Tony Hewitt and I discuss what we call our Middlehurst event - is it an art photography workshop, a retreat, an experience or an adventure? Pick your descriptor - in many ways, they all apply.
However, one of the things Tony and I agree on completely is the paper we choose to print our work on - Canson. Okay, so we're both Canson ambassadors and Rob Gatto from Kayell helps our groups out with some paper each year at Middlehurst - but Tony and I could use any paper we wanted to. Certainly we try new papers from time to time, but it's always Canson we return to. And while I have my favourites, I think that favourite is in the process of changing.
A little print project I had completed (see the photo above) was printed on my 'old' favourite paper, Canson Rag Photographique. You can read more details on how I cut the prints with curved corners, embossed a logo in the print and debossed a border around the photo in the next issue of Better Photography (BP #109 - a great reason to subscribe now if you haven't already).
However, we also took away some Canson Baryta Photographique II. It's a little like Platine, but with more of a 'sharp' surface to it. I also really like the Baryta Photographique II Matt, the latter using matte black ink, rather than the photo black ink used for the straight Baryta Photographique II. Both are superb and I think they are becoming my new favourites!
So, this is a little thank you to both Canson and Epson (we can't print on our papers without a great printer) for assisting us with our Middlehurst workshops.
If you print your photos (and we certainly recommend you do), it's always worth trying new papers from time to time. I admit I had settled on Rag Photographique and I think it was challenging to dislodge me. It would have been easier to stick with it, but photography is continuously changing and it seems silly not to try new papers from time to time. I'm certainly glad I did!
And if you're interested in joining us next year at Middlehurst, drop Tony or me an email so we can add you to a waiting list. Our first week next year appears to be sold out, but we're looking at a second in June and possibly a third later in the year (warmer weather). And having just spent a wonderful two weeks at Middlehurst, not only am I keen to go back again next year, I fully understand why we get so many 'students' choosing to come back a second and third time!
It will be a few weeks before we finalise dates and prices, but we're working on it!
