Scanography with Sharon Garner

About the event

We're used to looking through a lens. But what happens when you remove the camera entirely, and let a flatbed scanner do the seeing?

Sharon Garner is a scanographer: an artist who lays flowers directly onto scanner glass to create intimate portraits of them. The result is astonishing. The images are so rich in texture, shadow and detail that they look painted by a Dutch Master rather than captured by a machine. That painterly, Old World elegance is almost impossible to replicate with a traditional camera.

Creating these images requires a shift in perspective. It's tactile, it's intimate, and it's about feeling the personality of the flower. As Stephanie Johnson (a huge fan of Sharon's work) put it: she sees in a unique way.

Best of all, this needs no expensive kit and no lens. Just you, a scanner, and a completely new way of seeing light and texture. And as with everything on Camversation, all three sessions are recorded, so you'll never miss a thing.

What is scanography?

Scanography is the art of making images with a flatbed scanner instead of a camera. You place your subject on the glass, and the scanner's moving light captures it in extraordinary detail. Because the light sits millimetres from the flower, only what touches the glass falls into sharp focus, so blooms emerge, glowing, from a deep velvety black. It's this quality that gives the work its painterly, almost 17th-century still-life feel.

Who this is for

Anyone curious about a beautiful new creative medium. No photography experience needed. Whether you have a scanner gathering dust in a cupboard, or you simply want to learn a completely new way of seeing, this series is going to be a joy.

What you'll need

• A flatbed scanner. Even a basic all-in-one printer/scanner works perfectly - this doesn't have to be expensive!!!!

• For Part 3: any photo editing software you already use.

• Don't have a scanner yet? Come along anyway. You'll know exactly what to look for by the end of Part 1.

  
  

What you'll learn

Over three relaxed sessions, Sharon will guide us from the very basics to finished art.

• Part 1: The Foundations (22nd July) We strip it back to basics: understanding the tools, selecting the right flowers (and why some work far better than others), and setting up your scanner for optimal light and detail.

• Part 2: Composition & Complexity (17th August) Moving beyond the single bloom. How to build complex, creative setups, use props (like stainless steel pots for reflection!), and create depth and narrative on a flat plane.

• Part 3: The Polish (23rd September) The scan is just the beginning. Sharon walks us through her editing process to draw out that Old World painterly look and maximise the impact of your finished digital files.

Share your work

This is a hands-on series, so you'll have somewhere to show what you make. We'll set up a private sharing page just for people on the course, where you can post your own scans and see everyone else's. It won't appear on social media and only fellow attendees can see it, so it's a warm, safe space to experiment, share and cheer each other on between sessions.

About Sharon

Sharon Garner is a fine-art photographer and scanographer whose work has been exhibited nationally in the US and internationally, including Karlsruhe (Germany), the Matsumoto Museum and Omachi (Japan). She describes herself as a visual, audible and edible artist, working across photography, graphic design, jazz vocals and cake design, and inspired by everything that touches her senses!

See more of Sharon's beautiful work: sharongarnerphotography.com · Instagram @sharonart_95432

From Mark:

I first noticed Sharon's wonderful work when she joined Stephanie Johnson's Intentional Creative Moments series, and she just blew us away. Stephanie is a big fan of Sharon's work, and I simply had to reach out to share her passion with our wonderful community. When we chatted, her enthusiasm for making things was infectious. Whether you have a scanner gathering dust or you just want to learn a completely new way of seeing light and texture, this series is going to be a joy.

Booking

£18 for all three live sessions. The joining link will be sent out immediately after booking. Every session is recorded, so if you can't make one live you'll never miss a thing.