Following the Red River — A Three-Day Workshop with Jem Southam
6th–8th February 2026 | Toner, Penzance
Join acclaimed British photographer Jem Southam for a three-day immersive workshop exploring the landscapes, histories, and poetics of The Red River — one of Southam’s most celebrated photographic projects.
Over the course of the workshop, a small group of participants will follow the path of Cornwall’s Red River, tracing the meeting points of industry and nature that have long inspired Southam’s work. Through a combination of talks, field trips, printing sessions, and exhibition-making, the group will engage directly with the sites that shaped The Red River and create new photographic responses in dialogue with them.
FRIDAY 6th: (Evening 6pm) begins at Toner with an introduction and illustrated talk by Jem Southam, offering insight into his process and the evolution of The Red River.
SATURDAY 7th: takes participants into the landscape itself, visiting key sites along the river where Jem will speak about his experiences of photographing there, followed by time for each participant to make their own images.
SUNDAY 8th: returns to Toner, where the group will edit and print their photographs, collaborate on a zine, and install a collective exhibition to be shared publicly that evening.
Open to photographers, artists, and anyone interested in the intersection of image-making and place, Following the Red River offers a rare opportunity to work closely with one of Britain’s most influential landscape photographers.
Places are limited to 10 participants.
All materials, printing, and exhibition costs are included.
Participants will need a digital camera and laptop
Travel, Accommodation, Food etc not included -
Estimate for extra cost: Travel to Penzance est £150 Train if within the UK, Hotel: £90 per day estimate
If you are able to drive, we may use your car for a carpool for participants alongside toner transport.
Location: Toner, Penzance
Dates: 6–8 February 2026
Fee: £325 per person -
A payment plan of monthly payments leading up to the workshop can be made on request
For booking and further details, visit tonerpz.com or email info@tonerpz.com.
About Jem Southam
Jem Southam (b. 1950, Bristol) is one of the leading British landscape photographers of his generation. Known for his thoughtful, painterly approach to documenting the changing environments of the South West of England, his work explores the slow rhythms of natural and human processes — erosion, growth, decay, and renewal.
Southam’s projects, including The Red River, The Painter’s Pool, The River Winter, and The Moth, have been exhibited internationally and are held in major public collections such as Tate, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
He taught for over three decades at the University of Plymouth and has influenced generations of photographers through his combination of philosophical reflection and deep attentiveness to the landscape.