Lectures

Photographic Lectures

Dave Butcher has been giving lectures on his black and white photography since 1993, mainly to UK camera clubs. He is an Ilford Master Printer and also gives black and white darkroom printing masterclasses to colleges and universities across the Midlands.

As you can see, from the clubs listed below that have already been visited, he travels quite widely to give lectures. If you are interested, give Dave a ring to talk over the possibilities for him to come to your club, photographic or otherwise. To assist you to suggest dates that are more likely to meet with acceptance it may be worth checking his events calendar.

For information, all of the lectures show original black and white darkroom prints, unless specifically agreed otherwise (for example because of a large audience). They are all made from film negatives printed in the darkroom using traditional darkroom materials and techniques.

The lectures are mostly about the black and white photographs and the background to each image. This means they are just as appropriate to a digital worker as to a traditional one. If your club members enjoy seeing stunning black and white prints of landscapes, cities, coasts, trees, waterfalls, skiing, mountaineering, etc. then there is sure to be something to suit them!

There are currently 6 lectures. The first 3 have 20 x 16 inch prints with roughly 16 x 12 inch image areas. Travels in Monochrome is entirely 20 x 16 inch images/borderless prints. Peak Light and Lake Light are a mixture of 20 x 16 inch borderless prints as well as a few 20 x 24 inch images/borderless prints. I use borderless prints to give the largest prints for an audience to view and to save weight and bulk through not having window matts.

Landscapes in Black and White (1996)

Stunning hill and mountain landscapes with skiing and ski mountaineering (including showing how to use people to give images scale). My ARPS Pictorial panel from 1987, striking city views, toned, part-toned and infra-red. Areas covered include the Scottish Highlands, England, Wales, Switzerland, France, Austria, Italy and the Colorado Rockies. I also talk about some of the darkroom techniques used and show different ways to print the same image. I also cover some of the problems encountered taking photographs in the high mountains. 68 images. All monochrome darkroom prints. Completed in 1996 but I have since added modified versions, for comparison, of some of the original prints.

Magnificent Monochrome (2000)

Yet more stunning hill and mountain landscapes with skiing and ski mountaineering. This talk has more darkroom work than any other. Mostly though it shows lots of good prints which can be appreciated by both darkroom and digital workers and give ideas for print making to both. More striking city views, many part-toned for added impact. Quite a bit of chemical toning and part-toning throughout. Prints that didn't quite make it are included to show the difference between this and the final exhibition print, as well as tips on technique. I also cover some of the problems encountered taking photographs in the high mountains. 72 images. All monochrome darkroom prints. Completed 2000.

Mad About Monochrome (2004)

This is more of a travelogue, illustrated in glorious black and white! Lots of hill and mountain landscapes. Grouped by region to give a better feel of what is possible in various areas of the UK and the Alps. Snowshoeing and ski mountaineering in the Alps. Some city and infra-red shots but few chemically toned images; the emphasis being on 'pure' black and white photography and printing. 74 images. All monochrome darkroom prints. Completed November 2004.

Travels in Monochrome (2007)

A travelogue in 3 sections in black and white. It covers all 4 corners of Colorado and many points in between, a trek from Glasgow to Cape Wrath in Scotland (330 miles, 25 mountains) and the spectacular Tour of Mont Blanc (TMB) long distance walk. You won't see black and white photographs like this anywhere else! 78 images, all Ilford Multigrade monochrome darkroom prints. The images are mostly 20 x 16 inches. Completed April 2007.

Peak Light (2009)

This starts in Bavaria with the fairy tale castle that Walt Disney based his logo on, then the Italian Dolomites (the areas between Cortina and Corvara), followed by a large section of photographs from my second book Peak Light on the Peak District National Park. After the break (if your club has a break!) we start in San Francisco and New York, finishing with a large selection from Yosemite National Park in California (waterfalls, huge trees and big views, including infra-red). 81 prints, mostly 20 x 16 inch (image size), some larger, all borderless prints. All taken on Mamiya 6 and Mamiya 7 cameras using Ilford FP4+ or Ilford SFX film to give 6 x 6cm and 7 x 6 cm negatives. All monochrome split-grade darkroom prints on Ilford Multigrade fibre based paper. Completed January 2009.

Lake Light (2010)

There is a large section of over 30 photographs of the Lake District from my 3rd book Lake Light. There are also photographs of Utah (including Bryce Canyon and Arches in winter), Colorado, Norway, Oslo, Sweden, Stockholm, Denmark, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Holland, New York, Chicago and Boston. So, a mix of landscapes and cities, as usual, with quite a few winter landscapes and cities at night. 80 prints, mostly 20 x 16 inch borderless images. Most images were taken on Mamiya 7 cameras using Ilford FP4 Plus 120 film, printed on Multigrade FB glossy paper in the darkroom. Completed August 2010.

How much will it cost?

For photo club lectures on weekday evenings Dave Butcher charges PAGB (Photographic Alliance of Great Britain) rates for expenses and a fee where appropriate for the event. For weekends and weekdays during normal working hours a fee is charged. Contact Dave for further details and cost to visit your club.

For other clubs the fee is by negotiation, plus expenses, and travel costs at 40p per mile. Contact me for further details and cost to visit your club.

Expenses are calculated for travelling from my home in Tunstead Milton, in the Peak District, plus refreshments and accommodation as appropriate. As a guide, if the travel time is much over 3 hours each way an overnight stay in the local area may be preferred.

Confirmed Bookings

• Chesterfield PS, 9-September-2010, Lake Light
• East Midlands Monochrome Group, 15-September-2010, Magnificent Monochrome
• Hoylake PS, 17-September-2010
• Warrington PS, 21-September-2010, Lake Light
• Newcastle Under Lyme CC, 27-September-2010, Lake Light
• Newark & District PS, 4-October-2010
• Oldham CC, 7-October-2010, Lake Light
• Bramhall PS, 14-February-2011, Peak Light
• Holmfirth PS, 21-February-2011, Peak Light
• Sandbach PS, 23-February-2011, Peak Light
• Heswall PS, 25-February-2011, Peak Light
• Blythe Bridge PS, Stoke, 28-February-2011, Peak Light
• Yorkshire Monochrome, Sunday 13-March-2011, Lake Light
• Solihull PS, 15-March-2011, Mad About Monochrome
• Rolls Royce PS, 23-March-2011
• Peterborough PS, 29-March-2011, Travels in Monochrome
• Derby PS, 4-April-2011, Mad About Monochrome
• Nantwich CC, 5-April-2011, Peak Light 
• Stafford PS, 12-April-2011
• Norwich and District PS, 19-April-2011
• Leica Fellowship, 30-April-2011, Peak Light 
• Derby City CC, 9-April-2011, Lake Light
• Cotswold Monochrome, 23-May-2011
• Sale PS, 14-July-2011, Peak Light
• Richmond and Twickenham PS, 20-October-2011, Mad About Monochrome
   

Clubs, organisations and events previously visited to give lectures include:

• Accrington CC
• Alsager CC
• Arnold & District CC
• Ashbourne & District CC
• Atherton & District Amateur PS
• Bakewell Photographic Circle
• Bebington PS
• Beeston CC
• Birkenhead PA
• Bolsover CC
• Bolton CC
• Bramhall PS
• Bredbury & Romiley CC
• Brighton & Hove CC
• Burslem College, Stoke (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Burton College, Burton-on-Trent (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Bury PS
• Cambridge PS
• Cannock PS
• Chapel-en-le-Frith CC
• Chapel-en-le-Frith Amenity Society
• Chesterfield PS
• Chorley PS
• Clay Cross & Biwater PS
• Conway PS
• Cotswold Monochrome, Gloucester
• Coventry University (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Crewe PS
• Crown Monochrome, Bath
• Davyhulme CC
• Deepings CC, Market Deeping
• Derby City Photographic Club
• Derby College (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Doncaster (TTL) CC
• Dronfield PS
• Duston CC (Northampton)
• Eastwood PS
• Frodsham & District PS
• Gamma Group, Bradford
• Grantham PS
• Great Dome Art Fair, Buxton
• Harrogate PS
• Henley College, Coventry (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Holmes Chapel CC
• Hoylake PS
• Heswall PS
• Hyde PS
• Ilford Ltd PC
• Ilkeston Arts and Camera Club,
• James Maude CC (Mansfield)
• Kettleshulme WI
• Keyworth CC
• Knutsford PS
• Leek CC
• Leicester College (Dave Butcher Darkroom Masterclass)
• Leigh & District PS
• Leyland PS
• Lincoln PS
• Litchfield Bros CC, Belper
• Long Eaton CC
• Lytham St Annes PS
• Macclesfield CC
• Manchester Amateur PS
• Manchester City College (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Manchester Metropolitan University (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Marple 85 Group
• Matlock CC
• Melbourne PS
• Mid-Cheshire PS
• Nantwich CC
• Newark & District PS
• Newcastle-under-lyme CC
• Normanton CC
• North Cheshire PS, Poynton
• Northampton University (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• North East Lincolnshire PS (Cleethorpes)
• Northwich PS
• Nottingham and Notts PS
• Oldham CC
• Oldham PS
• Peterborough PS
• Preston PS
• Prestwich Co-op PS
• RB CC (Lincoln)
• Retford PS
• Rochdale PS
• Rolls Royce CC
• Romiley Photo & DI Club
• Rotherham College of Arts & Technology (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Royal Photographic Society Midlands Region
• Royal Photographic Society North Wales region
• Royal Photographic Society Travel Group
• RPS NW Monochrome Group
• Rushcliffe PS
• Sale PS
• Sandbach PS
• Sheffield Norton College (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Sheffield Society for the Encouragement of Art
• Shropshire PS
• Solihull PS
• Solihull School
• South Birmingham PS
• South Liverpool PS
• South Manchester CC
• South Normanton CC
• Southport PS
• St Helens CC
• St Leonards PC (Stafford)
• Staffordshire University, Stoke (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Stockport Photo & DI Soc
• Stourbridge PS
• Swinton & District APS
• Tamworth PS
• Thameside College, Ashton Under Lyne (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Warrington PS
• Wigan PS
• Wilmslow Guild PS
• Wolverhampton University (Ilford Darkroom Masterclass)
• Worksop & District PS
• Yorkshire Monochrome
• York PS
• Yorkshire Photographic Union