Polaroid Emulsion Lifts with Willow Belle (In-Person Learning – One session)
- Saturday
August 1, 2026
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
This hands-on workshop explores the art of Polaroid emulsion lifts, transforming instant photographs into layered, ethereal works through water, touch, and experimentation. Participants will learn the chemistry and history behind the process, create their own one-of-a-kind piece, and gain the confidence to incorporate Polaroid manipulation into their creative practice.
Tuition:$235 + $35 materials fee (Become a Member today and receive 5% – 20% off!)
Limited to 15 students.
© Photo by Willow Belle
About
In-Person Learning
Explore the transformative potential of Polaroid photography with emulsion lifts – a tactile technique where a film image softens, separates from its original backing, and takes on a new form. Through live demonstrations and examples—including Willow Belle’s and other contemporary artist’s work—see how this process transforms instant photographs into layered, ethereal art objects. Each student will create their own piece and leave with a one-of-a-kind artwork challenging the possibilities between image and surface.
The workshop will also examine the chemistry behind Polaroid film and its historical significance, providing context for the technical and conceptual capabilities of instant photography. This process encourages imperfection as emulsions can tear, wrinkle, and crack. Slow down, embrace the unpredictable, and reimagine Polaroid as a delicate, translucent skin, allowing water, touch, and time to reshape the image.
No prior experience is needed. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to bring their own Polaroid cameras or materials to transfer on. Attendees will leave equipped with the knowledge and confidence to explore these experimental processes and ideas for incorporating Polaroid manipulation into their own creative practice.
Willow Belle (b. 1998) is an American artist based in Los Angeles whose practice lives at the boundary between analog photography and fine art. While navigating permanence in subject, material, and technique, she finds herself reaching for outlandish means of creation, often working directly off parts of herself — physically and conceptually — whether that be her own hair, her memories, or the residue of experiences that refuse to be left behind. Working with unconventional methods and matter, she relinquishes control to the unorthodox, allowing light and chemistry to become her collaborators. Throughout themes of nostalgia, identity, loss, and isolation, her work appears untethered to physical existence, yet manifests from the tangible. By incorporating alternative printing techniques and unreliable methods of manipulation, each photograph functions as a kind of thin veil, draped over something deeper—secrets suspended in emulsion, waiting to be lifted. By pushing the boundaries of her body and her medium, she lets go of the expectations of what a photograph is supposed to be.
Details
- One Session
- Date: Saturday, August 1, 11 am – 4 pm (includes one hour lunch break. Lunch is not included))
- Enrollment Limit: 15 participants
- Skill/Experience Level: Open to all levels
- Tuition: $235 + $35 materials fee (Become a Member today and receive up to 20% off!)
- Location: 252 South Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, California, 90012
- Nearby Lodging: The Miyako Hotel – 328 E. First Street Los Angeles, California, 90012, United States, The Double-Tree by Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles Downtown – 120 South Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, California, 90012, USA
- Not Included: Meals, snacks, bottled water and transportation (to and from the workshop location). Students are encouraged to bring their own food or order from nearby restaurants. Ride share apps or public transit are recommended for those without transportation. Students will be notified of food and parking options in the area.