Looking for a great workshop in 2012

[lukethedrifter1]

first off, i new to this forum, so please excuse me if there are answers to my questions in a post... or series of posts that i am unaware of.


i am looking to take a workshop in large forrmat photography includes a) any location domestically or abroad that showcases the capability of black and white photography b) explains and illustrates the zone system c) includes developing and printing (this could be a separate, additional program


i am in the Los Angeles area but am more than happy to travel for this. Also, I prefer doing this in the first part of the new year.

again, im sorry if there is an all too obvious master list of workshop links. new to thisss and raring to go!

[SW Rick]

Michael Gordon has a LF workshop- Intro to LF Photography- coming up in April in the Alabama Hills. I had taken one of these, and it is an excellent workshop. See his website (michael-gordon.com) for more info. He's in Long Beach. Highly recommended.

[hmf]

Check out Bruce Barnbaum's "The Complete Photographic Process"; April 2012. It's held at his home/studio in the Cascades. You'll get a good dose of shooting, zone system, printing and critique.

I have no financial connection, but did take the workshop some years back and found it to be an excellent experience.

[jp]

No experience with him, but John Sexton's "The expressive black and white print" workshop sounds pretty close to what you want.

http://www.tillmancrane.com/workshop_04.php Richard Ritter and Tillman Crane might have some of what you want.

Ritter does workshops too. http://www.finefocusworkshops.com

http://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/photo has some summer workshops, none of which cover exactly what you're after in just one class.

Developing and basic printing could be handled by a local darkroom expert in a day. Then you could experiment more or take a workshop for more or refined printing skills.

[ross]

I'll second the recommendation of Michael Gordon. I've taken two workshops from Michael. He's a great guy and very knowledgeable in all things Large Format.

[36cm2]

And I'll second Banbaum's workshops. He does a great one in Death Valley. Not exclusively LF, but very LF friendly (and it's what Bruce shoots). No printing there, but he'll happily discuss printing with you at length and he brings tons of prints to review.

I didn't know about the Michael Gordon workshops. Will check them out.

Leo

[Brian Ellis]

I've taken workshops from John Sexton (four), Bruce Barnbaum, Ruth Bernhard, Ray McSavaney, George deWolfe, Steve Simmons, Tillman Crane, and a whole host of lesser known but very fine photographers. With one exception I've never attended a bad workshop in the 15 or so I've attended, I liked them all and learned something from all of them. But to me John Sexton's have been the best. Anything he teaches will inform and inspire you. His workshops used to fill up the day they were announced. That may not be true today but still, if you want to take something from him I'd suggest moving quickly.

[Harley Goldman]

I will third Michael Gordon's workshops, knowledge and ability. You can't go wrong there.

[lukethedrifter1]

Wow people. Thanks a million. Will check all these out and any others to follow.

[John Bowen]

Before your workshop you should acquire Bruce Barlow's ebook Finely Focused.
www.circleofthesunproductions.com An excellent book (and a great stocking stuffer) with may exercises to get the testing part of the Zone system in the rear view mirror.

Best,

[Winger]

I've taken workshops from John Sexton (four), Bruce Barnbaum, Ruth Bernhard, Ray McSavaney, George deWolfe, Steve Simmons, Tillman Crane, and a whole host of lesser known but very fine photographers. With one exception I've never attended a bad workshop in the 15 or so I've attended, I liked them all and learned something from all of them. But to me John Sexton's have been the best. Anything he teaches will inform and inspire you. His workshops used to fill up the day they were announced. That may not be true today but still, if you want to take something from him I'd suggest moving quickly.

Do you have to be at a certain level in your own photography to get something out of Sexton's workshops? Like, how good do you have to be before you go? I'd like to go to some workshops if I can get my home life situated well enough, but I don't know if I'm "ready."

[Brian Ellis]

Do you have to be at a certain level in your own photography to get something out of Sexton's workshops? Like, how good do you have to be before you go? I'd like to go to some workshops if I can get my home life situated well enough, but I don't know if I'm "ready."

Of the four I attended, one was a field workshop ("Photographing the Southwest" or something like that), the other three were darkroom workshops with a field trip on the side and some instruction in use of a large format camera and the zone system plus a portfolio review of each participant's work. I think that if you've ever made a print in a darkroom you could handle the darkroom workshops, you don't have to be at some highly advanced level.

The field workshops could pretty much be done at any level. While most of the people attending use a large format camera, that isn't a requirement. When I took the first one I was using a 35mm camera, when I took the second one I was using a Pentax 67 camera. Nobody laughed at me (though they might have laughed at my portfolio). You certainly don't have to be any great shakes as a photographer to attend any of them.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

I am biased but Ray McSavaney is local and will be teaching two workshops in 2012, one will be in the desert southwest photographing ancient native American ruin sites and Monument Valley while the second will be in the Fall in Colorado working in Aspen. In addition Ray is local to you in Los Angeles and would likely do one on one printing lessons. If interested let me know and I will get you the information. In the interest of full disclosure, I am Ray's workshop assistant. I have also taken great workshops from John Sexton, Alan Ross, Howard Bond and others. If there is a photographer whose work you admire, contact them and ask about any workshops, chances are good they teach them and there is no better person to learn from than one whose work you respect.

[Brian Ellis]

I am biased but Ray McSavaney is local and will be teaching two workshops in 2012, one will be in the desert southwest photographing ancient native American ruin sites and Monument Valley while the second will be in the Fall in Colorado working in Aspen. In addition Ray is local to you in Los Angeles and would likely do one on one printing lessons. If interested let me know and I will get you the information. In the interest of full disclosure, I am Ray's workshop assistant. I have also taken great workshops from John Sexton, Alan Ross, Howard Bond and others. If there is a photographer whose work you admire, contact them and ask about any workshops, chances are good they teach them and there is no better person to learn from than one whose work you respect.

I agree that Ray does an excellent job. But I'd mildly disagree that the best way to find a workshop is to seek out someone who's work you admire. Not every excellent photographer is also an excellent teacher. While you probably don't want to take a workshop from a street photographer if you're a landscape photographer, I think that doing what the OP has done here is very important - ask around.

There are a lot of outstanding photographers out there who's work can be admired. There are fewer who are also excellent teachers. And some of the excellent teachers aren't well-known photographers. E.g. Craig Stephens, who is or used to be on the faculty of the Savannah College of Art and Design, isn't very well known but his workshop at the Maine Photographic Workshops (or whatever they call it now) was one of the best I've taken.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

There are many workshops, but take advice and instruction form those whose work and opinions you respect or admire. Asking around is great and is smart but you don't know any of us so you have to take it all with a grain of salt. Some may really like one teacher while others will think they suck, at some point you just sort of take a chance. A good source for a variety of workshops is the Ansel Adams gallery in Yosemite or Santa Fe Workshops or Maine Photographic Workshops (I think those are all still around). It comes down to what you want to get from the experience, what you want to learn, areas you may want to visit and I am sure many many other things. There have been many excellent suggestions for you here but there are many more. Seek and ye shall find.Good luck and have fun, in the end it is all about having fun!

[Scott Walker]

Another vote for John Sexton. I took one of his workshops 17 years ago, excellent experience.

[Joseph Kayne]

Michael and Ray are both fantastic. Eric, please give Ray my regards. Thanks. Joe.

[Thom Bennett]

check out Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee's workshops:

http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/Vision_and_Technique_Workshop.html

[Renato Tonelli]

Not every excellent photographer is also an excellent teacher.

Ain't that the truth! Taching is a talent and it requires passion and enthusiasm. I've been in workshops where the time flew and came away with a new understanding or a different way to approach a problem and I've been in a one day workshop where I couldn't wait to get out.

All that to say that a John Sexton workshop has been on my radar for a while.

[Kimberly Anderson]

Come to Utah. Let me and Robert Hall take you around Great Salt Lake for a few days. We'll camp and shoot and eat and camp and shoot and eat and....you get the idea.

We won't charge you an arm and a leg either. Plus we're super cool and totally awesome instructors. :D

[Visions]

Anyone know of workshops in the mid-west, specifically Ohio?
Thanks.

[jessicadittmer]

I'd be interested in midwest as well, I'm in Iowa. I have family still in Ohio LOL! any midwest area would be great....