Join us as we learn how to create powerful Black and White photography!

Richard Martin

I consider myself a black and white photographer working in colour because structure is extremely important to my compositions. A large percentage of my own photographs are composed of monochromatic colour. However, there are times when colour impedes the central theme in a photograph, by competing for attention or dominating certain elements in the picture space. I love the two mediums and feel fortunate to have the ability to work in both over the past 40 years.

Black and white transforms photography back to its fundamental building blocks of light and dark values. With the absence of colour, black and white images have the potential to produce powerful contrasting tones. As a photographer it is particularly important to have an ability to recognize tonal values and contrasts and the role they play in composition— establishing mood and contributing to the structure of the photograph. The intuitive process of visualization can only be learned through consistent study and practice.

Studying tonal relationships will help you refine your intuition and judgment, allowing a greater understanding of monochrome’s creative potential. How you assign tonal values in a photograph depends upon what you are trying to achieve. Ultimately, design should never follow rules; intuitive judgment is the only method that that enables an imaginative approach.

Outcomes:
• Recognize tonal values and the role they play in composition.
• Creating impact with tone.
• Learn to distinguish Value contrast (relative lightness or darkness).
• Learn how value and colour are related.
• Creating mood using the subtlety of tone.
• Side by side comparisons of colour and monochrome interpretations.

Bio:

Richard Martin was a long-time contributor to Photo Life magazine (currently contributor to ELEMENTS magazine) and pursues photography as a medium of visual expression. He is best known for his unique vision with a personal style characterized by a strong sense of composition, colour, and the use of light. His work combines an architectural love of geometry, pattern, and texture with a painter's sensitivity to the creative art of implementing aesthetic. Richard inspires participants with his photography and visual design workshops, tours, and seminars around the world. "My photography is a celebration of the visual world. It originates straight from the heart, honest and direct. Inspired by colour, texture and light, I make photographs to express feelings surrounding my experiences, searching for visual equivalents to those feelings."

Learn more about Richard and his work on his website. 

Richard will be supporting Nature Conservancy of Canada with 10% from the registration fees donated to their mission.

Cost: $27 (or as part of the entire series for only $77!)

Michael E. Gordon

Michael E. Gordon believes that inspiration, imagination, and intention are three key pillars to finding personal success in black & white photography. Michael has deeply and obsessively explored, hiked, climbed, and photographed the deserts of California and the American Southwest for more than 25 years, seeking transcendental experiences, nature’s wisdom, and utter silence. He believes that the best work always begins with inspiration, good ideas, and devoted intention. He will discuss his decades of photographic work on American deserts and will detail how thematic work and projects have been transformative to his artistic experience.

Following Michael’s presentation, he will conducting a post-processing demonstration.

Bio:

Michael E. Gordon is an award-winning photographic artist best known for his black and white images from California’s deserts which, said Broughton Quarterly, portray “stunning ethereal beauty from terrain where others see only a bleak landscape.” A lifelong student of nature and wilderness adventurer, Michael’s intimate relationship with the natural world results in quiet images of depth and discovery. His relationship with and photography of America’s deserts spans more than 25 years.

Michael's work has been widely published, exhibited, and collected and can be found in the private collections of the United States Embassy, Kaiser Permanente; Milken Family Foundation; The Wilderness Society, and many others. His photographs and articles have in LensWork, Outdoor Photographer, B+W Photography (UK); Elements; Medium Format; On Landscape (UK); View Camera; Rangefinder; Broughton Quarterly; Arte Fotográfico, Backpacker; and many more.

His work has been awarded by the International Photography Awards, Prix de la Photographie Paris, and Black & White Spider Awards.

You can learn more about Michael and his work on his website.

Michael will be supporting Desert Advocacy Media Network with 10% from the registration fees donated to their mission.

Cost: $27 (or as part of the entire series for only $77!)

Brooks Jensen

For almost the entire history of photography, the so-called "black and white image" has never been colorless. Gelatin silver materials as slightly green, selenium-toned images are slightly purple, and sepia images are warm-yellow. Now in the digital workflow, we can easily produce subtle tones that used to be difficult if not impossible — for example, the elusive "split toned" black and white image. This new capability opens a wide world for exploring the monochrome image. Brooks will explore examples and methods that match the image content to the toned aesthetic.

Bio:

Brooks Jensen is a fine-art photographer, publisher, workshop teacher, and writer. He and his late wife (Maureen Gallagher) are the owners, co-founders, editors, and publishers of the award winning LensWork, one of today’s most respected and important periodicals in fine art photography. With subscribers in 72 countries, Brooks’ impact on fine art photography is truly world-wide. His long-running podcast on photography and the creative process is heard over the Internet by thousands every day. LensWork is currently in its 31th year of publication.
LensWork Publishing is also at the leading edge in multimedia and digital media publishing with LensWork Extended Computer Edition and the LensWork Tablet Edition — both PDF based, media-rich expanded version of the magazine. LensWork Online is a membership website with literally terabytes of online content including videos, audios, workshops, and inspiration for your creative photographic endeavors. Brooks' personal work can be seen in his on-going series, Kokoro, a PDF based, downloadable periodical.

Brooks Jensen is the author of nine best-selling books on photography and creativity: Looking at Images, The Creative Life in Photography, Letting Go of the Camera, the three volume set Single Exposures: Random Observations on Art, Photography and Creativity. His most recent books are Photography, Art, & Media; The Best of the LensWork Interviews. He is also the editor and publisher of Seeing in SIXES (four volumes published in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019), Our Magnificent Planet 2020, Our Magnificent Planet 2021, Trilogies 2022, and Light, Glorious Light 2023.

Two monographs of Brooks' personal photograph have been published: Made of Steel (2012) and Dreams of Japan (2021).

Learn more about Brooks and his work on his website. 

Brooks will be supporting the Inspired Creator with 10% from the registration fees donated to help their mission.

Cost: $27 (or as part of the entire series for only $77!)

Huibo Hou

When deciding whether a final image should be presented in black and white, my criteria often come down to a single question: Does it elevate the visual and emotional impact of the subject compared to using color? Black and white photography, for me, is not merely an alternative aesthetic approach; instead, I turn to it to reveal and fulfill the deeper potential of the subject, sometimes transcending its literal appearance in color. In this class, I will delve deeply into how to seek and capture such potentials in the field, and how to continue elevating their visual and emotional impact during postprocessing. Whether you are an exploring beginner or an experienced photographer, this class aims to inspire you towards creating impactful black and white landscape images.

Bio:

Huibo Hou , is a landscape photographer based in San Diego, California. She fell in love with photography about 25 years ago as a hobbyist while working in the wireless communication industry. Then life got in the way, and she had to set aside her photography pursuit for quite some time. In early 2015, she rekindled her love for photography and gradually became more serious about the craft. Her work has been recognized internationally in recent years with multiple awards and publications. Landscape photography, especially in black and white, is the art medium that she is passionate about. It serves as her creative outlet to express how she observes, interprets, and connects with nature.

Learn more about Huibo and her work on her website. 

Huibo will be supporting the San Diego Humane Society with 10% from the registration fees donated to help their mission.

Cost: $27 (or as part of the entire series for only $77!)