Reviews
DUBLIN STUDIO WORKSHOPS
"Don't miss the opportunity to take a workshop with world-renowned artist and photographer Christopher James.
The location is ideal, close to Boston and the regional Manchester airport, within an area steeped in rich history and beauty. His personal studio and home, which he shares with his lovely artist wife, Rebecca, are the location for the workshops and are works of art in themselves. Christopher inspires by allowing you to explore your art with a sense of play and experimentation, and I have found the self-discovery within his influence to be one of the most valuable experiences I have had as a committed artist. A pioneer and expert in the field of alternative processes, Christopher is a knowledgeable and patient instructor who strikes the right note between elucidating his own process and encouraging participants to adapt his techniques to develop their own personal forms of expression. Three days could have easily been stretched to five, and Christopher is very willing to accommodate and customize the workshops for each participant. A chance of a lifetime... take it!”
— Sara Silks, Kansas
"The best teachers ignite curiosity in their students, Christopher James' encyclopedic knowledge and infectious love for all things photographic will absolutely ignite both curiosity and passion in any student lucky enough to work with him.
Working side by side with Christopher James in his studio is a gigantic honor - his generosity of time, knowledge and spirit is abundant.
Christopher and Rebecca's studio is an oasis of art and beauty. Every inch of the studio inspires. I left his home more knowledgeable, yes, but more importantly, with a new found passion and craving to continue making art. By putting possibilities before me in a safe and inspiring way, Christopher created a learning environment that prompted me to take artistic chances and explore my artistic voice. Christopher James inspires."
— Lara Porzak, California
"Christopher is a master teacher. I came to the workshop with high expectations having picked up his The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes a year earlier. Alternative processes in the hands of the wrong teacher can be a dry, technical exercise, but Christopher made these processes come to life.
He helped me learn news ways to make photographs while telling colorful stories from history, showing well planned demonstrations, and most importantly, giving me plenty of opportunities to dive in and make work alongside one of the most skilled practitioners around.
By the end of the week, it was clear that Christopher is the nexus of a large, diverse community of artists who are passionate about alternative processes in their work. As I learned each process, he made sure I encountered their work as examples of the ways these processes can be stretched or refined. In short, I had a blast and am already looking forward to the next time I get to experience one of his workshops!"
— Sarah MacWright, New York
"Christopher James Dublin Studio and workshop was very conducive to a hands on learning approach and the atmosphere was relaxed and very enjoyable.
I was able to learn many new techniques as well as refine my knowledge of existing processes. Christopher has a wealth of knowledge and spent focused time with each of the attendees to tailor their experience to what they wanted to get out of the workshop. Each day was a blend of demonstrations and hands on mentoring. I had a great time and I would highly recommend Christopher and his workshops to everyone at all levels."
– Scott Wrage / Pennsylvania
"I have taken numerous workshops with Christopher James over the past several years and have always walked away from these workshops with new skill sets and feeling energized and ready to apply those skills to my work. Christopher is extremely knowledgeable and a great deal of fun to be around. I was very pleased with the semi-private workshop I just attended at his studio in Dublin, NH.
Getting to know and work with artists I've met at larger workshops has always been great, but with a larger group there is also competition for workspace and time with the instructor. In this small group setting (three people) there was enough workspace and time with Christopher to get to everything I wanted to address. The atmosphere was relaxed, upbeat, and not pressured. The studio is in a beautiful New England setting with plenty to see and do (and photograph) in the surrounding areas. I will definitely be doing this again next summer!"
– Kelly Wrage / Pennsylvania
“My workshop experience this summer with Christopher James was by far one of the best photo-learning experiences ever.
He was so attentive to every question and need. I went there feeling burnt out and uninspired, and left with a renewed passion for making images again. The studio is in the most beautiful place. But mostly, the time with Christopher is priceless. Thank you so much, Christopher. See you next year!”
– Jennifer Gardner, Los Angeles, CA
“If you want a great photographic workshop, be sure to take a Christopher James’s workshop in Dublin New Hampshire. The workshop studio is located in a rustic location so you will be able to focus all your energy on the workshop.
Christopher will have you working like mad in printing your workshop print (s). He provides lots of tips and instructions on how he prepares the image, negative and works the final print. Be ready for discussions on what you desire out of the workshop and Christopher will modify it to fulfill your needs. Christopher will challenge you to think out of the box and your normal comfort range. You will come away with new understanding and many new ideas to explore.”
– Bruce Campbell
"After a long hiatus from photo printing in 80’s Art School i have been rediscovering Photo Alt Processes. I surveyed all sorts of information including books and internet. After many months of frustration and unpredictable results and trying countless futile different procedures i was not sure what i was doing wrong. I took a workshop with Christopher. Immediately he corrected some basic flaws in my general coating procedures for platinum and van dyke and dispelled some of bad internet advice i was following.
Remarkably my percentage of successful prints went way up. Christopher is great at tailoring the workshop to the student’s particular desires and it helped that it was a personal workshop. I wanted both a technical and artistic approach Christopher delivered this and more. "I was so pleased with the results from the first year i decided to return the next summer along with my good friend Tyler who had never done alt process. Gum bichromate was the topic for this workshop. Four- color gum was what i was interested in but didn't think it would be possible within the time constraints of a few days. To my surprise, even after Christopher guided us through numerous ways of using gum in combination with other processes, we both were able to finish a 4-color gum print. the workshop experience was invaluable in dialing in my gum process at home. Four-color gum printing is now my favorite process at the moment thanks to Christopher."
– Patrick Flanagan, California
“Christopher is the best kind of teacher — part guide, part critic, part therapist, part inspiration.
He took time to discuss my work and goals for our two sessions, and while I learned historical printing processes, he also challenged me to take more risks with my photography and he stimulated new directions for my work. The days at his beautiful Dublin studio were as much aesthetic explorations as technical instruction.”
– David Hiley, New Hampshire
“I’ve been taking private photography workshops with Christopher James since 2015 and couldn’t be happier with my experiences. What a unique opportunity it’s been to learn from someone with such in depth knowledge of Historic Photographic Processes (he wrote the book, after all!).
His studio is located in a lovely rural setting and his darkroom and digital printing areas are state-of-the-art. Christopher has helped me to grow as an artist by teaching me a variety of alternative methods, including the Ziatype, Platinum Palladium, and Cyanotype Processes. He has also tailored my workshops to my interest in learning how to make digital negatives. He’s even shared the “curves” for each process with me, so I’ve been able to print more negatives on my own. I always leave my workshops with multiple prints ready for exhibition, but also with the knowledge and inspiration to print new ones in my own studio.”
– Christy Utter, NH
“We took a 3-day workshop on Ziatypes in July at Christopher James' lovely Dublin studio. He painstakingly went through the process of preparing the digital negatives and applying his exposure curve. He then led us through the process of mixing the chemicals, coating the paper, and exposing the digital negative and coated paper. Finally, we went through the washing process, ending up with gorgeous prints.
We had never been able to produce as stunning prints on our own. He further introduced to us different chemicals in the sensitizer to reduce or enhance contrast, and to alter the tone of the prints. We then printed with the new sensitizer formulas to demonstrate the difference these new solutions produced. We found the workshop to be invaluable. Christopher was witty and engaging as we labored through the process. We are anxiously looking forward to next year so we can take another workshop to refresh and enhance our techniques.”
– Bob and Kristin Burchsted
"I've had the pleasure and privilege of attending a solo workshop with Christopher James on three occasions. Each year I have benefitted greatly from his patient and detailed instruction in making wet collodion prints, a skill not possible to acquire on one's own.
In equal measure, Christopher is also attentive to one's artistic vision and applies an analytic/intuitive sense that recognizes what I am trying to develop and helps me to extend it. Each time is a unique and challenging experience building on the ones before it. What more could one ask of a workshop?"
– Bill Betcher