Just completed a four-day Stephen Johnson "Fine Art Digital Printing" Photography Workshop at Stephen's Gallery in Pacifica. Outstanding experience that exceeded my expectations. Stephen is one of the pioneers of digital photography whose understanding of the medium, both technically and aesthetically, is profound. An experienced and patient photographer and teacher Stephen is able to lucidly convey the technical details of the photo-editing and printing processes in way that allows for practical application buttressed by a thorough understanding of the issues involved and a means to problem solve. At the conclusion of the workshop I felt confident in the knowledge base and practical experience gained in terms of essential print-directed photo editing skills, monitor calibration, printer profiling, and fine art/photo paper selection and characteristics. I also came away with a basic understanding of the archival requirements for mounting and matting a fine-art photographic print. This workshop for me was a 5-star experience and should be considered by anyone who is seriously interested in honing their digital photographic and printing skills. Although the emphasis of the workshop is not the immediate production of gallery-ready prints, the work produced over the four days by the workshop participants was noteworthy in the level of craft demonstrated and in the aesthetic sense gained during the workshop. The Pacifica lab and gallery space are first-rate. Stephen H. Fair Oaks, CA read more

I recently attended Stephen Johnson's Fine Art Digital Printing class. I found the class really worthwhile and I learned an enormous amount in just four days. In the past I've struggled with color management and printing. Getting my printed image to look like it does on the monitor has always been frustrating. This is the first time I felt I got a thorough understanding of the whole process from raw to print. I learned how to bring out the best in my images and make the most beautiful possible prints. I now feel much more confident about doing my own printing and already see a big improvement in my prints. I found Stephen Johnson to be an excellent teacher. His extensive knowledge of his subject, his vast experience in digital photography and his willingness to share his knowledge with his students is invaluable. In addition to his in-depth technical knowledge he has a great eye for color and composition and for what makes a stunning image. His teaching style is very professional and patient and he is very attentive to the needs of every student. The digital classroom was very comfortable and well equipped, each student had their own mac and epson printer as well as shared access to large format HP printers. There was plenty of time to practice new skills and get help with any problems that arose. I highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to learn about fine art digital printing or to hone their printing skills. read more

I recently attended Stephen Johnson's 4-day Fine Art Digital Printing Hands-On workshop. It was an exceptionally great experience. I showed-up having achieved good, sometimes even very good, results from from my printing efforts but I knew something was lacking and I didn't know how to get to the next level. Stephen's deep knowledge and pleasant teaching style supplemented by extensive hands-on edit/print sessions in his classroom/lab changed all that. I'm now certain I have the knowhow and confidence to consistently produce high quality prints. Stephen's passion for photography shines through as does his keen desire to see his students succeed, whatever their skill level and whatever their objectives in attending the workshop may be. His own photographic works displayed in the gallery attest to his mastery of the art and craft. I wholeheartedly recommend Stephen Johnson's photography workshops. I will certainly be attending more. read more

I participated in Steve Johnson's Death Valley workshop January 7-10, 2012. It was superb. There were ten students participating with a range of photographic experience and skills. My goal was to improve my techniques in landscape photography, and that goal was fully satisfied. Steve led an outstanding workshop, providing beautiful photo sites and useful guidance regarding choice of shot, composition, and interest. "Something caught your eye and caused you to aim the camera in that direction. What was it? Capture that, and crop out unnecessary aspects of the scene." In the evening, for the benefit of all, he commented on photos we had taken prior to the workshop and, using Photoshop, he showed how he would adjust them to crop out distracting aspects of the scene and demonstrated how to make adjustments to improve highlights and shadows. I look forward to participating in more photo workshops led by Steve Johnson. read more

I've gone on two workshop trips with Stephen Johnson, after buying a few of his prints and books over the years. I took my eldest son (in his early 20s) on the Galapagos trip a couple of years back: an incredible experience on a small boat with a top photographer. Plus, I this year did one of his Death Valley expeditions. Stephen bends over backwards to help you at the level where you are. I now get histograms and why they are important to capture the best images, thanks to both real-time feedback as well as the evening photo review sessions. He has a mastery of both composition and the technical aspects of capturing the best best photographs both at the time of taking the photo and the post-processing using raw tools and Photoshop. read more

Just finished Steve's Death Valley (4 day) workshop. Exceeded all my expectations. Steve works hard to provide information on improving your technique, makes himself available in the field to answer your questions, reviews your prior shots to help you see where you can improve. Does an excellent job with the locations to insure that you will have every opportunity to get great shots. He is very approachable, clearly has great passion and extremely knowledgable about Photoshop, printing and camera functions. Trying to arragne schedule to take another workshop from him soon read more

Just finished a week workshop with Stephan Johnson at the Maine Media Workshops. His class exceeded my expectations. I'm 55, attended Cleveland Inst. of Art back in '73 and have been involved with photography since '83. I can not think of a better investment of my time or money at this point in my life. The only thing I can think of to improve my experience is I wish I could study with the guy for 6 months or something. Thanks Steve, and thanks Maine Media Workshops. read more

I took the weeklong workshop with my father and I was very impressed with Steve's photography, information, history of digital photography and his articulate teaching style. Not only does he know a tremendous amount of details, but he is very approachable about any questions you may have. He really has a great lab and wonderful tools to see how the professionals and indeed how the cutting edge technology is being applied. Don't miss out on this valuable teacher. read more

Too many photography instructors want to impress you with their knowledge of photography. Steve Johnson wants to make sure you to leave his workshops confident in the knowledge you've gained. Steve is an excellent, caring teacher and his insights and knowledge of digital photography are extensive. His Fine Arts Print Workshop - which I just completed - is a must for anyone who wants to create beautiful digital prints. Well done Steve! read more

Just finished a photography workshop on digital printing with Stephen Johnson and I was so thrilled with both the workshop and the way it was taught. Stephen's depth of knowledge is deep -- and his teaching style is both patient and thorough. I came away with a whole new love for the art of printing. I would not hesitate to recommend any of his California photography workshops. read more

I just completed a Print workshop with Stephen Johnson at his Pacifica Ca studio. The best workshop I have taken. He is a passionate advocate for striving to produce excellent images and gives you the tools to do so. An absolute must if you want to improve your photographic output. He is articulate extremely knowledgeable and patient Roger Lieberman read more

I have just came back from a Yosemite photo workshop with Steve. I have taken several photography workshops before; however, Steve's is certainly distinguished for the excellent contents and the delivery methods. I highly recommend him to anyone who is looking into improving their photography skills. read more