Intro to B&W Printing

Instructor: Rick Wright

Saturday, Deember 16th
12 pm - 4 pm

This is an immersive 4-hour workshop where you’ll learn the exciting (let’s say fun, too) process of making high quality black-and-white enlargements on traditional photo-sensitive paper in the darkroom.

Syllabi:

• Meet & Greet. Introductions. Goals of the class.

• Instructor gives darkroom tour and demonstrates how to use an enlarger; explains the chemistry trays and their functions. 

• Students return to the classroom and look at some film negatives:

  • Discussion of exposure, density, and contrast

  • How to choose contrast filters; where to start

  • Discussion on film cleaning and dust prevention

  • Instructor provides info about enlarging lenses and paper choices

  • Overview of how process works from setup to test strip to print

• Students return to the darkroom to set up their own enlarging stations.

• Instructor demonstrates how to make a test strip, develop and analyze the strip, and make a print.

• Students then work on their own negatives and prints for the duration of workshop with instructor input.

The Halide Project will supply all necessary chemistry and paper.

• Students are asked to bring black-and-white 35mm or 120 negatives for printing.

Instructor bio:
Rick Wright initially trained as an oil painter at Princeton (BA) and Columbia University  (MFA), before embracing photography with studies at The ICP in New York. While there,  he studied with: Nan Goldin, Susan Meiselas, Danny Lyon, and John Loengard. He  currently practices architectural photography, shoots 4x5 film landscapes, and hosts  photography seminars and critiques at The Halide Project, Fleisher Art Memorial, and  Peters Valley School of Craft. 

Rick says, “Photography is 93% of my life. The other 7% is occupied by film camera  repair, short story writing, and motorcycle photo trips. I chose photography over painting  for its speed, unpredictability, and ready bends of reality.” 

Rick’s work resides in several permanent collections including the Philadelphia Museum  of Art, Johnson & Johnson Collection, and University of Pennsylvania, and is exhibited  internationally. In addition to a 2020 museum solo show at The Griffin Museum in MA,  he was published in Lenswork Magazine, and appeared in the First Zagreb Photo  Biennial.  

Rick lives in the Center City District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Website: www.rickwrightstudio.com

This workshop has been generously sponsored The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation.