Eliot Dudik | Introduction to the Handmade Photobook

The Griffin is pleased to have photographer and book artist Eliot Dudik in the museum for our summer intensive class on handmade photobooks. This is our third year of bringing this summer immersive class to the museum. Participants will walk away with a unique monograph of their own making in this week long creative exercise.

In this 5-day intensive course, we will begin with editing and sequencing techniques for the photographs you have brought with you to the Griffin Museum that represent a project you have been toying with or deeply engaged in.  We will discuss strategies for approaching an edit and sequence for differing types of work that tease out meaning and/or narrative.  Once we are settled on our edits and sequences, we will then discuss some basic strategies in photobook layout and design.  We will design our own books in Adobe Photoshop, print our layout spreads, and learn techniques for folding and sewing our books.  We will discuss various material options in photobook making and ultimately create our own intimate, cloth covered photobooks by hand.  These books will be simple in structure, yet quite elegant, and are intended as an introduction to handmade photobook materials and techniques.  The books made in this introductory course typically include small sequences of 10-25 images.  This might mean that we are binding a portion of a larger project.  Eliot also offers advanced photobook workshops and individual mentorships, to build on the skills learned in this course, and which can accommodate larger projects.  

*note: Students will need to bring small prints (approx. 4×6”) with them for the editing and sequencing exercises.  More information will be provided about this after registration.  Students are encouraged to bring their own laptops with Adobe Photoshop installed.

About Eliot Dudik –

Eliot Dudik is an American photographer and book artist with works in institutional and private collections worldwide such as the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Duke University’s Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the MoMA Library, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Special Collections and Archives, Chrysler Museum of Art, University of Connecticut, William & Mary, the Cassilhaus Collection, The Do Good Fund Collection, Southeast Museum of Photography, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Phoenix Art Museum, as well as many private collections. 

Eliot is based in Richmond, Virginia, where he manages his active photography and book arts studios.  He founded the photography program within the Department of Art & Art History at the College of William & Mary in 2014 where he is currently teaching and learning. 

Eliot Dudik
Introduction to the Handmade Photobook
9 am – 5 pm, EST / Monday – Friday June 23 – 27, 2025
Location: At the Griffin Museum, 67 Shore Road, Winchester MA
Participants: Maximum:8 / Minimum: 5