"Pick a theme and work it to exhaustion... the subject must be something you truly love or truly hate."
Dorothea Lange
"In my own case, hasty visits have usually resulted in inconsequential images; perhaps an occasional flash of insight, or a remembrance of an earlier place or time helped in visualizing a photograph. But most often I have grasped for some evanescent image only to find it a hollow recording of the subject because I really did not see or understand what was before me. I believe one must work in an area for some time and absorb its character and spirit before work can truly reflect the experience of the place."
Ansel Adams
This month we feature the experiences of two of our new Guild members who have returned to special places repeatedly, thereby gaining clearer expression of their attitudes about the subjects. Jason Miguel Russell shares his thoughts about what he found--and felt--at a site close to home. Sandy King revisited Spain for the twentieth time and takes us along on his journey. Several Guild members have embraced themes in their work; and while they don't limit themselves to these topics, they frequently revisit them, work on them, and feel something special about them.
We invite you to take some time to look at Guild members' work and feel what the photographer was reacting to or what is he sharing with the viewer. Our members welcome discussion of their images at any time through the Contact Printers Guild web site; in fact, we invite you to ask any questions you have about our efforts.
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Contact Printers Guild Online Store
 Contact prints are universally valued for their remarkable qualities of optical sharpness, fine detail, and sensual textures. Contact printing has evolved to a forceful aesthetic today, one of purity and perfection that is actively practiced by Guild members. The decision to make hand-made contact prints reflects a method of working that necessitates contemplation. It is a time-consuming process that records each detail in the print quality to achieve the unsurpassed graphic and textural form present in each print.
At left is Robert Finley's beautiful "St. Francis Church," an 8x10 platinum/palladium print from a pyro-stained in-camera negative, one of the gallery of fine prints available in our Store. Because we understand the difficulty of seeing the true beauty of a contact print from a scanned image on your computer, we offer an unconditional guarantee. If you are not satisfied with any photograph you have purchased from the online Store, you can return it for a refund. We currently have more than 300 photographs available for sale. Just click on the link below to quickly and easily view our catalog. The Store is a secure site that allows you to purchase using your credit card or PayPal account. Click here to visit our Store.
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IN FOCUS with Jason Miguel Russell
I do not make art with the hopes of making money (although it is swell when a print does sell). I only hope that my images make people think about themselves and their relationships to each other on a unified plane of existence. In this strong image I made at the Belchertown State School, titled "Belchertown #2," there is a swastika! I showed this photograph to someone the other day and he was startled by it, not quite offended but more like repelled. I did not feel I had to defend my image, but it did make me think. I wondered if he got it or not!
I'll tell you a little about my intent. The image consists of a rather graphical composition in which three windows are aligned above a row of seats. In my mind's eye, I instantly thought of the Trinity blocked by man's consciousness (represented by the ceiling in the foreground). The empty seating is symbolic of the location and the individuals who once were served there. Below this second-tier seating is an open space with a doorway and a shaded exit. To the right of that is a cracked door with the swastika and a star. They seemed to me to represent the duality of human society. The significance of the swastika coupled with the star seemed to illuminate the difference between what was supposed to have happened in these hospitals and what actually did occur within their walls. While I hope this provides some insight into the image, I also wish not to completely explain it away, but to leave room for your own journey and interpretation.
To see more of Jason's work available in our store, please click here.
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Photographers' Outings
 Sandy King
New Guild member Sandy King relates for us a photo journey he returned from not long ago.
"I recently spent three weeks traveling and photographing in Spain. I speak fluent Spanish and know Spain very well, having studied there for a year when I was in college, and have made some 20+ returns trips since that time, including two long sabbaticals.
"This particular trip began in Madrid, where I rented a car at the airport and drove to Trujillo, which is located in Extremadura, in southwestern Spain. There I met up with my friend Jose Carruncho, a very accomplished professional photographer from La Coruña who has many exhibitions and books to his credit. (His work is now represented by the VERVE Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe.) José is an old friend, whom I first met in 1994 when I was doing research in La Coruña. In Trujillo we stayed with another friend, Francisco Ortuño, also a very accomplished photographer who runs a large company that deals in the restoration of historical monuments. Since there are a lot of those in Spain, you can imagine that there is a lot of work for him.
"After a few days in Trujillo, Jose and I drove to La Coruña, which is in the autonomy of Galicia in northwestern Spain. There we spent several days together photographing the Galician coastline. In contrast to the rather rough and wild terrain of the area near Valencia de Alcántara, the Galician landscape is composed of softly rounded hills, with many long estuaries forming 'Rías' that reach deep inland. Because of the abundance of rain here, this area has earned the nickname of 'Green Spain'. Many people there speak Galician, a language that some might describe as a cross between Spanish and Portuguese. However, Galician is more than a dialect; it has a long literary history and is currently one of the official languages of Spain, along with Spanish (which they call 'castellano').
"From La Coruña I traveled to Huesca, capital of a province of the same name in the autonomía of Aragon, and a popular jumping-off point for visits to the high Pyrenees mountains. I photographed for several days in the area just east and north of the city of Huesca, including an area with an interesting geographic feature called the 'mallos.' The mallos are tall, spire-like formations that rise abruptly out of a flat and rolling countryside. The area is quite picturesque, as some of the towns in the regions are located just at the base of the mallos, which can be quite spectacular in appearance. The famous Spanish pictorial photographer Jose Ortiz-Echagüe made some interesting images of the mallos at the town of Riglos.
"The last several days of my trip were spent in Hecho, one of the most attractive towns in all of the Spanish Pyrenees. Hecho served as a base for expeditions into the very high Pyrenees, which were still covered with snow in early may, and into a beautiful forest of beech trees called the 'Bosque de Oza.' The beech tree is one of the most impressive of all trees in the forests of the Pyrenees, and in early May when I was there they were just putting out their new leaves. They were really quite spectacular, and I spent two full days photographing nothing but beech trees.
"From a photographic perspective, the trip was very productive, and I wound up exposing more than 150 5x7 negatives. Atmospheric conditions were almost perfect for the entire trip, with a mixture of clouds, rain, and sun; and the conditions changed rapidly, allowing me to choose the most appropriate lighting for most of the subjects I photographed. Typically one sees mostly sunny skies in all regions of Spain, which of course is not ideal for some types of photography; but in the spring there is a lot more rain and a much more interesting variety of conditions."
Please visit our Store to see more of Sandy's images.
 John Wimberley
John Wimberley writes us about a recent trip to the grassland areas east of the Cascades and includes a snapshot of some of the impressive landscape there.
"During May I drove to the Palouse area of eastern Washington to visit the Channeled Scablands. This is a large area that was inundated and shaped by a gigantic flood 12,000 years ago, and is unlike anything I've seen before. The jewel of the Scablands is Palouse Falls State Park. It was amazing to pass seemingly endless cultivated fields to come upon pockets of the original, natural landscape with its unique topography. In addition to photographing in black and white with my 5x7 camera, I carried a small digital camera as a visual notebook, and brought home this image of the area's undulating hills."
 Ray Bidegain--Catch and Release
Two weeks ago I went out for a day of photography with friend and Guild member Patrick Kolb. For me it turned out to be a day of "catch and release " photography. You may have heard of "catch and release" in reference to fishing. I am here to tell you, it happens in photography too. In fact, it happens to me all too often. You know the scenario: You carry your heavy 8x10 camera around the landscape waiting for something to catch your attention. Then it happens; you respond to something in front of you. Or maybe out of the corner of your eye. You feel a quiver. Out comes the camera and you do your best to gather all this emotion on a sheet of film.
I think one of the most challenging parts of landscape photography is allowing and arranging for the sun to sketch an image on film that represents the feeling and emotion of the moment. Sometimes I am ready and able to receive this gift, and I come home with a meaningful photograph. Other times the "big one" gets away and is released for another day.
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Special Offers
 Be sure to check out the changing gallery of specially priced prints offered by Guild members through this newsletter. Using this link, you can buy selected photographs that Guild members have discounted for a limited time.
Here you see Patrick Kolb's "Oregon Dunes Wind Cloud," an 8x10 handmade, limited-edition platinum/palladium print. Some of the prints are also featured in the current B&W Magazine advertisement. Please visit this issue's special-offer prints on our website.
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Members' Current & Upcoming Shows & Events
Guild Group Show in Sacramento, CA
The Contact Printers Guild's first-ever group show will be held at the Viewpoint Photographic Art Center in Sacramento this year. The opening is set for August 10 and the exhibit runs through September 1. Our Artists' Reception will be held on Saturday, August 11, and we hope to see many of our friends and supporters. The Center is located at 551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd in Sacramento. For more information about Viewpoint, please visit their web site.
Guild Group Show in Portland, OR
The Guild will have a second group show this year between October 20 and November 23 at Portland's Camerawork Gallery. The Artists' Reception will take place on Sunday, October 21. The gallery is located in the lower level of Peterson Hall at 2255 NW Northrup. You may check on hours or directions by calling 503.245.1784.
Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee
From June 15 through July 29, Camera Obscura Gallery, 1309 Bannock Street, Denver, CO, will feature Michael and Paula's photos. This exhibition will be their first US showing of platinum prints. An opening reception and book signing will take place on June 15 from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. For purchase information on Paula's work in our on-line Store, please click here. To see Michael's work, follow this link.
John Wimberley
The Paul Paletti Gallery will exhibit John's work during September, October, and November this year. The gallery is located at 713 E Market St., Suite 100, in Louisville, Kentucky. You may call 502.589.9254 for hours and directions.
From November 24 - December 31, John will have a solo show at Camerawork Gallery in Portland, Oregon. The Gallery is located in the lower level of Peterson Hall, 2255 NW Northrup. Phone 503.245.1784 for hours and directions.
Be sure to check the Store for John's images available through the Guild.
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| Members' Workshops
 Ray Bidegain and Patrick Kolb: Platinum Printing Workshop, October 12-14
Platinum/palladium prints are valued by photographers, collectors, galleries, and museums for their inherent beauty and archival stability. This workshop will demystify this process and give students the basic skills necessary to produce very fine platinum/palladium prints at a reasonable cost.
As we did earlier this year, we will meet at the Washington State University campus in Vancouver, WA. Space is limited to only ten students for this very popular workshop. Cost is $295, all-inclusive (price covers chemistry, paper, etc. for hands-on lab sessions). Contact Ray or Patrick via the workshop page if you have questions or wish to sign up for this workshop.
 Ray Bidegain: The Art of the Studio Nude
We're pleased to announce Ray's first classes focusing on his expertise in capturing the beauty of the human figure. He has scheduled two workshops, both in Portland, OR, for June 9-10 and October 6-7. With small class size, you'll be guaranteed one-on-one time with the instructor and the model. Since space is very limited, please sign up soon to be assured of a spot.
Tuition is $395, with a discount to $325 for those also enrolled in the October plantinum printing workshop above. To sign up or get more information, visit his workshop page.
John Wimberley
July 20-22, Vancouver, WA John is conducting a workshop entitled "Light and Silver-Techniques for Film Exposure and Development." This workshop is open to anyone with a film camera, from 35mm to 4x5. Tuition is $140; class is limited to ten students and there is only one opening left. For more information, please email John at tjwimberley@ashlandhome.net or telephone Robert Brummitt in Portland at 503.614.0161.
September 21-23, Medford, OR, "Sight and Insight" is a workshop that examines seeing from a number of perspectives, including peripheral vision and the intuitive "third eye." It is open to anyone with a camera, film or digital.
October 3-8, Virginia City, NV An expanded five-day "Sight and Insight" workshop will be held at the St. Mary's Art Center. The center has lodging available for workshop participants in newly renovated rooms. In addition, a darkroom with eight enlargers and a print-finishing room will be at the disposal of students. The workshop will include both classroom instruction and field trips to beautiful and fascinating locations in the area.
Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee: "Vision and Technique"
Alfred Stieglitz once said the hardest thing about photography was learning to see, and that is one of the major topics of these workshops. Both Michael and Paula freely share their talents with each participant and create an environment conducive to learning to see.
These weekend workshops are offered several times a year in varying locales and are open to intermediate and advanced photographers. Their next scheduled workshop is June 14-17 in Denver, CO. For more information, please go to http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/workshop_denver.html . To sign up, contact gregc@workingwithartists.com.
Later workshops are set for August 31-September 2 in Bucks County, PA; and October 12-14 in Tuscany. Please check their web site for the latest updates to their schedule and for further information. To enroll, call them at 610.847.2005 or email them at workshops@michaelandpaula.com.
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New Members
The Contact Printers Guild is always interested is seeing work from contact printers throughout the world. We have set up some guidelines for submission of work and consideration for becoming a Guild member. If you are interested, please click here to see the details.
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