help?

hi,
i am a photographer in the early stages of my career. i recently lived in brasil and took my beginner photography course there, after which i returned to vancouver, where i used to live, and did a short digital photography mentorship. i am originally from canada but currently live in zimbabwe. i have been here for 3 months now and am finding that opportunities in the arts are increasingly opening up to me. i am also realising that there is a lot i need to learn still in order to do all that i want to do here with photography. the pressure is on now! :) i will be returning to canada in july/august for a few weeks only...mainly to apply for project funding but also to stock up on supplies as there is real shortage on most things here especially regarding the arts. this brings me to my main reason for writing...i am looking for workshops to attend while i am in vancouver and winnipeg. i will only have a short time...but depending on what is on offer i will adjust my flights accordingly and perhaps spend more time in vancouver if need be. i am especially interested in dark room production....i know nothing about this and have been only shooting in digital but i want to set up my own dark room here and start producing bw film from my studio space here....i am also interested in learning how to produce my own images from digital to canvas...the procedure, equipment needed, etc....so that i can then purchase everything there in canada and bring it over here to my studio. at the moment im doing everything online from here (when there is power ha ha) getting my images printed in vancouver, etc...but im interested in setting up here. however im really at the beginning of my knowledge about all of this and could really do with some intense weeks of training to get me off on the right foot and ready to come back here and get stuck into it. also i have been using adobe lightroom...and i love it.....but the time has come to invest in photoshop and learn all i can about that....again i know nothing about photoshop.....crazy i know! ha ha....do you know anyone offering any courses on that in july or august? alternatively, if you are unable to help me with any of this do you know of someone in vancouver (or any other canadian city...i will travel if need be!) who can help me out?
basicallly im very keen to get my hands on anything i can while im in canada for this short time so that i am better equipped to do my work out here and the opportunities that keep presenting themselves to me.
thanks for any help you may be able to offer.
thank you,
oria dale

Hi Oria,

Unfortunately, the summer is a bad time for BW darkroom courses - there are very few darkroom courses available in Vancouver in any case.

Having said that, my wife Wendy and I are full-time fine art photographers in Vancouver - and we work exclusively with BW film and in the darkroom. Depending upon your needs, we might be able to schedule some kind of private lessons for you, if you're so inclined. Our website can be reached at http://RusselKwan.com... . Drop me some email if you are interested!!

The main place in Vancouver for short duration workshops is Vancouver Photo Workshops - they have a wide range of offerings in the digital realm. The other place that offers some summer programming is Focal Point - they will publish their summer schedule very soon. So you know, Wendy and I are instructors at Focal Point - in their 10 month diploma program.

Good luck!

cheers,
Russ

Photoshop? I can help you there. In the meantime this may help you - or at least make you laugh :)

http://www.mydamnchan...