From Practice to Print: Rethinking Picture-Making From the Print Forward

Beginning with a close examination of each photographer’s curiosities and interests, this class will delve into methods of photographing and digital processing to develop printed works from a broader series of images to strengthen and develop the photographer’s visual language.

Students will receive basic technical knowledge of Photoshop and digital printing, highlighting pathways towards a more “alchemical” or darkroom-adjacent process of printing. Interweaving group critique and technical instruction, this class is catered to photographers of any skill level who may be interested in enriching their processes through either technical or photographic approach.

Knowledge of manual camera settings is encouraged but not required. Students should expect to spend several hours per week outside of class photographing and processing images. Class will meet once a week for 6 weeks on Wednesdays from 5:30 - 8:30 PM at Atlanta Center for Photography.

Week 1, January 21st // Introductions, work sharing. Students share photographs they have made that they would like to print and develop into a body of work. Students set goals/intentions for the class.

Week 2, January 28th // Dive into printing basics through a discussion of books and photographs. Review of how images are processed, made, or printed, and what camera the artist is using.

Week 3, February 4th  // Students will print contact sheets using Bridge to understand the importance of seeing every photograph in print form. Plus: a basic Photoshop/camera raw tutorial.

Week 4, February 11th // Students will print their most successful images to date and engage in group critique. Plus: additional Photoshop instruction

Week 5, February 18th  // Lecture: Visualizing the Print: Examination of artists with very specific or attentive printing processes. Talk about correlation with darkroom work and how viable options to mimic that process.

Week 6, March 4th  // Final Presentations and group critique

Additional Details:
The instructor will provide sample papers for students to test, and then students are expected to provide their own paper for printing. All printing charges are additional to workshop fees and are charged at a rate of $.05/sq in. for ink, or $.08/sq in. for ink and our house paper. 

ACP's Digital Media Lab is open to ACP members. Students who complete this workshop and want to become a member to maintain Lab access will receive a 20% membership discount. 

If the workshop fee is a barrier to you, please reach out directly to director@acpinfo.org for information on scholarships. Scholarships cover workshop tuition and include $25 in printing credit. Additional printing is available at our standard member rates.

About the instructor:
Bio Walker Bankson (b. 1998) is an artist, woodworker, and educator based in Atlanta, GA. Drawing on his experience working as a union organizer, his work centers collaboration with underrepresented communities over long periods of time to document how history is performed and fictionalized in contested spaces in the American South. He teaches within the communities he works as a means to empower the people he photographs and work collaboratively with them to transgress historical and visual tradition.

Bankson graduated from Bard College with a BA in photography in 2021 and has nearly ten years of experience working as a studio assistant and printer for several renowned artists, including Jim Goldberg and Raymond Meeks. He was recently awarded the YoungArts Leading with Creativity Award and is a 2025 PhotoWork Junior fellow.