Seeking a Master Printing Workshop

Steve Simmons said in part:

The problem with Sexton's class is that you don't get to do the printing.
You
watch him make prints from his own negs that he has frequently owed people
for
sometime.

I don't know which of John's workshops you've taken. I took the three that
he offered in 1995-1997. I don't know what is offered today. At "Exploring
the Expressive Black and White Print" we worked in the darkroom until late
at night making our own prints. John would stay there as long as anyone was
still in the darkroom to critique and assist. At "Advanced Techniques:
Exploring the Black and White Print" we also spent almost every evening,
after the day's lectures, demonstrations and field trips, making our own
prints with John's critiques and assistance.

The only one at which the students didn't make their own prints was "Fine
Tuning the Expressive Print." There is no student printing at that workshop
because it was offered at John's home and studio. Perhaps that's the one you
attended and perhaps that's the only one still being offered since digital
has undoubtedly cut into the market for darkroom workshops. But even at that
one the students didn't just sit there and "watch him make prints from his
own negatives," we watched various darkroom techniques being demonstrated
(in addition to the critiques, lectures, and field trips). I learned a lot
about printing and photography in general at that workshop and I'd highly
recommend it to anyone interested in improving their printing and
photographic skills regardless of whether they do their own printing or not.
There are far worse ways to learn than watching demonstrations by a master
printer (plus participating in critiques, going on field trips, and
listening to lectures).

I have no idea what you mean by his "making prints from his own negatives
that he has owed for some time." It sounds like you're suggesting he uses
workshop time to make his own prints in order to satisfy obligations to
purchasers or others. Hopefully I'm wrong since that would be such a
mean-spirited and completely false statement. In the three workshops I
attended I don't remember ever seeing a final print being made by John. The
printing was done only to demonstrate certain specific techniques, not to
make final prints, and everything I saw ended up in the trash can.

"Largformat" wrote in message
...
You've pretty much described John Sexton and his darkroom workshops. Start
with "The Expressive Black and White Print," then take the
others.

The problem with Sexton's class is that you don't get to do the printing.
You
watch him make prints from his own negs that he has frequently owed people
for
sometime. A better approach is to find a class where you can do the
printing
yourself. George Tice used to do one at the Maine Photo program and he is
an
excellent printer. Gordon Hutchings does a large format class that
includes
printing at the Maine program as well.

Also, go to galleries where images by Tice, Paul Caponigro, Adams, etc.
are on
display so you know what is possible.

steve simmons

"sympatico.ca" wrote in message ...
"Willhelm" wrote in message
om...

So...does anybody know of a great
printer that has a workshop?

Twenty years ago I was looking for the same thing, and found it with
George Tice's workshop at the Maine Photographic Workshops. I believe
he still gives it there e

http://www.theworkshops.com/catalog/...choolID=20very year.




Thanks fellows. Fascinating how few people are mentioned as
printers. Tice and Sexton. Forget Barnbaum? Name people charge a bit.
Where's the working stiffs who gain great reputations with
pros/artists and get hired to do their work I wonder.I'm no longer in
the cities,so I'm out of touch. Ended up in Wyoming, after many failed
attemps in this...sniff, blubber, blubber, heartbreaking field.

I heard once Mark Klett had a great woman printer doing his
work.Maybe I should try her for advice.

As for one of two sheets get a finished print and most of it goes on
in the original neg anyway. All I can say is... huh? A landscape has
so many areas to contend with, there's little I can do expose/dev wise
beyond what we all know. I use the pyrocat these days because I like
to expose generously. I like shadows like the eye sees into them. The
pyrocat has
made that possible because it holds the highlights down. Nothing else
I've ever tried did that, not HC-110 highly diluted (gets dull), not
Microphen used in the way you once mentioned. Acutol 1:20 comes
closest. But look the negs are beautiful. I'm inclined to think 5x7,
8x10 have so much nuiance that they are even harder to deal with than
2 1/4. Especially when it comes to evening out say three areas of ice
and snow.

Ken Smith

have no idea what you mean by his "making prints from his own negatives
that he has owed for some time." It sounds like you're suggesting he uses
workshop time to make his own prints in order to satisfy obligations to
purchasers or others. Hopefully I'm wrong since that would be such a
mean-spirited and completely false statement. In the three workshops I
attended I don't remember ever seeing a final print being made by
John

I've heard this from of his devotees. If it is not true I wil apologize but
most of his workshops are at his studio now. I have a frioend here locally who
has gone to one or two.

I would look for alternatives. Tice is an extraordinary printer and he would be
my first choice. Gordon Hutchings did a black and white printing class here
last summer as part of the Santa Fe PhotoArts festival and it was very well
received. Everyone got to work on their own negatives the entire session.

steve simmons

"Willhelm" wrote in message
om...

So...does anybody know of a great
printer that has a workshop?

Twenty years ago I was looking for the same thing, and found it with
George Tice's workshop at the Maine Photographic Workshops. I believe
he still gives it there every year.

George Tice comes highly recommended by a close friend of mine who is a very
advanced photographer and printer who also studied with him 20 or so years
ago. He was already an advanced printer and was amazed at the difference
between Tice's printing and his printing of the same neg. All the people in
the seminar were advanced pros, too!

"John" wrote in message
...
On 1 Feb 2004 15:55:50 -0800, (Ken Smith) wrote:


I can no longer justify ten to twenty sheets of paper per print, even
though many printers will say that's exactly average.

If it ever took me 20 sheets of paper to get a good
enlargement I'd throw in the towel.

9/10ths of the work is done in the camera. Frankly I rarely
expose more than 1~2 sheets prior to making a good final print.
Honestly I don't know how I do it but the other night when I printed
with the Elwood for the first time I simply looked at the light coming
out of the lens which I had never printed with and made a good 8X10 on
the very first print. Not perfect. Took one more print for that.

BTW, why do you believe that Pyrocat has helped your images ?
Developers have many qualities but they rarely are actually capable of
addressing dramatic problems in a negative.

So what area are you in ?


Regards,

John S. Douglas, Photographer - http://www.darkroompro.com
Please remove the "_" when replying via email

If 9/10ths of the work is done in the camera, almost anyone could print a
world class image. Perhaps your standards are different than mine but I
would venture to say that most good photographers would disagree with this.
'Wasting' paper is the hallmark of great printers. I mean really great
printers.

In article ,
(Ken Smith) wrote:

Thanks fellows. Fascinating how few people are mentioned as
printers. Tice and Sexton. Forget Barnbaum?

I've spoken to both Tice and Sexton they are very nice gentlemen,....
Tice I received a personal handwritten invitation to one of his shows.

Barbaum I had some dealings through a subordant of his ,....and the
feeling I got was "Bruce" was too good to deal with the issue
directly.
--
LF website http://members.bellatlantic.net/~gblank

Steve Simmons said:

"I've heard this from of his devotees." (sic)

You have no personal experience whatsoever, you simply heard it from someone
but you don't say that with the original message, you try to pass it off as
fact until someone call you on it, then the best you can do is "I heard if
from one of his devotees." Amazing, especially coming from the guy who's
always lecturing us about expressing personal opinions without personal
experience.

"Largformat" wrote in message
...
have no idea what you mean by his "making prints from his own negatives
that he has owed for some time." It sounds like you're suggesting he uses
workshop time to make his own prints in order to satisfy obligations to
purchasers or others. Hopefully I'm wrong since that would be such a
mean-spirited and completely false statement. In the three workshops I
attended I don't remember ever seeing a final print being made by
John

I've heard this from of his devotees. If it is not true I wil apologize
but
most of his workshops are at his studio now. I have a frioend here locally
who
has gone to one or two.

I would look for alternatives. Tice is an extraordinary printer and he
would be
my first choice. Gordon Hutchings did a black and white printing class
here
last summer as part of the Santa Fe PhotoArts festival and it was very
well
received. Everyone got to work on their own negatives the entire session.

steve simmons

In article ,
Gregory W Blank wrote:

In article ,
(Ken Smith) wrote:

Thanks fellows. Fascinating how few people are mentioned as
printers. Tice and Sexton. Forget Barnbaum?

I've spoken to both Tice and Sexton they are very nice gentlemen,....
Tice I received a personal handwritten invitation to one of his shows.

Barbaum I had some dealings through a subordant of his ,....and the
feeling I got was "Bruce" was too good to deal with the issue
directly.

Actually that should have been worded "hand delivered" as opposed
to hand written. He handed it to me; at PhotoPlus a number of years
ago when I had a chance to speak to him,....He also seemed rather
flattered that I knew who he was. He signed the gallery
card so I guess its not too far off.
--
LF website http://members.bellatlantic.net/~gblank

Subject: Seeking a Master Printing Workshop
From: "BCampbell"
Date: 2/2/2004 5:35 PM Mountain Standard Time
Message-id:

Steve Simmons said:

"I've heard this from of his devotees." (sic)

You have no personal experience whatsoever, you simply heard it from someone
but you don't say that with the original message, you try to pass it off as
fact until someone call you on it, then the best you can do is "I heard if
from one of his devotees." Amazing, especially coming from the guy who's
always lecturing us about expressing personal opinions without personal
experience.

Your antagonism towards me is well documented. Please save it for your own
private moments

Now, what I said was that I've heard such comments from people who've attended
some of his workshops. Now, if people want to go watch someone work that is
fine. I just think they should be informed, or at least aware that they should
ask. All I am trying to do is make people aware of their choices. I have no
other agenda.

steve simmons

Subject: Seeking a Master Printing Workshop
From: "BCampbell"
Date: 2/2/2004 5:35 PM Mountain Standard Time
Message-id:

Steve Simmons said:

"I've heard this from of his devotees." (sic)

You have no personal experience whatsoever, you simply heard it from someone
but you don't say that with the original message, you try to pass it off as
fact until someone call you on it, then the best you can do is "I heard if
from one of his devotees." Amazing, especially coming from the guy who's
always lecturing us about expressing personal opinions without personal
experience.

I have talked to people who have taken Sexton's printing class at his home
darkroom in Carmel Valley. There are 10-12 students and you watch him print but
are not given the opportunity to print yourself or work with your own
negatives. If that is what you want fine. If you prefer a situation where you
can actually print your own negs with guidance then a different workshop might
be better. Take your choice.

steve simmins