On Location
Santa Fe

The Fine-Art Digital Print

with Cotton Miller

June 30 – July 4, 2025

  • Tuition $2095.00
(includes meal plan, see below)
  • Materials Fee $200.00
  • Standard Deposit $400.00

Course Description

In a world where millions of images are created every day, the question remains—how can I be different as a photographer? In the age of screen time and social media, what continues to stand out is a high-quality photographic print. 

This hands-on program in the Workshops state-of-the-art Digital Lab in Santa Fe is designed for photographers new to digital printing, as well as those who have been making prints for a while but know they need to improve their skills and expand their knowledge base in this ever-changing realm.

Photographer, printmaker, and long-time Workshops educator Cotton Miller begins this workshop by detailing printing theory and practice and how it reflects artistic expression. He guides you through the importance of color management and a proper printing workflow using Adobe Lightroom. You learn not only what it takes to make a great print, but more importantly how to make very consistent prints.

Cotton reviews the critical technical concepts that lead to high-quality, expressive prints: color management, monitor calibration, color theory, working with specific characteristics of different papers and ICC profiles, and provides different exercises for developing acute color vision. Developing your skills in these areas ultimately enhances your ability to evaluate your prints and make fine adjustments to create the beautiful color or black-and-white prints you envision.

Embracing the entire photographic process from image capture to print, this workshop explores the various qualities of a digital fine print and the development tools offered by Adobe Lightroom with supplemental adjustments in Photoshop. Cotton also introduces inkjet printing techniques on alternative substrates such as vellum and Pictorico. All the while, our focus throughout this inspiring week is on acquiring the necessary skills for producing excellent prints that you see in your mind’s eye on a consistent basis.

Additional Information

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Advanced Amateurs
What You Should Know:

Participants should have a strong working knowledge of digital workflow and post-processing proficiency in Adobe Lightroom. Basic familiarity with Adobe Photoshop is recommended but not required. Participants should bring images for printing on an external hard drive; we will not be photographing new material during our week together. All paper, ink, and other printing materials are provided.

Special Notes:

Computer workstations equipped with M-chip Mac minis are provided in the Digital Lab. Please ensure any external hard drives are formatted to be read by Mac systems. See "Santa Fe Campus" for more details.

Activity Level:
To get the most from your workshop experience, participants should be in good physical (mobility, stamina) and mental health. Come prepared for the high elevation of Santa Fe, long days, and seasonal weather including high temperatures. You must be able to carry your own photographic and personal gear at all times, both on campus and on location. You are responsible for being open and honest about your physical fitness, and we reserve the right to remove you from the workshop if we find your fitness to be less than that which you have described.
Policies:
Accommodations:

Participants are responsible for making their own accommodation arrangements in Santa Fe. On-campus accommodations are not currently available.

Meals:
Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner before the Friday evening Image Presentations, and daily beverage service are included.
Categories
Applications, Creative Vision, Digital Printing, Digital Workflow, Fine Art, Technical
© Cotton Miller
about
Cotton Miller

Cotton Miller received his MFA in Photography & New Media in 2013 from Lesley University College of Art and Design, in Boston. In addition to being honored by The Boston Globe as one of six artists to watch in 2013, he had multiple exhibits in Boston and has won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association in 2007. Cotton has also assisted with projects for Time Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Athleta, and Highsnobiety.

Cotton is the Web Manager for Santa Fe Workshops and does web and exhibition consultation projects for a variety of artists, and is Adjunct Faculty for the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts – Houston. He has designed websites for Nevada Wier, Christopher James, Alison Wright, Elizabeth Opalenik, and Santa Fe Workshops. Cotton’s personal work combines traditional printing methods with digital, alternative process, mixed media, and multimedia. He worked as a master printer for Blazing Editions in Providence and Cotton was a research assistant for The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes (third edition) by Christopher James. Cotton collaborates with many artists for not only web design, but also digital retouching, graphic design, exhibition design, exhibition production, and printing fine art editions.

Website: cottonmiller.com

Instagram: @cottonmiller

Upcoming programs with Cotton Miller
Making Digital Negatives and Cyanotypes
with Cotton Miller
What’s New in Lightroom Classic
with Cotton Miller

The Fine-Art Digital Print

July 10 – 14, 2023

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