YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS

JACKSON BRIDGES  lives in the center of the storied Grand Circle: Page, Arizona. Also referred to as 'photography central' by some, this is the Colorado (River) Plateau where mother nature really got creative. Jackson has explored and photographed the incredible scenery of this region and developed a stellar reputation as an expert guide and photographer. He has been referenced several times in Robert Hitchman's Photograph America Newsletter and his services are sought after by other pros as distant as Europe and Japan. Jackson has developed relationships with local Native Americans and gained access to exclusive locations including slot canyons otherwise not accessible to the public.

Bridges' work is owned by corporations and individuals across the country. He has won best of show in major southwest competitions, his images have appeared in national publications and his lecture and slide presentations are in high demand. Jackson is a solid, down-to-earth guy who will absolutely deliver a memorable workshop experience. You will definitely enjoy your time with Jackson. We are very fortunate to have him as our tour leader for the highly productive Page/Lake Powell area.

LAURENT MARTRES is a full time professional photographer and author/publisher of three highly praised books: Land of the Canyons and two volumes of Photographing the Southwest (a fourth volume is in the works). Born in France, Laurent attended school in Paris, London, Barcelona and Germany. He is a graduate of the Ecole Superieure du Commerce Exterieur and Universite de Paris III, majoring in modern languages and business. After college, Laurent set out on an 18 month trip around the world, from which, he claims he has not returned. Two decades of constant exploration and photography of the southwest resulted in publication of Land of the Canyons in 1998. In 2000, he retired from a career in software development to embrace a full-time pursuit as fine art photographer, author and teacher.

His personal landscape photography seeks to challenge the imagination with images ranging from starkly minimalist compositions to complex abstracts. His five years in Tokyo as a reportage photographer had a profound effect on his sense of aesthetics and his vision of form and color. This is reflected in a style which is more akin to painting with its combination of bold colors, unique textures and a strong sense of depth.

Laurent uses digital and medium format film cameras and prepares his own image files in the digital darkroom at his home studio in Alta Loma, California. His large prints, often on canvas, are produced with pigmented inks and a variety of fine art papers he selects to best suit each subject. Laurent's work is on permanent display in several galleries throughout the southwest. He also exhibits year-round at some of the top art shows on the west coast. We are extremely fortunate to have Laurent on our workshop staff.

JOHN STOTTLEMYER graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BFA in drawing and painting and spent much of his professional life in advertising and marketing communications as a creative director, writer and product photographer.

Although John has been lugging a camera around for many years (he shot his first travel images of Spain and Morocco at age 20), he got really 'serious' with his work after exploring the Colorado Plateau in 1999. He was instantly captivated by its magnificent color and form, visual diversity and fascinating history. He met Jackson Bridges when he visited Page, Arizona and Jackson showed him a dazzling natural world around Page and Lake Powell that wowed his artistic sensibilities.

John has returned to the southwest many times since and now sells his photography through galleries and art shows in his native Minnesota. His work has appeared in national publications and John has published a book illustrated with his images. During his corporate days he developed a strong command of Adobe Photoshop and now applies that knowledge by teaching others and processing his personal images in the digital darkroom.

With his extensive European image collection, his body of work is a broad blend of north woods, southwestern scenics and European villages. John prides himself primarily on his strong compositional skills. Stottlemyer brings a positive exuberance and an artistic bent to the workshops.