Member Benefits > PHOTOTexas

PHOTOTexas
A symposium of workshops, lectures, exhibits and a print auction

Every Fall, photographers gather in Austin to celebrate and learn. PHOTOTexas, TPS' annual 3 day event, a symposium of workshops, lectures, exhibits and a print auction. This year's event will take place on September 11, 12, and 13.

Auction XIV, will be held Friday October 17th from 6:00pm-8:15pm at the Davis Gallery, 837 W 12th Street. Bill Davis has graciously turned one of Austinís premier galleries over to TPS for the auction since 1999. Over 100 framed photographs by USís foremost photographers may be viewed beginning Tuesday, October 14th. Silent bidding will continue until 8:15pm Friday evening. The auction is TPS's major fund raising event and serves as vital support for our programs including the color exhibition catalogs and TPS's traveling exhibits. An Auction catalogue will be mailed to all TPS members in late September and will be available on the TPS website.

TPS will again sponsor a raffle of fabulous photographic items, including equipment, photos, Santa Fe Workshops tuition and much more. Raffle tickets begin at $5 each and may be purchased directly from TPS. You may buy a single ticket for one item, multiple tickets for one item or a number tickets for any or all items. A list of Raffle items will be on the TPS website and included in the Auction Catalog.

The workshops will be held in the Journalism Department at the University of Texas at Austin. At Steve Goff's urging, the TPS Workshops program began in 1993. The first workshops were held in Ingram at the Hill Country Arts Foundation. Steve organized several more workshops for TPS before retiring to let others have that fun. He's taken over the helm again two years ago and arranged a great array of artistic and technical courses, led by well-known instructors. So far, he's lined up the following:

01. Chad Smith – Commerce, Texas
Photographing People: Studio and Location Lighting Techniques
Saturday, October 18, 8:30a:4:30p and
Sunday, October 19, 8:30a-4:30p

Lighting is not just for exposure but is a very important part of the creative process. This interactive workshop is for advanced amateurs who want to work more creatively as portrait photographers. The class will cover the fine points of ìone lightî photography both in the studio and on location by gaining a better understanding of lighting ratios, composition, perspective, camera & lens operation, studio and speed lighting equipment. During this hands-on workshop students will examine the many ways people are photographed, from historical traditions to contemporary trends. Through demonstrations and working in both the studio and location environments, students will consider what is to be conveyed in the gesture and mood of the photograph. There will be discussions on how to set up a portrait session and develop a comfortable rapport with the subject. Students need to bring 10 to 15 images of their most current work, digital cameras, a variety of lenses, tripods, hand held light meter (if you have one) and an open mind as to what a makes a good portrait.

Chad D Smith is an Assistant Professor of Photography at Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas. He has over 25 years of experience in both the applied and fine art fields of photography, has taught all aspects of photography for over 18 years and has conducted workshops and exhibited his work nationally and internationally. His work has been chosen by the Texas Historical Foundation Exhibition and is part of the permanent collection in the Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona Beach, FL. Mr. Smith has won many awards and grants and is best known for his ongoing photographic study of the American landscape. Presently he is working on a collaborative documentary project that deals with the ever-vanishing small business in the American ìMarketscapeî and a Portrait Project photographing people using a 4X5 pinhole camera.

Workshop Fee: $ 235
Class size: 12


02. Steffani Frideres – Spring, Texas
Gum Bichromate printing
Saturday, October 18, 8:30a:4:30p and
Sunday, October 19, 8:30a-4:30p

This workshop will explore the historical process of single or double color gum bichromate printing. This early form of photography uses ammonium or potassium bichromate and gum arabic instead of silver to create the image. It is printed on †a heavy watercolor paper. Any color can be used, as the image color uses watercolor paint. The paper is coated with the chemical mixture in subdued light, let to dry and exposed using sunlight or UV light. Then water is used to develop the print instead of traditional chemicals. The images are all contacted printed from large format negatives or positives. Therefore we will start the workshop learning how to make traditional Kodalith negatives in the darkroom. However, if you have large format negatives you wish to bring, these work well as well.

Steffani graduated from the University of Calgary in Canada and earning a BFA in art, she went on to complete her Masters of Art at Washington State University in 1994. Since then, Steffani has exhibited in Canada, the United States and Mexico, and Scotland, in a variety of group and solo exhibitions. Steffani has moved and taught at Universities all over Canada and the United States and is pleased to be finally settled in one location. Texas, being quite a radical change from her native land in Calgary Canada.

Workshop Fee: $ 200
Class size: 10

Supply Fee: $ 15

03. Lucian Perkins – Washington, DC
Expanding your Photo Story for the Web and Multimedia
Saturday, October 18, 8:30a:4:30p

In the rapidly evolving age of the Internet and multimedia, the 'classic' photo story can be widened to include sound and even video. For you, the photographer, this gives you an expanded repertoire of ways to better express and tell your story. In this one-day seminar, Lucian Perkins, will first show inspiring examples by photographers in the art, documentary and photojournalism communities and explain how they now use the Internet to take their photo stories to a new level.

The second part of the day Perkins will show some of his projects and demonstrate how he created them by recording interviews and ambient sound, and how stylistically he shot them to generate a flipbook or used another photographic technique. Finally, he will walk you step-by-step through how he brought all the materials together in Final Cut Pro to produce these projects. This class will motivate you to consider new ways to tell a story with photography and introduce you to the powerful and effective tools you will need to create them.

Lucian Perkins is a staff photographer for the Washington Post where he started as a summer intern in 1979. Before that he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2000, Lucian won his second Pulitzer Prize along with two Post colleagues for their coverage of the Kosovo conflict. In 1996, he won World Press Photo of the Year for a photograph he took of a young boy peering out the back window of a bus leaving a war-torn area of Chechyna. In 1995, he and Post reporter Leon Dash, were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their four-year study on the effects of poverty on three generations of a Washington, DC family. In 1994, he received Newspaper Photographer of the Year from the National Press Photographers Association. He has covered many of the daily and political events in Washington, DC and the U.S.

Workshop Fee: $ 140
Class size: 15

04. Alison Hahn – Irving, Texas
Scanner as Camera
Saturday, October 18, 8:30a-12n

In this lecture and demonstration, we will look to see ways in which we can extend our photographic vision by composing 2- and 3-dimensional objects on a flat scanning surface.

The flatbed scanner as an expressive photography tool has a both a historical significance in chemical photography as well as a contemporary context within the world of digital photography. Students will be introduced to the history of camera-less images and experience the flatbed scanner as an innovative approach to their own artistic photography interests.

Technical concerns will be addressed such as determining output resolution, scanner software adjustments and using adjustment layers and layer masks in Adobe Photoshop to make finishing touches on our images.

Creative aspects of photography will be covered such as choosing subject matter and pre-printed imagery as backgrounds for the final photograph, and composing and layering of creative material.

At the end of the presentation and demo, students will be given the opportunity to use the instructor's scanner and computer to construct an image of their own. Students are encouraged to bring their laptops with the appropriate digital software and drivers, flatbed scanners if portable, as well as flash drives for image transfer and several prints of their photographic work to use in their scanner image.

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Alison Hahn is originally from Houston, Texas and completed her Master of Fine Art in Photography at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas. She wanted her first camera when she was 8 years old and has been pursuing book arts and photography passionately for the last 8 years. She is Senior Lecturer in Photography at the University of Texas at Arlington. As an educator and artist she embraces both traditional and digital photography.

Workshop Fee: $ 80
Class size: 12

05. Sean Perry – New York, New York

Translating Photoshop
Saturday, October 18, 1p-4:30p

This presentation & workshop serves as a rosetta stone for photographers wanting to express what they already know of their craft and image making into useful and potent techniques within Photoshop. Architectural and fine art photographer Sean Perry will demonstrate his favorite image enhancing strategies amassed from his journey as an Adobe Certified Expert and Trainer, articulating Photoshop from a wet-darkroom printers point of view.

Techniques and Topics will include Contrast and Masking, Black & White Printing and Toning, Sharpening, Shaping Light, and Luminosity Blending. Repurposing master files into varied promotional materials will also be covered.

Beneficial to any skill level, attendees are encouraged to bring existing topics of concern from their existing workflow for spirited classroom discussions and solutions.

Sean Perry is a fine-art, architectural photographer living and working in New York City and Austin, Texas. He is currently photographing a series on structures and the built environment of New York City, as well as exhibiting new body of work being published this fall titled, Fairgrounds.

Perry's work has been published widely including his first book by Cloverleaf Press, Transitory, as well as Graphis, the American Photography Annual, Shots, The Photo Review, Silvershotz and Camera Arts. His photographs are collected privately in addition to being part of the permanent collections of the Museum Fine Arts Houston, the Wittliff Gallery of Southwestern & Mexican Photography and the Manfred Heiting Collection. He frequently contributes his photographs to auctions that benefit photographic and social concerns.

Workshop Fee: $ 90
Class size: 20

06. Carol Watson – Blanco, Texas
Digital Infrared Photography
Sunday October 19, 9a-4:30p

This session will explore the theory of infrared photography, the equipment (cameras and lens filters), exposure and special compositional considerations. We'll spend some time outdoors shooting (weather permitting) and cover various post processing techniques (in Photoshop) to enhance your images. We will work on your own images or the images provided under the direction and guidance of your instructor.

Students do not need to have any infrared capable camera or equipment for this workshop. We will have some equipment for you to try, so bring a Compact Flash card to save your own images onto. If you do have an infrared capable camera and IR filter, you are encouraged to bring your gear to the session. If you want to try the post-processing techniques, bring your laptop with Photoshop or Elements installed.

In 2005, Carol was selected as Photographer of the Year in the Architecture category at the International Photography Awards and also won the Lucie Award for "New Discovery of the Year" for her "Prairie Solitude" series. Her work has been shown in galleries throughout the world and has been published in several books and magazines, including Elegant Texan and National Geographic Traveler. Carol recently opened a new studio and gallery, Watson Studio Gallery, in Johnson City, Texas, devoted to photographic and digital fine art.

Workshop Fee: $ 115
Class size: 20


07. Jean Caslin & Diane Griffin Gregory – Houston, Texas
Marketing Tools for Visual Artist
Sunday, October 19, 10:00a-4:00p

"Marketing Tools for Visual Artists" covers a wide variety of topics to assist photographers in developing and refining skills needed to thrive in today's competitive environment. Topics include setting personal goals; titling and valuing the creative product; creating an identity packet; writing artist statements; creating websites; getting
exposure through appropriate competitions and charity auctions; establishing record-keeping procedures and budgets; fundraising through personal solicitations, special events and artist's grants; finding alternative exhibition venues; and developing relationships with collectors, creative coaches, dealers and galleries. A packet
with readings, bibliography and resource list will be distributed. The program is fast-paced, informative and interactive.

The workshop will be led by Jean Caslin and Diane Griffin Gregory, of Caslin Gregory & Associates, Consultants to the Arts and Culture. The team has many years of experience in arts administration and the promotion of visual artists.

Workshop Fee: $ 115
Class size: 20

08. Scott Campbell – Longview, Texas

Color Management in Photoshop
Sunday, October 19, 8:30a-12:00n

Color management can save you time and money, but most importantly, it makes it possible to obtain the highest image quality out of your photography. Join Scott as we attack the backbone of color management in Photoshop. Providing an overview of color theory, color management concept and practical usage, Scott will show you how to effectively manage color spaces and conversions throughout the Photoshop workflow so that what you see is what you get. We will engage the mysteries and learn how to make color management work for you with confidence. Monitor calibration and profiling, viewing environments, custom printer ICC profiles, and ICC profile creation will be covered.

To benefit the most from the class, students should have a basic understanding of photography, Photoshop, and the Macintosh operating system.

Scott C. Campbell is a Commercial and Fine Art Photographer living in East Texas. His award winning work has been published in many national publications including Communication Arts, Photo District News and Lenswork. Scott holds the position of Digital Color Specialist/Photographer for Dynamic Resource Group LLC, developing digital workflow procedures for Photographers, Graphic Artists, Prepress, and Pressmen. Many find Scottʼs non-intimidating, ìexplain it to me like a six year oldî approach to teaching digital techniques invaluable.

Workshop Fee: $ 90
Class size: 20

09. Joseph Walsh – Blanco, Texas

Self Portraiture
Sunday, Octopber 19, 1p-4:30p

"I know you, you know me"

Despite what John Lennon says, we don't know one another and we all spend some time and effort to keep it that way. The self portrait is one emphatic, shining exception. The self portrait has a long and distinguished history, even pre-dating photography by several centuries. We will examine the self portrait from three aspects: First, we will look at examples from painting, drawing and sculpture but with a heavy emphasis on the photographic tradition. We'll look at the self portrait in terms of motivation and result. What are some reasons to do self portrait? What success or failures have others had? Have you tried it? How did that work out? Participants are encouraged to bring an example or two of their past efforts.

Second, we'll discuss techniques, the various and varying ways you might do your own portraits. Like most aspects of photography it is both easier and more difficult than one might think! Finally, we'll employ those techniques to shoot our self portraits. †We will try to reserve a period at the end so we might share these before our time expires.

Joe Walsh holds a Bachelor degree in English from Holy Cross College and a Master of Arts degree in Photography from Goddard College. †From 1969 to 1971 he attended the Brooks Institute of Photographic Arts and Science. He †taught photography at Amarillo College as well as West Texas A&M University for thirty years. †His primary classes were beginning and advanced black and white, beginning and advanced color, studio lighting/view camera technique and landscape photography. Retired now, he lives with his wife Sally in Hill Country where he participates in daily wrestling matches with a Dell PC and an Epson printer. So far, the Dell and the Epson enjoy a distinct advantage but he claims he is gaining on them.

Workshop Fee: $ 90
Class size: 20


10. Yam Tolan – Austin, TX
Lightroom™ 2.0
Sunday, October 19, 1p-4:30p

AdobeÆ PhotoshopÆ Lightroom™, along with other cataloguing software like Apple's Aperture, has become part of what many have called ìthe new digital workflow. In this introduction to Lightroom 2.0, you'll learn how this program can enhance and ease the way you manage your digital pictures. We'll go over how to get your pictures from your camera into Lightroom, how to (and the importance of) sorting and rating the images once there, and how to "develop" them (including taking them into Photoshop if necessary), making them look the best they can, and then outputting them to either prints, websites or slideshows. †We'll also talk about exporting images from Lightroom to other programs like iPhoto or MyPublisher for creating self-published books. A whirlwind tour packed with useful and accessible information awaits!

William Tolan is an Adobe Certified Instructor of Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom, and†serves on the Boards of Directors of both TPS and the Society for Photographic Education. He has taught extensively and his photography has been widely exhibited and is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, among others. Complete resume can be viewed online at williamtolan.com.

Workshop Fee: $ 90
Class size: 20

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With over 100 prints being auctioned each year, the auction is an economical way to become of a collector of fantastic prints from the likes of Christopher Broughton, Nevada Weir, Kim Weston, Dan Burkholder, Kate Breakey, Chip Hooper, Robb Kendrick, and Jill Enfield. TPS publishes a color catalog which is mailed to members in advance. The catalog will be widely distributed and is available on our website for out-of-town bidders.

Auction donors as of September 1, 2008

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1110 Barton Springs Rd
Artists reception September 20, 5p-7p.

Each year the TPS National Competition is premiered. Now in its 17th year, photographers from around the globe have entered and been reviewed by such jurors as Anne Tucker, Roy Flukinger, Peter Halpert, Wendy Watriss and Arthur Ollman. Accepted entrants receive a color catalog of the exhibit, which is also mailed to galleries, museums and curators around the country.

Cash awards are provided for winners during a short ceremony at the opening.

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Last updated: September 7, 2008