My love is in making great prints. I started out making them in the darkroom. I studied the great master print makers, Wynn Bullock, Paul Campinegro, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams to name a few. Ansel used to think of his negatives as a musical score. Something easily read. He called the printing of his negatives the performance of the score.

Some days in the darkroom yielded better performances than others. Photoshop is the darkroom of today. Think of the performance as adjusting the tones in the image to bring out the original thought or feeling in the taking of the image. Great printmakers control how the image is looked at. Many times this is done by darkening and lightening specific tones in the image, so the viewer looks at the image the way you intended.

This is not easily taught. It has to come from making prints. Great printmaking is a lot of value judgments. Some days are better than others. I teach Photoshop from this perspective. Ansel used to say “I can teach you how to make a print in the darkroom in a half hour, then you can spend the rest of your life learning how to make great prints.

Today this is done with Photoshop and a good inkjet printer. I'm currently using the Epson 3800 printer. You can see them at ITSupplies.com. I'm most excited about the wonderful papers that are available. My favorite is: Crane Museo Silver Rag. It won't take long and you will have the same passion to make great prints that I do.
Steve Burger

Sedona Fall Photoshop Seminar
with Steve Burger:
Sedona Workshop: October 24th-27th 2008

Learning how to use image-editing programs to enhance digital photos or scans isn’t always easy. There can be a steep learning curve just to be able to handle basic workflow. This workshop will help take the mystery out of the process, giving you tools you can take home and immediately start using to achieve consistently good results. After importing your images into the computer, you’ll learn step-by-step how to maximize the impact of your photographs, and how to print them.

These lessons will be taught in a classroom setting with both scheduled lectures and free lab time, and each student will receive the instruction book Steve uses in his Photoshop classes. You’ll also have the chance to visit some of Sedona’s, and the Grand Canyon South Rim's most scenic spots. From breathtaking sunrises and sunsets during the height of fall color, to spectacular vistas of the magnificent canyon, you will be shooting images to use in the workshop. Check the Arizona Highways link below formore information and dates.

Arizona Highways Workshops. (Sedona Information)