Angel Hair (Ancient Bristlecone Pine Detail)

The resurgence toward traditional film/darkroom photography keeps gaining momentum. Traditional photographers now have the finest products, including film choices and the most remarkable variable contrast enlarging papers ever produced, to give you astounding printing control and stunning visual quality. Through Bruce’s own photographs, books and workshops, is recognized as a leading figure in photography today. He is in demand for his clear, understandable way of explaining the thinking and methods of photography, both outdoor in the field and indoors in the darkroom. This "Complete Photographic Process" workshop takes you through the full black and white film/darkroom process from beginning to end —from exposure and development of the negative, to printing negatives in a traditional darkroom, to mounting and spotting the display print— and does it in just six days. 

The traditional b&w silver print remains the gold standard for quality imagery available today! It is unmatched by digital approaches for tonal richness and subtlety. This workshop, based at Bruce's home/studio, shows you why. Nobody explains the Ansel Adams Zone System of negative exposure, or the most direct way to obtain fine darkroom prints, better than Bruce. He’ll whow you that the feared “technical difficulties” are truly trivial and easy to grasp. Bruce demonstrates that a traditional film/darkroom user has all the control that one could ever want or need. Seeing how to use film and darkroom print controls, rather than just reading explanations about them, is a further benefit…or as Bruce puts it, “It’s difficult to write an essay about how to tie a shoelace, but it’s simple to do it once you see it demonstrated.”

Unlike digital, the traditional photographic process is truly "hands-on." You’ll be developing your own negatives, exposed during the workshop, then printing your negatives — either those made during the workshop, or those made previously, and brought to the workshop with your prints. —allowing you to create your image from beginning to end. You’ll see that traditional darkroom methods offer all the control you’ll ever need to make the best possible print. This workshop employs traditional materials—b&w film, variable contrast enlarging paper, darkroom chemistry and the finest enlargers. It emphasizes the most critical concepts of light, composition, relationships of elements within the scene, and your relationship with your chosen subject matter. You will see and personally experience the fine artistic control you have at every step of the traditional process, especially when you step up to the enlargers to print your own negatives. No other workshop gives you the opportunity to work with such fine products, printing your own negatives, overseen by an expert educator like Bruce.

The most important part of photography is seeing and imagining, and the second most important part is carrying those qualities through to a final meaningful image. The traditional silver-gelatin b&w print conveys that vision with unmatched brilliance and subtlety. You'll learn an enormous amount about creating a mood and interpreting a scene, turning it into your own vision. You'll learn how to express yourself better about the world that is important to you, and how you can create whole new worlds. Even if you do digital work, you'll learn a great deal of value from this workshop. Why? Because digital techniques are derived directly from traditional methods. (For those who want a more complete discussion of traditional and digital approaches, see “Thoughts on Digital Photography” on this website.)

Today’s b&w darkroom is radically different—and far more versatile—than it was in the past. High quality variable contrast papers give you unequalled quality and control. They turn the darkroom into a contemplative place—a sanctuary—where you can work at your own pace to create fine art. In this workshop our emphasis remains focused on one central goal: producing meaningful photographs. 

The improvements you will see in your imagery during the workshop tend to be remarkable, even astounding. We do not know of another workshop that offers this opportunity. You’ll learn how to expose and develop negatives that can make your prints glow. You’ll learn about the astounding range that film encompasses—far greater than most people understand, far more than is normally taught, and how to fully use that range to get the most out of your negatives. You’ll see demonstrations of printing by a master printer, including unique methods of burning and dodging and potassium ferricyanide bleaching for refined control and additional print brilliance. Rounding out the demonstrations will be selenium toning of prints, full archival processing of prints, plus mounting and spotting of prints for gallery or museum display. 

The days are filled with information...and fun! You'll also get wonderful refreshments throughout the day, every day, prepared by Bruce's lovely wife, Sonia Karen, and her fabulous breakfasts to start each day on the right note. A few hugs, barks, and licks from Bruce's and Karen's dogs makes the week even more pleasurable.

NOTE: the workshop begins Sunday morning, June 1 after breakfast at Bruce’s home. We request all students arrive the evening prior to the workshop (May 31), and join us at 7 p.m. for an informal get-together with wine, dessert, informally meeting one another and seeing the exceptional workshop facilities. The workshop runs through Friday afternoon, June 6, ending at about 1 p.m. Please plan your travel to allow full participation in this workshop.

Accommodations: Participants can stay at Bruce and Karen's home or their guest house, or at the nearby “Paca Pride” guest ranch, or camping on Bruce and Karen’s property, or at U.S. Forest Service campgrounds nearby. Once you sign up for the workshop, we will send you complete information about all accommodations. Just fill in the form and return it to us, and we'll make all reservations on your behalf, beginning the Saturday night, just before the workshop begins, and ending Thursday night prior to the close of the workshop.

Covid-19 is still not defeated. To create the safest workshop environment under these circumstances, we ask that all participants be fully vaccinated and boosted with the latest vaccines against Covid, with the exception of those who have a legitimate medical reason for avoiding such vaccinations. This is an unfortunate request, but one that cannot be avoided to maintain the highest levels of safety possible. (But let’s face it: we all want to be as safe as possible. We acknowledge that nobody can be 100% safe from the virus, but let’s make sure we’re as close to 100% as possible.)

More Details About the Workshop: The workshop is in a beautiful setting, just over an hour’s drive north of Seattle, Bruce’s darkroom/classroom/gallery facilities are in his home surrounded by over a hundred acres of forests, meadows and marshes. all below Mt. Pilchuck, towering more than 4,000' above the Bruce and Karen's home. There is immediate access to forest and mountain hiking trails nearby on U.S. Forest Service land of the rugged North Cascade Mountains of Washington State. 

Outdoor sessions in these surroundings concentrate on light, composition, and effective use of the Ansel Adams Zone System for exposure. You’ll learn how to use light as a tool for your interpretation, and you’ll see how it applies to any subject matter: portraits, architecture, still life, etc., outdoors or indoors.

Indoor sessions feature probing discussions and constructive evaluations of each student’s negatives and prints, with suggestions of improvements that can be made to strengthen your statement. Because you get feedback from your fellow students during these sessions, as well as from Bruce, you'll have new ammunition for evaluating your own work in the future.

Bruce's seven LPL variable contrast enlargers give every student the best possible equipment to produce the best possible prints. You'll print your own negatives—either those you bring to the workshop or expose and develop during the workshop—with ample time for you to try new printing techniques soon after seeing them demonstrated by Bruce. You will experience an immediate boost in the quality of your imagery. That's a guarantee!

The goal of this workshop is the thorough integration of the entire photographic process. You’ll learn how to envision your final print while viewing the scene from behind the camera, and then to create a strategy of negative exposure, negative development, and darkroom printing to fulfill that vision. No workshop program does this better.

To register for this workshop via the website, please return to the top of the page, and click on the button Add to Cart. Fill out the information, including your choice of a deposit ($250) or full payment ($1,775) for the workshop. Payment can be made using your Visa or Mastercard credit card (sorry, no other credit cards). If you register with a deposit, the full payment will be due 6 weeks prior to the workshop. You will receive an email response to your application shortly. (If you are applying for more than one workshop, please do this for each workshop you wish to attend.)

If you do not use Visa or MasterCard, or prefer to not use credit cards as payment method, we accept registration with a check (deposit or full amount) and an application. Please download, print out, and fill out the the application (click on: Workshop-application.doc or Workshop-application.PDF). Specify whether you will pay the deposit or full payment, and make the check payable to Bruce Barnbaum. Mail the check with filled out application to the address below. We will notify you by email to confirm your resignation.

Bruce Barnbaum Workshops

P.O. Box 1791

Granite Falls, WA 98252

If you have specific questions, please contact Bruce by phone at (360) 691-4105 or by email: barnbaum@aol.com.