WORKSHOP: Iron Based Techniques at f295

By popular request, the f295 Symposium 2008 has announced a one-day intensive workshop on cyanotype and van dyke brown techniques. Titled "Iron Based Techniques, or Poor Man's Alt-Process," the workshop will be led by photographer, educator and author Jo Babcock, who will teach the fundamentals of chemistry in photography, paper selection, and proper use of specific tools. Babcock describes "toning recipes" the photographer can use to achieve surprising variations in the color of the final image. The workshop is open to beginners in these money-saving processing techniques, and professionals as well.

The f295 Symposium 2008, running May 29 to June 1, 2008, is the only event of its kind, exploring the alternative methods in which photographs are created, and the impact of such methods on contemporary photography. Gallery receptions, lectures, and seminars set to take place during the event are made possible through collaboration with the Center for Arts in Society at Carnegie Mellon University. Workshops are presented with the cooperation of Pittsburgh Filmmakers. A full list events is available at the f295 website.

The workshop takes place May 31, 2008, and costs $200 for participation. Click here for more information.

The Center for Creative Photography: May Exclusives

The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona presents for the month of May a bevy of photography events, including exhibitions, gallery walks, lectures and tours. The two major exhibitions for May include "Lee Friedlander: American Monuments," in which famous American landmarks are interposed with the undeniable evidence of everyday life; and "Human Nature: The Photographs of Barbara Bosworth," exhibiting at the Phoenix Art Museum's Doris and John Norton Gallery, explores the concept of "inhabited nature," in which natural places in America can unexpectedly become human playgrounds.

Gallery walks include "An Architect's Perspective" on June 5, hosted by University of Arizona Professor of Architecture Corky Poster, and "The Curator's Point of View" on June 29, with Britt Salveson, the Center for Creative Photography's Chief Curator. Also, on June 24, Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography Becky Senf will examine Barbara Bosworth's exhibition in detail. Meanwhile, a new selection of New Mexico-themed images will be premiering at the Ansel Adams Gallery at the Center, so be sure to drop by.

Doris and John Norton are University of Arizona alumni (1950) who have contributed millions to the school. The Center for Creative Photography provides support, produces material, and provides valuable educational opportunities for photographers.

Remember, this is also the last week in which "Debating Modern Photography: The Triumph of Group f/64" can be viewed. Exhibition closes May 4, 2008. Click here for details.

Education Based Series of Exhibitions continues at MoPA

The Museum of Photographic Art (MoPA) in San Diego, CA will present its second installment in a series of education-related exhibitions titled "Picturing the Process: Landscape Through Time and Space." Lasting from July 12, 2008 to February 1, 2009, the Museum will present 40 works from its collection, arranged in chronological fashion from the earliest landscape photographers of the 19th Century to the contemporary photographic artists seeking to define the Landscape as medium. Featured photographers include (to name a few) Industrial Revolution photographer Carlton Watkins, 20th Century legend Ansel Adams, and contemporary photographer of the Atlantic Joan Myers.

From MoPA's press release:

"The exhibition will present a selection of discrete approaches to landscape photography from the landscape as a representation of beauty, as a means of artistic expressions, and as a forum for political and environmental issues. Each of the photographers represented in the exhibition has attempted to define the landscape while presenting discoveries concerning its structure, beauty, meaning, and future preservation."

Also running at MoPA are "Flesh: Portraits by Gary Schneider," until September 14, 2008; and "Humanitas: Images of India by Fredric Roberts," from May 3 to September 7, 2008. Click here to visit the museum's website.

Juried exhibition: emerging (I) 3

The Creative Center for Photography's gallery space in Los Angeles, CA will be hosting a juried exhibition of silver prints in black and white created by students. The images were selected by Freestyle Photographic Supplies' Educational Steering Committee, a group of photographic educators dedicated to passing darkroom skills and other traditional techniques to future generations. Many institutions from California and beyond, like East LA College, the International Center for Photography, and Montana State University participated in this show. The exhibition will run from April 24 to June 25, 2008.

From FreeStyle:

"(The Freestyle Educational Steering Committee) offers advice and council to Freestyle Photographic Supplies with regard to supplies, curriculum, and
creative techniques. The Steering Committee also serves as a forum for the educators' thoughts and concerns about photography in the modern classroom."

Click here to find out more about FreeStyle.

Photoshop World and April Events at Adobe

Adobe has announced its April 2008 line-up for design professionals, and there is much here to appeal to the fine art photographer in search of digital know-how. First is Photoshop World, the world's largest official Adobe training event, taking place April 2-4, 2008, in Orlando, FL. Adobe will also have a booth at NAB 2008 (booth SL 3220, April 14-17, 2008), which is dedicated to audio and video technology, in Las Vegas, NV.

Adobe Conferences in April include The Creative Suite (CS) conference, a two-day intensive on how to get the most out of CS (April 30-May 1, 2008); and The Art Center Design Conference 2008: "Serious Play," which will present some of the world's greatest inventors, designers, artists, and computer nuts at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA.

Other courses include "Collaborating on Web Design and Flash Creative with Acrobat Connect Pro," on April 8, 2008. Emphasis will be placed on using Dreamweaver and Flash to expedite workflow with Acrobat Connect Pro, which can allow photographers and other artists to transfer web pages to one another. A dizzying array of courses, ranging from online content protection to integrating video into a journalistic workflow, a good choice for photojournalists.

Click here to view the full list. Click here for more about Photoshop World.

Open Studios 2008 at the Californian Institute of the Arts

The Californian Institute of the Arts (CalArts) will be promoting the annual Graduate Open Studios Day, featuring students currently enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts programs of Photography, Integrated Media, and the School of Art's Art. On April 13, 2008, 60 students will open their workspaces to the public, where the limits of chosen techniques are often tested, and the boundaries of emerging contemporary mediums. Visitors will have a rare opportunity to preview works in progress and converse with artists in a comfortable and informal setting, thought the works on display are sure to impress and even shock. Each artist will be present in her or his studio and available to answer questions and discuss their work. There is no better opportunity to see just what is coming on the horizon of contemporary photography and mixed media art.

From CalArts:

"The MFA program in Art, Photography, and Integrated Media at CalArts has produced an impressive range of influential contemporary artists. Notable CalArts alumni range from graduates from the 1970s such as David Salle, Matt Mullican, Jack Goldstein, Lari Pittman, Eric Fischl and Mike Kelley to Liz Larner, Cathie Opie, and Stephen Prina in the 1980s, and more recent alumni Mark Bradford, Brad Bird, Ruben Ortiz-Torres, Sam Durant, Andrea Bowers, and Rodney McMillian."

The six schools of CalArts—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater—all share a single five-story building in Valencia, California, to encourage experimentation and unexpected, original combinations of existing mediums. This day of art and art-making is bound to be a colorul and exciting event.

Click here for more information.

SCHOLARSHIPS: Transart Institute International MFA Program

A low-residency program at Transart Institute will offer on-site summer residencies in Linz, Austria, and winter residencies in the US and Europe. Students are free to create their own course of study, working on art projects and the necessary research, with the support of the Transart faculty and artist mentors appointed by the participant. The residencies will offer lectures, critiques, seminars, performances, exhibitions, and workshops on-site. The format accomodates the day-to-day schedule of professional artists during participation. Scholarships are offered to all mediums, including photography, and are given on the basis of financial need and artistic merit.

The deadline for admission is March 1, 2008. Rolling admissions (depending on space) are offered until May 1, 2008. The summer residency in Linz takes place July 13 - August 1, 2008.

Click here for details.

Special offers and educational programs from B&H

B&H Photo Video & Pro Audio have announced a new line-up of educational events and programs at their Event Room in the newly expanded B&H New York City superstore. Workshops and tutorials on new products from leading imaging, and seminars led by “B&H Mavens” on photo, video, and audio technology and applications. These events are free, but space is limited for photographers and other prospective students. Individual events include

It's easy to see that B&H is more than "just a store." Click here to learn more.

Keep an eye out for more news from B&H on the pages of this blog and CameraArts.com, including an exclusive B&H/CameraArts storefront.

Aperture Events of the Holiday Season

Aperture Foundation has offered fine art photography books, travelling exhibitions and high-quality educational programs in New York and beyond since 1952, and this tradition continues well into the 21st century with new opportunities to engage in the world of photography both classic and cutting-edge. On November 28, 2007 at The Strand on Broadway, Richard Misrach will give a talk and sign copies of his landmark new work, On the Beach, which will be Aperture's largest book yet. On December 3, Sylvia Plachy, long-time photographer for The New Yorker, will discuss Goings On About Town: Photographs for The New Yorker. Never-before-seen images from the photographer's prolific career will be on display at the event.

From Aperture's announcement:

"Plachy, who is well known to New Yorkers for her long-standing photo column at the Village Voice entitled 'Unguided Tour,' explores the city’s dynamics from the inside out, revealing the vital and at times wacky creativity that energizes New York around the clock. The images are quintessentially Sylvia Plachy, and quintessentially New York. Plachy will also show and discuss other images from her illustrious 40-year career."

Plachy's photographic journey began in Budapest, where she was born, and she has taken pictures all over the world, though her New York images have achieved the most international acclaim and have been exhibited in locales around the globe. The talk on December 3 will take place in the Chelsea branch of Barnes & Noble.

Finally, on December 11, 2007, Aperture will present a special evening's seminar for young photography collectors. William Hunt of Hasted Hunt Gallery will guide participants through the first step of collecting fine art photographs. Hunt will examine the transition from being an occassional purchaser of photography to the attributes that define a true “collector.” Along the way, the ups and downs of collecting will be examined, as well as the things a collectors needs to know, and the question "why does it all matter?"

Click here to find out more about any of these fine events.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: The Society for Photographic Education's Competitions for students

The Society for Photographic Education (SPE) will be hosting its 2008 National Conference in Denver, CO, March 13-16, 2008. The organization is also offering scholarships to its student members and encouranging young photographers to be a part of next year's annual event. Eleven SPE Student Awards will include a one-year membership to SPE, admission to the conference and a $500 travel stipend. Students may include application fees with their entry—$50 for SPE membership—to join and thus be eligible for an award. These include the SPE Student Awards, the Jeannie Pearce Award (focus is on digital technology), and The Freestyle Crystal Apple Award for Outstanding Achievement in Black and White Photography.

The deadline for these awards is November 1, 2007. If you haven't yet heard of SPE, they are a non-profit organization dedicated to the discussion of photogaphy as a form of fine art, its potential for cultural illumination, and its role in the world of politics, journalism, and beyond. Through services, workshops, seminars, classes, and other programs, SPE seeks not only to spread understanding and awareness of fine art photography, but to foster the development of education, commentary on the craft, and criticism. Registration for the Conference is $220 for members, $345 or non-members.

Click here to visit their site.