Ilford Photo Student Masterclasses

Ilford Photo Press Release

ILFORD Photo is providing unique opportunities for students of photography to learn their skills from masters of the art via a programme of Masterclass workshops at colleges throughout the UK. Underlining ILFORD Photo’s commitment to the long-term development of black-and-white photography, the company is a strong supporter of students studying photography-related subjects.

ILFORD Photo recognises that as today’s students work their way through the fundamentals of pure photography, they are laying the basis for tomorrow’s world of imaging. As such, the company believes it is imperative that the basis of film-based image capture, processing and printing continues to provide the foundation for all elements of photography, including digital, to ensure that the human element in the creative process is encouraged and nurtured to its maximum. To this end, ILFORD Photo sponsors a series of Masterclass workshops at various UK colleges and universities which offer photography courses. From Newcastle to Fareham, from Blackpool to Cambridge and London, and all points in between, in excess of 80 Masterclasses will be held throughout 2006. They are led by world-class professional printer/photographers who share their own knowledge, experience and talents to provide students with the best possible grounding for their studies. 

Covering both photography and darkroom practice, the Masterclasses open new and exciting creative possibilities for students to understand and progress the art of black-and-white photography with new techniques which will both provide an in-depth tutorial and the basis for creating stunning portfolios.

A typical workshop will include guided viewing of a large number of prints using different techniques under the critical and discerning eye of the workshop leader, along with darkroom printing techniques such as contacts, split grade printing, pre-flash, toning and part toning, and sessions for getting the most out of negatives and prints.

The workshop leaders are all highly rated, widely published, award-winning printers and photographers who are recognised as extremely experienced and successful in their particular fields.

They include landscape photographer Dave Butcher (http://www.davebutcher.net ), fashion and advertising photographer Branka Jukic, and master printers Mike Crawford and Steve Macleod. Regulars also include Stuart Keegan and Les McLean (http://www.lesmcleanphotography.com) who combine printing skills with high-grade photography, and teacher/photographers Jerry Lebens (http://www.photo-media.org ) and Andrew Sanderson (http://www.andrewsanderson.com ).

Students attending the Masterclasses will qualify for special discounts on ILFORD Photo products to help stretch their budgets, and of course all that is learned will provide a solid base for entering the recently introduced annual Student of the Year competition. This offers some major prizes which will help students gain practical experience and set themselves up for when they complete their studies and enter the commercial world.

For details of the current ILFORD Photo Masterclasses programme, visit: http://www.ilfordphoto.com telephone: 01565 650 000, or email:

Published: Thursday, March 16, 2006

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