The Winter Landscape with Philip Blair – February 11th – 13th, 2022

Description:

Winter, the quietest of the seasons, is a natural space for artistic expression and photographic exploration of the concepts of solitude, aloneness, and isolation. Throughout history, artists have channeled the silence of the season for quiet meditation and creative clarity.

This winter join Northwest landscape photographer Philip Blair for this uniquely insightful workshop. With a focus on the classic genre of black & white landscape photography, this workshop aims to explore the winter landscape as a point of inspiration in the creation of images that look and feel personal, exploratory, and even peaceful.

Over the course of nine days, this online program will combine live lectures, group discussions, critique of assignments, individual coaching, and technical guidance. Seasons are temporary, but the photographic insights in this intensive course will likely influence how you see spring, summer, and fall as well.

Topics:

• The essentials of winter landscape photography & introduction to personal expression in outdoor photography
• Finding your frame. Composition in the outdoors.
• Metering for black and white photography
• Black & white methodology, conventional and unconventional contrast schemes
• Leveraging your specific camera’s strengths
• Choices and style in the editing of images
• Management of highlights and shadows
• Accessing the hidden power of RAW files & preparing your image for print

Who should attend:

The course is open to photographers of all experience levels who are curious about photographing the winter landscape. Attendees should be familiar with the basics of their cameras such as focus, depth of field, and metering.  Helpful but not required is the use of tripod equipment.  The ownership of a Leica camera is NOT required in order to participate. Enrollment is limited to 8 individuals.

What is included:

• Pre-workshop one on one portfolio review/meet-and-greet with Phil Blair.
• Four group sessions: Three consecutive days, weekend group sessions (Fri, Sat, Sun). Followed by a fourth final session a week later.
• Group and customized individual assignments
• Mid Workshop One on one review and technical consultation with Phil Blair
• Leica Akademie giveaways and support materials.

Schedule and Format:

The workshop will take place online over two-weekends periods. Virtual sessions will be held from 10:00 am-1:30 pm Pacific Time, comprised of three consecutive days (Fri, Sat, Sun), and a fourth session the following Saturday.  An assignment will be undertaken by each participant individually, to be done during the Mon-Fri between weekends.

Participants will be asked to submit a portfolio or selection of images prior to the start of the class, so Phil can get an idea of their interests and goals

Friday, February 11: 10:00 A.M. – 1:30 P.M.

Saturday, February 12:  10:00 A.M. – 1:30 P.M.

Sunday, February 13: 10:00 A.M. – 1:30 P.M.

Saturday, February 19: 10:00 A.M. – 1:30 P.M.

All four sessions will include breaks between the first and second half.

Note: all times listed are Pacific Time:

Instructor:

Philip Blair is a black & white landscape photographer based in Seattle, Washington.  His intimate, native knowledge of Oregon and Washington takes him to places both well and lesser-known in this uniquely beautiful part of the country.  His primary focus is in the production of fine prints that connect personal and autobiographical emotion with the enchanting visuals found throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Philip has been a Leica M photographer for 11 years, with emphasis on the Leica Monochrom-M.  He is currently working with the Leica S system, and has also used the Leica SL, Q, and D-lux systems in various projects.

Philip partnered in November/December 2018 with Leica Store Bellevue on his “Solitude: Snow and Ice” exhibit.  He has worked with Leica Akademie for two sold-out events in 2019, “The Monochrom Landscape,” and “Alpine Photography with Philip Blair.”  His new book titled Solitude: Snow and Ice, by Chatwin Books in Seattle, is in the works for release in 2022.

What you should know:

Characteristic of Philip Blair’s work is a revealing honesty about life’s struggles, and he is deeply committed to the development and personal experiences of his photographer students.  Each participant may choose their own comfort zone, and can expect both sensitivity and care regarding any personal matters of artistic and emotional expression.

This is a virtual event.  Content and assignments of the program are geared toward environments of winter snow and ice, but physical access to outdoor winter conditions is not a requirement for participation.  For participants located in moderate or warm climates, assignments will be generalized for their local environments.