Photographic Processes in Nature (on Location)
1-Day Class
Saturday, June 1, 2024: 10am–4pm
Rain Date: Sunday, June 2, 2024: 10am–4pm
Making a Lumen Print © Jessica Somers
This workshop is for photographers of all levels who are interested in using objects from nature and basic photographic materials to create cameraless photographic images that are a reflection of the environment in which they were made.
We will gather at Center Springs Park in Manchester, CT where photographer Jessica Somers will demonstrate Lumen Printing, the Phytogram Process, and the Wet Cyanotype process. Each of these processes use elements from the natural world in concert with photographic materials to create unique images that are one part photographic precision and one part environmental happenstance. Sunlight, plants, and water each play a role in the image-making process resulting in photographs that are directly connected to the local environment.
Participants will have the opportunity to gather natural and organic matter on-site during the workshop but are welcome to bring a selection of materials of different opacities and textures. These materials can be natural or manmade.
This workshop will be held outside and will require walking on trails and unpaved ground, please dress appropriately and bring insect repellent. Packing a picnic lunch and carrying drinking water is recommended. If there is heavy rainfall the workshop will be rescheduled to the designated rain date.
Workshop fee includes most materials.
Non-member: $225.00
PhotoSynthesis Classic Member: $202.50
Burnside Darkroom Collective Member: $191.25
Course Enrollment: 4–8
Instructor: Jessica Somers (jessicasomers.com)
Jessica Somers is a photographer specializing in historic photographic techniques and self-portraiture.
Jessica has been in love with photography for most of her life. She was exposed to the act of picture making through her grandfather, an avid amateur photographer, and in the family bathroom-turned-darkroom after sunset. Here, she witnessed actual magic standing over the chemical trays watching an image appear where only a simple white sheet of paper was before. As a kid she received a Kodak disc camera and fell in love with the act of expressing her individual view of the world from the 4 foot high perspective of a seven year old. Her height has since increased but her love affair with photography continues.
Jessica’s work has been exhibited nationally and has been published in various periodicals. Her research on alternative processes and select photographs are published in the 3rd edition of The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes by Christopher James. Jessica is a 2022 Denis Roussel Award, Work of Merit recipient. She currently teaches photography at colleges and universities throughout Connecticut.
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