We had a diverse range of participants – some more experienced photographers and some beginners. John’s workshop was really about being liberated from ‘technical photography’ and breaking down the processes into the most simple and intuitive approaches. His background as a film-based commercial photographer in the 80s & 90s led him to ‘rediscover’ photography in the digital age after a career change, and he has discarded the shackles of technical perfection to revive his love for the medium in a fine art context. Some participants were shocked to find that he still uses a ‘vintage’ version of Photoshop, and that he isn’t tied to any particular camera, using a combination of  mobile phone, DSLR, mirrorless and film cameras to capture the world around him. 

John believes that an image isn’t a real photograph until it’s printed, and so the participants were taken through a simple workflow from capture to print & frame by the end of the day. They explored the local town of Macclesfield, shooting at Crystal Lake and around some of the historic buildings to find interesting subject-matter. Post-production was followed by a quick printing exercise, and the day ended with everyone taking home a fine art B&W framed photograph. 

The studio worked well for a small group workshop, with the outdoor spaces suiting both photography exercises and lunch break chill-out areas. Our new monitor worked well for the morning presentation and overall it was a very successful workshop. 

Thanks John for hosting the workshop at Watermark Crossing!

(photos by Sam Oster)