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Vision and Technique Workshop in Sedona, Arizona

Thursday, January 25 (evening) through Sunday, January 28, 2007

Spend magical days in beautiful and scenic Sedona studying and photographing with world-renowned photographers Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee in a specially organized workshop setting sponsored by the Sedona Arts Center.

This workshop begins on Thursday evening and will run through late Sunday afternoon. It is sponsored by and will be held at the Sedona Arts Center in Sedona, Arizona.

In this workshop Smith and Chamlee will show you how to make better photographs, to help you see more, and thus experience more personal growth. If the experience of their past workshop participants is any guide, you will be off and running toward making better photographs and making them more consistently.

This workshop is so complete that it will be the last workshop of its type that you will ever need. Even though this is only a three-day workshop, everything will be covered including developing film by inspection, printing, and use of the camera in a way that encourages endless visual possibilities and creative vision. All technical matters will be discussed as a function of vision.

“Our objective is to help you develop your visual and creative skills and give you the tools to make the best photographs you possibly can. We will try to teach you everything we know about the fine art of black and white photography, both visually and technically. We have no secrets.”

There are no limits to what Smith and Chamlee are willing to help you with as they try to meet your needs as fully as possible. The principles covered are applicable to all formats, although view cameras will used for demonstration purposes.

For full particulars about the workshop, call 610-847-2005, or send an email to michaelandpaula@michaelandpaula.com.

Workshop Fee: $695. Food and lodging are not included. A deposit of $100 is required to reserve your place. Phone: 928-282-3809; toll free: 888-954-4442. Arts Center contact: Vince Fazio. The Arts Center accepts all credit cards. Make checks payable to the Sedona Arts Center, P.O. Box 569, Sedona, AZ 86339.

Complete Workshop Description

Thursday evening—Looking at Photographs

The workshop will begin on Thursday evening at 7P.M for a 3–4 hour session. It will continue from 9:00 A.M. Friday and Saturday until the evening, and on Sunday from about 9:00 A.M. until 4:00 or 5:00 P.M.

Our workshops are intense. Our objective is to help you develop your visual and creative skills and give you the tools to make the best photographs you possibly can. We will try to teach you everything we know about the fine art of black and white photography, both visually and technically. We have no secrets.

Thursday; the first evening, we will begin by taking a brief look at participants’ photographs. (We will look at them again very carefully, and will discuss them fully, on Sunday.) We will then spend considerable time showing and discussing our own work. In this context, we talk about our photographs in terms of the visual concerns we have and an approach to “seeing.” This will not be a “we went here and did this” type of presentation. To our surprise, a number of participants at our Vision and Technique Workshops have reported that this was one of the most informative and rewarding parts of the workshop in terms of their own work.

Friday—In the Field

We will spend Friday in the field demonstrating how we photograph. During this time Paula will spend time with each participant individually, looking on the ground glass, and demonstrating a way to use the camera as a tool for fresh discovery and stronger seeing. We have rarely encountered other photographers who use a camera this way. This has nothing to do with using swings and tilts or other mechanical manipulations, but is about how to approach any subject in a truly visual manner. If you have not experienced this before, we guarantee that it will open your eyes to new visual possibilities and will enrich your photographing experience beyond what you may have imagined. Although we will be using an 8x10 view camera for this demonstration, this is valuable even if you work in 35mm. During this time you will have the opportunity to make your own negatives, so bring your camera and film.

Also during this time, Michael will demonstrate how he approaches his selected subject and the ways in which he does not limit himself to accepting his first response.

And of course, we will both be there to answer any questions you might have regarding use of filters, exposure, or anything else that you might wish to know.

Saturday—In the Darkroom—Printing

On Saturday morning we will go into the darkroom for a printing demonstration. We will demonstrate an approach to printing and apply them to negatives you have brought with you. We ask that you bring negatives that are difficult to print, ones that yielded satisfactory prints only after many hours of effort, or ones that never yielded the print you had hoped for. Also, bring the best prints (mounted or not) that you were able to make from those negatives. Although our demonstration will be with contact prints, it is fully applicable to those who make enlargements.

In the Darkroom—Developing by Inspection

On Saturday afternoon we will demonstrate developing film by inspection. This will not be a time for developing your own negatives that you might have made the previous day. After the developing by inspection demonstration, however, we hope you will be developing all of your future negatives with greater confidence and skill.

Sunday—Your Photographs

On Sunday we will take a careful look at the photographs from your portfolio. We will discuss them in light of all that has gone before during the weekend. Our hope is that by this time you will almost be able to anticipate everything we might say. The more photographs you bring with you, the more helpful we can be, though thirty would be maximum. These photographs should be in finished form and preferably mounted (although this is not essential).

Other

We will also demonstrate print finishing: mounting, matting, and spotting. At the end of the workshop, we can cover any topic you like that we have not dealt with. Let us know if there is any specific aspect of photography, either technical or visual, that you are interested in having us cover and we will do our best to do so.

The workshop fee is $695 and the workshop is limited to 12 participants. To reserve a place, send us a $100 non-refundable deposit. We accept all major credit cards, but prefer checks if possible. The balance of the workshop fee of $595 is due by November 1. If you need to cancel after November 1, the balance of $595 is refundable only if we can fill your place. After you sign up we will send you a complete packet of information about the workshop. The Sedona Arts Center will send material regarding lodging, transportation, and other information about beautiful Sedona.

Workshop participants will be offered discounts on all of our books and photographs during the workshop.

To sign up, send your deposit to:
Sedona Arts Center,
P.O. Box 569,
Sedona, AZ 86339.
Phone: 928-282-3809; toll free: 888-954-4442.
They accept all credit cards, or make checks payable to the Sedona Arts Center.

If you have further questions:

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