Foto Forum Santa Fe — Attraction in Santa Fe

My experience working with Sage(summer of ’23) at Foto Forum Santa Fe was, to say the least, absolutely remarkable and unforgettable. I am a professional artist and art professor working across disciplines with a substantial history of working photographically. Yet, I had never endeavored to work with the wet-plate collodion process.

From sign-up to training, portrait session to wrap-up, Sage was precise and concise with his guidance, leaving little room for error and plenty of space for the rekindling of magic that takes place in the darkroom. Throughout the entire process Sage made it comfortable for me and the folks I was working with to feel like we were in our own studio, making sure along the way that I stayed on task every step of the way.

Sage is kind, funny, highly informed on the history and process, skilled, and incredibly personable. It is also important to note that you will be working under someone who is highly passionate about what he does—which in a setting like this considered to be essential.

Scheduling was easy. Working in his space comfortable and safe. And leaving a few hours with some of my favorite portraits… a memorable experience for all.

For anyone interested in trying this technique, Sage is your guy. While it would be helpful to have some training in photography you need not be an expert for this process, because the expert will be by your side the...

I booked a wet plate collodion portrait session as a present for my partner and we had a wonderful experience. Sage is super knowledgeable and made us feel at ease. We had never done anything like this, but he helped us come up with ideas for how we wanted to pose and made sure we loved the final product. He also showed us the darkroom and we got to see the exhibit on display! I would highly recommend this studio; it’s a...

Foto Forum is an amazing resource and venue in Santa Fe dedicating to showcasing photography in all its forms and formats. I took a private workshop in making tin types and had such an amazing experience. I learned about the history, the chemistry and came out with some amazing work. Sage Paisner is so knowledgeable and supportive of photographic artists in...