The West Virginia University Jackson Hole Photography Workshop, now in its seventh year, is accepting applications for the intensive summer photography course located in the remote area of northwestern Wyoming.

The 10-day program, which runs from June 18-28, allows students to travel through the area’s terrain while experimenting with various forms of image making. The locations students will visit include Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, the National Elk Refuge, the St. Anthony Sand Dunes and an authentic western rodeo.

This WVU program partners with the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts, located in the heart of Jackson, Wyoming.

WVU Associate Professor of Art and Coordinator of Photography Michael Sherwin is the lead instructor for the course, along with John Holmgren, assistant professor of photography at Franklin & Marshall University.

Sherwin can attest to the success of this workshop.

“Many of my students are completely new to photography and have no idea how to operate their cameras,” he said.

“By the time the 10 days are over, they are not only more comfortable with their cameras, but they have found their own unique voice in the medium. Several former students have gone on to open their own successful photography businesses or have changed their career paths after taking the workshop.”

Sherwin will be holding an info session for the Jackson Hole Photography Workshop on Monday, Feb. 16, at 5 p.m. in Room 2550 of the Creative Arts Center. The info session will include details about the workshop, including pictures, stories, expected learning outcomes, costs, registration information and more. In addition, Sherwin and a handful of his former workshop students will field any questions, or concerns, prospective students may have.

For the first time ever this year’s workshop will be spending an evening at the Grizzly Lodge in tiny Silvergate, Montana, as part of an epic two-day tour of Yellowstone National Park. There will also be free (optional) morning yoga sessions.

Subject matter covered on the course varies from interpretation of the landscape, to intimate nature studies, to social documentary and portraiture. The course mostly uses digital and 35mm film cameras, although participants will also have opportunities to explore work in medium and large format cameras, and alternative processes. All instruction is targeted to the individual level of each student.

Lectures and demonstrations will cover basic camera operations, beginning to advanced Adobe Photoshop techniques, black-and-white film processing and more. Also, there will be numerous presentations by professional artists working in the field and a tour of the galleries in town.

Sherwin received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from The Ohio State University in 1999 and his Master of Fine Arts in photography from the University of Oregon in 2004. After spending eight years in the Northwest, including three years in Jackson, Sherwin accepted a position at WVU in 2007.

Holmgren received his Bachelor of Arts from Central Washington University in 2004 and his Master of Fine Arts in photography from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He has been on the faculty at the Franklin & Marshall University in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 2010.

The workshop is being offered through the Office of Extended Learning at WVU so anyone can apply, including non-students or out-of-state residents. No prior photographic experience is necessary.

The workshop fee of $1,500 covers 10 nights lodging at the Cowboy Village Resort, plus one night’s lodging outside Yellowstone National Park, van rental, studio rental, some group meals, park passes, photography supplies and more. WVU School of Art and Design students can apply for a Global Positioning Studies Scholarship to help offset costs.

The registration deadline for the Jackson Hole Photography Workshop is April 18. An application, including a $500 deposit, is required by the deadline.

Enrollment is limited to only 12 participants to ensure a significant amount of one-on-one attention.

For more information on the workshop, contact Professor Sherwin at michael.sherwin@mail.wvu.edu, or visit the Jackson Hole Photography Workshop website at http://art.ccarts.wvu.edu/jhpw.

Tl/2/11/15

-WVU-

CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu

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