This 2-day weekend workshop introduces the fundamentals of Lightroom and gives tips & tricks on how to professionally develop your digital images. Focus is on setup, workflow, organization, image management, rating, editing, non-destructive image processing, and delivery of images regardless of output type. The course includes open lab time to work on your own images. Lightroom puts the focus on images being processed and managing large volumes of images. Flash galleries, websites, and self-published books can be made from this single program, which works seamlessly with all Adobe and Macromedia programs.
BRING: 25 Unprocessed images – RAW or JPEG

Limit: 10 students
Instructor: Erika Gentry

This 4-week class will survey a variety of non-traditional techniques that expand artistic possibilities for darkroom photographers. In the darkroom, we’ll try altering negatives, photograms, painting with light, Sabattier prints (aka solarizition), applying chemistry with brushes, altering prints in tea and coffee, and Liquid Light emulsion. Outside the darkroom, we will discuss various films including infared and cross processing for unusual color rendition. All students with basic film processing and printing skills are welcome to enroll.

Wednesdays | 6:30-9:30p | Nov 17, 24, Dec 1 & 8
Limit: 10 students
Instructor: Audrey Jones
Tuition includes lab pass to B&W group darkroom and roll film processing.

This 5-week course provides accessible, practical tools for getting your work into the world. Topics include developing a portfolio, writing about your work, budgeting, pricing, and marketing. We will explore both commercial galleries and alternative art spaces. Hear first hand from a selection of art professionals about what they look for in submissions, when to get model releases, and how to hang your photos straight. Learn how to plan an exhibition from press release to reception and take away real templates to support your practice.

Nov 10, 17, Dec 1, 8, 15 (no class Nov 24
Wednesdays | 6:30-9:30p | Limit: 6 students
Includes lab pass for computer workstations
Instructor: Sita Kuratomi Bhaumik

A 5-week class that explores the questions all photographers ponder. What makes an effective photographic composition? Why is one picture better than another? We see so many images every day, what makes a photograph stand out? In order to answer these questions and many others, we will examine the principals of composition and look at photographs that have withstood the test of time. Students will be given assignments and learn to edit, sequence, and critique their own work as well as their classmates’ work.
BRING: 35mm or Medium Format camera (digital or film) and 5-10 prints/examples of your work.

Mondays | 6:30-8:30p | Nov 15, 22, 29, Dec 6 & 13
Limit: 10 students
Instructor: Meghann Riepenhoff
Tuition includes lab pass to group traditional darkrooms or computer workstations.

A 5-hour hands-on workshop that covers the details of B&W digital printing. Walk through converting color images to B&W in Photoshop, discussion of inks, papers, normal printer drivers vs. RIP software, and more. Paper and inks are supplied. This course combines lecture and lab time to familiarize students with the newest printing and conversion techniques, and the small class size allows for fluidity in materials presented.
PRE-REQ: Basics of Photoshop Layers.
BRING: Three-8×10″ COLOR images on disc.

Saturday | 10a-3p | November 13
Limit: 4 students
Instructor: Cody Williams

A 5-hour hands-on workshop that shows you how to take your digital images from computer screen to print. Get a basic overview of color management and get experience using consumer and high-end professional printers. Topics covered include monitor calibration, soft proofing, ICC profiles, inks, papers, color spaces, and more. Paper and inks are supplied.
BRING: Six-8×10″ Color image files

Saturday | 10a-3p | November 6
Limit: 6 students
Instructor: Cody Williams

This is a two-part intensive course, consisting of a one-day excursion to the abundant wilderness north of San Francisco, and a one-day image processing and printing session at RayKo. Inspired by the rich history of landscape photography in the Western United States, this course will bring students to the landscape where we will explore intermediate photographic techniques with digital cameras. Topics we will cover include depth of field, selective focus, macro techniques, mixed lighting, long exposures, low light photography, and shooting moving subjects. The unique opportunity to be immediately submerged in situations requiring these shooting techniques will allow students to apply course topics and receive instant feedback and supplemental instruction. The goal of this shooting time is to bring the best possible results to the computer so that the Photoshop techniques we learn are used to tighten great images rather than ‘fix’ troubled shots.

The last half of the course will be at RayKo, where students will learn digital image processing in Photoshop, including curves, layers, and printing. The class will also engage in critical discussions regarding composition, editing and sequencing to create a small body of work, and overall image quality.
BRING: DSLR with full manual exposure controls, beginners understanding of their camera, a tripod, a shutter release cable, and a willingness to experiment and explore in the wilderness of Northern California.

Saturday (shooting) & Sunday (lab day), 10a-6p, Dec 11 & 12
Limit: 10 students
Instructor: Meghann Riepenhoff

A 3-week, hands-on course in which we take our traditional silver print cues from 1889 while utilizing modern technologies to create magnificent Kallitype, (Comparable to Platinum Palladium) prints. We will cover scanning film, maximizing digital capture, and post-processing techniques in order to create robust digital negatives specifically to contact print Kallitypes. In the dark room portion, students will learn about appropriate materials, coating papers, UV light exposure strategies, and possibly experiment with toning options. Learn how to merge the newest digital techniques with one of the oldest photographic processes out there.
PRE-REQ: fundamental B&W traditional print experience, basic understanding of Photoshop.
BRING: digital or film images

Sundays | 6:30-9:30p | Dec 5, 12 & 19
Limit: 8 students
Instructor: Carlos Arrieta
Tuition includes lab pass to computer workstations and partial access to B&W private darkrooms.

This four-session course will introduce you to the world of taking your digital files from scans or digital camera images and outputting them onto transparency film for traditional silver gelatin darkroom printing. Lecture will cover scanning, post processing, digital negative creation, and printing. In the lab portion we discuss basic darkroom techniques that can still be applied to this process despite being a contact printing process.
PRE-REQ: Basic understanding of Photoshop Curves & Layers
BRING: Film negatives and/or RAW files, B&W paper of your choice, and a notebook.

Tuesdays | 6:30-9:30p | Oct 26, Nov 2, 9 & 16
Limit: 8 students
Instructor: Carlos Arrieta
Tuition includes lab pass to computer workstations and B&W group darkroom.

This 3-session class will introduce photographers to the plethora of possibilities available when hand processing color film. Students will learn various techniques of processing negative or positive color film in 35mm and 120 formats. Techniques that will be covered include C41 processing, cross processing, and push/pull processing, all resulting in negatives ready to be scanned or printed. These techniques are invaluable at saving money and cutting out the need to send film to a lab. Upon completion, students will have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to process their own film at home, as well as the safe handling and disposal of color chemistry. Students will be required to purchase chemical gloves, safety glasses, and an OV/P100 respirator, details will be given at first class.

Mondays | 6:30-9:30p | Oct 18, 25 & Nov 1
Limit: 8 students
Instructor: Sam Manera
Tuition includes in class use of color film chemistry and a lab pass to the color group room or Nikon scanning stations.

A 2-day intensive course in advanced shooting and processing techniques. HDRI “high dynamic range imaging” is a technique using camera exposure and software to create images with a greater dynamic range (the range of values between light and dark areas) through the process of tone mapping. Digital panoramic photography is a technique using overlapping camera exposures to “seam” together multiple images into one image with a perceived wide field of view. On day one, learn how to make proper exposures and explore your creativity on location. On day two, learn how to correct and process the images using Photoshop CS4 and third party HDR software.
PRE-REQ: Basic Photoshop and Level 1 Digital Photo, or equivalents.
BRING: Digital SLR or digital camera with manual exposure adjustments and wide angle lens capabilities, and a tripod.

Saturday (shoot off-site) & Sunday (lab day)
Limit: 10 students
Instructor: Erika Gentry

This is a hands-on workshop to demonstrate the use of strobe lighting equipment and show you how to create basic lighting set-ups in the studio. We will cover the basic principles of studio lighting which include metering, color temperature and light ratios. This workshop is applicable to both digital and conventional photography. Participants will gain experience using strobe equipment and learn how to shape light to create the effects they desire. All demonstrations will be done with a professional level DSLR camera to show immediate results.
BRING: A basic understanding of manual camera exposure including F-stops and a notebook.

Limit: 8 students
Instructor: Cody Williams

A 3-day class where you will experience what you’ve been missing! Large format photography offers a level of control and image quality that far surpasses smaller formats. This workshop will demystify the workings of the view camera and reveal the basic optical principles by which all cameras operate. Learn about camera operation, perspective, focus control, film holders, and more. 4×5 camera rental available for $50/week.

Sundays | 11a-4p | Oct 17, 24 & 31
Limit: 8 students
Instructor: Johanna Case-Hofmeister
Tuition includes lab pass to sheet film processing room and group B&W darkroom.

This comprehensive workshop will be held over 3 nights both at RayKo Photo Center and photographing in the South of Market area.  Emphasis of the class will be on evaluating existing lighting situations and exposing specific films accordingly.  Supplemental lighting possibilities will also be demonstrated.  B&W, color negative, and slide films will be compared.  Students will return the following week to discuss their work.
BRING: 35mm, medium format film camera, or D-SLR with full manual control & bulb or time setting (no point & shoot or auto cameras), sturdy tripod, digital watch or timer.  Instructor will email student list in full detail.

Thursday | Aug 12 & 19 | 6:30-11p AND Thursday | Aug 26 | 6:30-9:30p
Limit: 8 students
Instructor: Tim Baskerville

In this 3-week workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of location lighting for editorial or fashion photography using the low cost Alien Bee’s kit systems. We will meet in different locations each week, to face different obstacles that may occur during various conditions. Students will also be grouped into teams to experience working with different photographic styles and expanding their own photographic vision as well as gaining experience assisting. Other topics include color management out in the field, fill flash, shooting tethered, digital capture compositing techniques, posing techniques, and light finessing techniques.
PRE-REQ: Complete understanding of manual controls and an optimistic demeanor.
BRING: Mandatory items: D-SLR Camera and Voltage regulator. Optional items: light meter if available, tripod, gel kits, Gaffers Tape

Sundays | 2p-5p | Nov 14, 21 & 28
Limit: 9 students
Instructor: Carlos Arrieta

Photogravure, an intaglio process developed between 1850 and 1880, was one of the first successful techniques for editioning photographic images. Its tonal and archival qualities are so superb that even after it had been supplanted by more commercially viable processes in the early 20th century, photographers such as Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Curtis, and Paul Strand selected it to edition some of their most important works. Fine art presses and book publishers still use the process today. This 4-day intensive workshop covers the process from start to finish. You’ll create transparent positives by hand, and in the wet and digital darkrooms, sensitize, expose, and affix the carbon tissue to a copper plate. This plate will be rosin aquatinted and subjected to a seriesof ferric chloride baths before printing. Expect to work hard and finish the workshop with at least one proofed plate! Prior knowledge of printmaking and photography is very helpful. BRING: Digital files at 300 dpi or B&W Negatives

Oct 30, 31, Nov 6 & 7
Saturday & Sunday | 10a-5p | Limit: 6 students
Instructor: Unai San Martin

This workshop is designed for those interested in learning basic studio methods for product photography. We’ll cover the fundamentals starting with how to operate studio flash equipment and metering and move onto discussing quality of light, managing highlights and shadows, dealing with reflective objects, perspective and focus control, shooting using accessories, and more. Participants will be able to experiment using their own cameras (either digital or film) on three different tabletop lighting sets in our studio.
PRE-REQ: Understanding of basic camera operation, exposure control, and how to use your camera in manual mode.
BRING: DSLR or SLR film camera, notebook.

Saturday | 11a-5p | Dec 11
Limit: 8 students
Instructor: Cody Williams

This 2-hour short course gives a quick overview for the wet-plate process, specifically for Tintypes, and is for students who want to come out in the field, but have no wet-plate experience. You must register for a Wet-Plate Field workshop, to qualify for this course.

PAYMENT & SCHEDULING:  1-week or more advance notice is needed to schedule a short course. Payment for Crash Course must be paid in full, at the time of registration for the Field Workshop.

Cost: $150
Instructor: Mia Nakano

An intensive hands on workshop where students learn the 19th century Tintype process. Get an overview of the specialized chemistry needed, samples of Tintype photographer’s work, projection in a darkroom vs. in-camera shooting techniques, and the fundamentals of coating, processing, and proper varnishing techniques to finish one-of-a-kind silvery plates. A variety of shooting and processing options will be available for students to work with including darkroom enlarging, studio portrait & tabletop stations. Students can also choose to shoot natural light portraits and urban landscapes, right outside our building. All equipment and chemistry is included.
BRING: Properly exposed 35mm slides, 2-3 small objects to be photographed, and wear clothing that can be stained.

Limit: 6 students
Instructor: Connie Begg

A one day workshop in the glorious Marin Headlands, starring the RayKo Photo Center Tintype Trailer. Come off-site with us, and choose to photograph vast ocean views, rolling hills, or hunt and find the hidden military bunkers and silos peppered throughout the Headlands. Feel free to bring models to photographs, and wear comfortable clothes and shoes. 4×5″ cameras, plates, and chemistry are included.
BRING: Lunch

Sunday | 8:00a-6:00p | Aug 28
Limit: 6 students
Instructor: Connie Begg