Masterclass with Mary Virginia Swanson — Aurora PhotoCenter

At the beginning of Day One of the workshop, Swanson will increase on choices for bringing your photographic initiatives to the e book kind that had been introduced in Friday night time’s required lecture. She will present deeper particulars on publishers and paths to analysis which might be greatest for you and your work. Photobook publishing grants and e book dummy award competitions can be mentioned, together with essential components to contemplate when selecting to self-publish your e book. Swanson will conclude the lecture part of Day One with a dialogue on the artwork and commerce of publishing your e book. Swanson will present fundraising and sponsorship choices to contemplate forward of creating manufacturing choices, and evaluate phrases more likely to be in a proper publishing contract. She will share the professionals/cons of selling your e book at its launch and past, stressing the significance of a powerful net and social media presence, in addition to the worth of public displays and print exhibitions to increase the lifetime of your e book.

We will then flip to bodily books gathered in our classroom. Swanson will share examples of progressive books from her private library of books that had been historically revealed, produced by small presses, and self-published. Together we are going to focus on this wide selection of books, which is able to embody zines, newsprint, hand-made artists’ books and self-published books produced in collaboration with manufacturing studios. Swanson will spotlight examples that exhibit clever sequencing and make use of manufacturing supplies and binding buildings that amplify the venture content material.

September 27, 2026, 10am-5:30pm
Workshop Day Two
Location: Aurora PhotoCenter, 1125 East Brookside Avenue, Suite C9
Lunch catered at Aurora 12:30-1:30pm

On Day Two every participant will share their initiatives with the category and interact in a targeted dialogue with Swanson, providing individualized solutions on lifelike subsequent steps in direction of finishing your initiatives and the potential of future publication. Ample time can be allotted for participant’s questions and to revisit the library of photobook examples assembled for reference as case research. This abstract dialogue will help you in making key choices when bringing your work to publication. Participants will depart the weekend occasions with a powerful sense of the viewers more likely to reply positively to their work, an elevated understanding of the weather that contribute to creating a e book that amplifies their venture, and an knowledgeable overview on the method of publishing and self-publishing.

Eligibility & What To Bring

All artists who want to publish a e book of their work can profit from this workshop, whether or not their venture is underway, nearing completion, or accomplished. We welcome initiatives that you’ve simply begun and are enthusiastic about, or think about completed.

Participants ought to deliver both work prints (no bigger than 8 x 10) and/or a pdf for digital projection of not less than 20 photos that they plan to incorporate of their publication. Prints are most popular. If bringing prints, please think about that we are going to be dealing with them through the workshop, so work prints are greatest.

Mary Virginia Swanson is an creator, educator, and advisor who has spent her profession serving to lens-based artists discover the strengths of their work, establish audiences, and current their work in a well timed, skilled method.

Swanson is the co-author with Darius D. Himes of Publish Your Photography Book. First launched in 2011 and now in its up to date third version, (Radius Books, 2023, Korean language 2024 from Datz Press) this acclaimed useful resource has helped numerous photographers deliver their initiatives to publication. The devoted web site for the e book gives intensive free & downloadable assets to assist photographers on their publishing or self-publishing journey, together with a 32-page workbook: www.publishyourphotographybook.com.

Swanson is an energetic member of the up to date photobook neighborhood, having lately engaged with bookmaking and publishing communities in India, Korea, and Japan. She regularly serves as a portfolio reviewer and Juror for up to date images and photobook competitions and teaches workshops to assist artists put together for publication of their initiatives.

WORKSHOP SCHOLARSHIP

We provide one tuition-free scholarship for a younger photographer, 18-30, which can be chosen by Mary Virginia Swanson and Aurora Founding Director Mary Goodwin.

Applications shut: July 1, 2026
Notification of Acceptance: By July 31, 2026

To apply, please e-mail the next to Mary Goodwin at [email protected] with the topic line Aurora Scholarship 2026:

* 10 jpgs (2000 pixels on the longest aspect; 72 dpi) of labor that you simply’re keen about and want to publish

* A brief assertion of not more than 150 phrases about why you’d wish to take this workshop

* A brief bio, together with your age, the place you’re from, your college (if relevant), and your relationship to images (not more than 100 phrases)

* Two references: Names and emails of two folks accustomed to your images, together with images educators, newspaper or journal editors, curators, e book publishers, and fellow photographers