25 25 – 45 45 - 65 Over 65
Your age is:
3%
2%
3%
6%
1%
8%
8% 11%
4%
1%
4%
9%
8%
13%16%
2%
2%
66 countries
You are from:

3. Professional
artist
This survey aimed to determine what is alternative photography, to
portray the alternative photography community around the world,
including: demographics and practices, and to provide an inventory of
the user’s practical needs and wishes for development, on personal, as
well as community level. The survey was also intended to give an
overview of the Dutch and Belgium alternative photography
community in relation to the international community. This is a
summary of the results regarding the international community. An
extensive report will be published at a later date.
Your role as an alternative photography practitioner is diverse:
Commercial
photographer
User as
a hobby
Educator
or student
52%9% 13% 26%

4. The separation between
those of you using
alternative photography
as a hobby and those of
you using alternative
photography as part of
your professional work*,
led to the following
results:
Hobbyist
52%
Professional
48%
* including: commercial photographers, professional artists, educators and students, all using alternative
photographic techniques exclusively or as part of their work and/or education.
Number of applied techniques:
62%
15%
24%
One technique
2 - 4 techniques
5 or more techniques
59%
30%
11%

5. You use primarily techniques related to:
Years of
practice
4%
14%
28%
18%
35%
Less than 1 year
1-2 years
6-10 years
More than 10 years
3-5 years
7%
21%
29%13%
30%
Film related
techniques
Historical
photographic
processes
Historical printing
processes
Modern printing
techniques
66% 11% 18% 6%
44% 19% 30% 7%

6. 15%
27%
33%
21%
4%
34%
8%
33%
8%
17%
Interest in your alternative talent
Hobbyist
Professional
Acquaintances
Professionals in the art sector
Photography students & teachers
Don't share / Nobody is interested
Artists & Photographers
The question “What is alternative photography?”, is a common debate in the
alternative photography community. Thus, one of the important questions of this
survey was: “What do you consider to be Alternative Photography?“ This question
stirred up some discussions on social media, mainly: “Is film photography a part of
alternative photography?”. To see if the opinions and practices differ between
users of film related techniques and users of historical related processes, you are
divided into two groups:

7. Historical
Photography
Users of historical photographic
processes and contemporary
version of those, including:
Albumen prints, Anthotype, Bromoil & oil
prints, Calotypes (Talbotypes) and other paper
negatives, Carbon prints, Cyanotypes,
Daguerreotypes, Dry plate collodion, Gum
bichromate, Kallitypes and Van Dyke Brown,
Palladium prints, Photogravure (Photopolymer),
Salt prints, Wet Plate Collodion (including
Ambrotypes, Tintypes, using self-made
emulsions or contemporary liquid emulsions),
and other – historical related processes *
Film
Photography
Users of traditional and trendy film
photography, including:
Analogue (traditional film photography),
Caffenol, Gelatine silver prints, Lith prints,
Lomography & Polaroid photography,
Photograms, Pinhole, Scanography, Solargraphy,
Stereo photography, Transfers & Lifts and other
film and gelatine silver paper printing related
techniques*
* This separation is based on your answer to
the question: “Which of the following
alternative photographic techniques do you
use primarily?”
You consider the following techniques as
alternative photographic processes
= 41% = 59%

8. 24% 53% Analogue (traditional film photography)
47% 49% Contemporary versions of historical photographic processes
28% 47% DIY photography
56% 44% Historical photographic printing
74% 55% Historical photographic processes
13% 26% Instant photography (Polaroid, Impossible Project, etc.)
8% 20% Lomography
5% 10% None mass digital techniques, such as scenography, astrophotography,
micro(scopic) art photography, etc.
0% 5% None of the above techniques
Techniques you use
Contemporary versions of historical techniques
Film and modern direct positive photography
Historical photographic processes
Historical print processes
Modern print techniques
1%
18%
2%
16%
63%
15%
48% 14%
21%
2%
Users of
Historical
photography
processes
Users of
Film
photography
processes

9. 120 roll
camera
20%
Sheet film
camera
12%
Glass plate
camera
9%
No
camera
1%
Self-made
camera
5%
EQUIPMENT
Your camera
* (for negative prints)
Digital
Camera*
13%
35mm roll
film camera
19%
Lomography
camera
5%
Pinhole
camera
10%
Polaroid
camera
6%

10. Your light sensitive carrier
Metal
plate
5%
Glass
plate
6%
Cotton
paper
4%
Barite
paper
4%
Sheet
film
14%
120
roll film
33%
35mm
roll film
34%
You buy your supplies at...
Local stores
Online chemical specialists US
Online traditional photography suppliers EU
Photography communities (Lomo & Impossible)
Online photography suppliers US
Online traditional photography suppliers US
Online traditional photography suppliers UK
Photography fairs & markets
International online suppliers (Ebay, etc.)
Online chemical specialists EU
27%
15%
12%
12%
9%
9%
8%
3%
2%
2%

11. You are a member of:
COMMUNITY & EDUCATION
Unavailable
Film
37%
Chemistry
37%
Darkroom
chemistry
7%
Darkroom
equipment
6%
Plates
6%
Paper
4%
Other
equipment
2%
You mentioned specific supplies that are
unavailable or difficult to obtain in your area.
They are divided into the following categories:
APUG Lomography &
Impossible Project
Other communities
(cumulative)
Alternative
Photography.com
Large Format
Photography.info Collodion.
comF295
22%
21%19%
10% 13%
7%7%

12. You learned first about alternative
photography
from:
Online publishing & social media
Books
Art schools
Acquaintances
Art & photography centers or events
Art & photography magazines
25%
22%
19%
14%
12%
8%
12%17% 10% 4%14% 10%13%20%
AlternativePhotography.com
APUG
Otheronlinecommunities
Socialmedia
Self-study
Localcommunities
Differentonlinepublishing
Books
You educate yourself in alternative photographic processes via:

13. THE
FUTURE
You have shared with us your personal development wishes and
plans for practicing alternative photography. You also shared your
needs from organizations and companies in the field and let us
know what you would like to see developed for the benefit of all
alternative photography users.
You would like to
see more...
Online and offline education, educational materials
Supplies: availability and continuity
Affordable practice, financing and joint purchase
Network, groups and overseas co-operation
Facilities: darkrooms and (day light) studios
Exposure and galleries involvement
9% 40%
36%
6% 5%
4%

14. Your personal development wishes

15. Your role:
Technique you use:
Camera you use:
Carrier you use:
Your fans:
You get supplies from:
Unavailable supplies:
Want to see developed:
Define Alternative Photography:
Wanna be artist
As-yet unnamed types
Windmill
Diffusion transfer reversal receiver
The universe at large
I make my own
Lab teacher
Free courses in historic alt. processes
I know it is difficult
Your coolest (yet serious) answers
were:
Thank you to all the organizations, companies and mostly to all the
individuals who participated in this survey and helped promote it.
Without you, this information would not have been available.
© 2014 An Zuriel for