Spring 2025
*(Spring) February-April 2025:
DRG 2025 Meet & Greet: Slowbody Beer Co.
Workshops Feb & April: Participation encouraged, take notes
Cultivating Creativity w Linda Cato ie virtual 1hr
WPHS Wet Plate Day w Mark Sawyer & Gene LaFord 10am-4pm
The art of Storytelling w Laura Porfirio 1hr
Wet Plate Day w P. Miro Gutierrez 11am-1:30pm
Wet Plate Day w Gene, Mark & Miro 10am-1:30pm
Participants Homework:
Join WHPS, attend meetings on Monday mornings
Attend Community events ie shows etc
Gallery tour (Etherton, CCP & Decode)
Studio visit (Mark Sawyer)
Studio visit (P. Miro Gutierrez)
*Mentor meetings: discuss Journal entries, brainstorm concepts
Savaya’s Coffee Market on Swan 2959 N Swan Rd @ 10am (optional)
February 2nd 2025 @ Slow Body Brewery
The DRG mentors and mentees meet!
February 16th 2025
This is called prepping for the shot! Ivy positions the subject (Sir) and makes sure that the camera is positioned correctly and that it’s clear before the shot.
Ivy capturing Sir’s image with Mark’s guidance.
Colleague portraits!!!
First images captured by Sir & Ivy!
For our 2nd round of wet-plate workshop meet-up, Stephanie and Jess are being instructed by Mark Sawyer prior to taking an image.
WHPS’s Monday Coffee Social, critique hour. The images received such great feedback*
March 2nd 2025, at the WPHS (Western Photographic Historic Society) Wet Plate Day, DRG (Deep Rooted Guidance) participants mingle with new WPHS members! Mark Sawyer’s home becomes a hub for new and existing photographers gathering for socials and wet plate workshops.
This image of Stephanie was taken by Jess and here it bathes in water where it helps to remove the remnants of chemistry.
Here’s Mark Sawyer’s portrait of Jess!
Images of the DRG participants! Here Ivy Ikay’s image was taken by Jess Sanchez*
March 30th, 2025 Prepping the camera and chemistry* Hosting the participants of DRG at Miro’s home studio in Tuxon, AZ
Using up ALL the space needed to get the shot, inside the pool*
Miro’s darkroom 1’s & 2’s to Lance*
Sir captures Lance
Lance captures Jes*
Stephanie prepping the shot with Jes’s help!
Stephanie’s pov
developed end shot!
on the drying rack!
April 27th 2025, Workshop!
Stephanie practicing her still life!
Stephanie’s still life
Gene teaching 101 Wet Plate to Aysia & Isabel
Ivy’s portrait of Jess with a skull
Jess’s portrait of Ivy with jaw bone
Isabel’s first tin!!!
Aysia’s first tin!
Stephanie’s shot!
Summer 2025
*(Summer) May-August 2025:
Workshops: Mandatory participation, take notes
Exploring Grant, Residency & Gallery Applications (find & apply) 2 hrs (Geneva Gluck & Amber Doe)
Wet Plate 4 hrs (Mark Sawyer and Gene LaFord)
Rachel Castillo’s studio hosts DRG from (May-October)
Participants are expected to:
Attend Community events ie shows etc
1 Gallery Tour (pick up application)
1 Studio visit
Document with photos and journaling during this process, it will be important material later.
*Mentor meetings: discuss,
journal entries,
Solidify concept and plan out execution.
Select 4 images/story series that you would like to showcase.
Participants Homework:
Join WHPS, attend meetings on Monday mornings
Savaya’s Coffee Market on Swan 2959 N Swan Rd @ 10am (optional)
Prep Day with Rachel Castillo & Mark Sawyer
Trouble shooting with Mark & Gene
Gene’s Still Life set- up
Mark’s Portrait set up
Test shot of me
Ivy, Gene and Isabel prepping the still life table!
Ivy’s still life*
Isabel’s portrait of Lance
so beautiful*
Jes testing out the makeshift darkroom*
Giving their work a gander*
Isabel’s still life
Isabel’s portrait of Lance w olive branch
Ivy’s portrait of Lance w evil eye
Ivy’s still life
Jes’s portrait of Miro w olive branch
Jes’s still life
Lance’s portrait of Isabel
June 22, 2025 Participants worked on double exposures and still life
Jes, Sir and Ivy prepping their stage before a shot.
Jes’s portrait of Sir
Isabel prepping her shot w Sir in a mask
The Shot
Ivy’s portrait of Sir w the mask on
Sir’s portrait of Isabel
Sir’s portrait of Ivy
July 13th, 2025, Amber & Geneva teach an artist development workshop: Grants & Residencies*
August 2025, Jes & Ivy take the mobile set up on a shoot in the desert!
The view of the AZ desert!
Jes setting up a shot!
AZ Desert shot!
Fall 2025
*(Fall) Sept-November 2025: Mandatory participation, take notes
2 Workshops:
Artist Statement, website building + Website maintenance: apply artist statement to website, transcribe journal entries to website 3 hrs Long (Gabrielle Smoyer)
Different Day: Studio Day 2 hrs long (Mark Sawyer, Gene LaFord and Miro Gutierrez)
With Mentors:
Attend Community events ie shows etc
1 Gallery Tour (pick up application)
1 Studio visit
Journal entries, mentor meeting, Follow-up on Concept & guide thru execution
Participants Homework:
Create group presentation
Join WHPS, attend meetings on Monday mornings
Savaya’s Coffee Market on Swan 2959 N Swan Rd @ 10am (optional)
September 2025: BEHOLD! Jes’s Homemade mobile set up*
September 2025, new location, still the AZ desert!
Jes finding a sweet spot*
September 2025, ivy setting up!
