Discover new ways of seeing and photographing the extraordinary landscape of Joshua Tree, from its expansive vistas to its subtle textures and shifting desert light. Through fieldwork and critique, develop a more intentional approach to composition, light, and creating expressive photographs of place.
Sunscape – The Creative Portrait: High Desert Edition with Rania Matar (In-Person Learning)
Explore the art of portraiture as a collaborative encounter, using the light, backdrops and distinctive environments of the High Desert as inspiration. Through hands-on shooting, discussion, and critique, discover new ways to create intimate, expressive portraits that reveal both subject and place.
Sunscape – Words & Frames: Writing the High Desert with Montserrat Andrée Carty (In-Person Learning)
Establish a creative dialogue between photography and writing through generative prompts, image-making, and experimentation in the High Desert. Discover how language can expand, complicate, and deepen the stories your photographs have to tell.
Attention! (Photo-counterpoint) with Penelope Umbrico (In-Person Learning – Three Sessions)
Slow down, look closely, and discover how sustained observation can transform the way you see. Join Reservoir mentor and celebrated artist for a deep dive into looking, drawing-based exercises, discussions, and immersive experiences that will shift how you see and position your own work.
The Sensual Image with Elizabeth Opalenik (In-Person Learning – Three Sessions)
In The Sensual Image, Elizabeth Opalenik guides participants through an immersive exploration of intimacy, atmosphere, and visual storytelling using natural light, experimentation, and deeply personal approaches to image-making.
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AI in Photography and Fine Art with Adam Chin (Online Learning – Three sessions)
Explore the evolving intersection of photography, fine art, and artificial intelligence in this three-session online course focused on creative experimentation and process. Designed for artists ready to engage with emerging tools, this class emphasizes AI not just as a utility, but as a collaborative partner in image-making.
Read More about AI in Photography and Fine Art with Adam Chin (Online Learning – Three sessions)
The Creative Portrait with Nick Fancher (In-Person Learning – Three Sessions)
In this immersive three-day workshop, photographer Nick Fancher shares his signature in-camera portrait and lighting techniques, demonstrating how to create striking studio imagery using minimal gear and unconventional materials. Through hands-on experimentation and personalized guidance, students will explore multiple approaches to each technique while developing ways to incorporate them into their own visual style.
Read More about The Creative Portrait with Nick Fancher (In-Person Learning – Three Sessions)
The Photojournalist’s Toolkit with Thomas Alleman (Hybrid Learning – Six Sessions)
This class serves as an introductory course in photojournalism methods and conventions for students who've achieved "advanced beginner" status, at least. Through demonstrations and exercises, students will learn about the camera techniques that are best suited to the situations a photojournalist will be assigned to cover: breaking news, the scheduled news event, the feature situation, sports, and the portrait.
Read More about The Photojournalist’s Toolkit with Thomas Alleman (Hybrid Learning – Six Sessions)
Creating Intimate Portraits with Josefina Fernandez Moran (Online Learning – Six sessions)
In this six-session online course, we will explore how to cultivate that connection and create portraits that move beyond surface representation. Through guided assignments, group discussion, and constructive critique, students will examine how trust, vulnerability, and presence shape the photographic encounter.
Explore the exciting intersection of photography and artificial intelligence in this introductory course on Generative Image Making with Midjourney, led by award-winning photographer Ann Elliot Cutting. Designed for artists and photographers new to AI, this hands-on workshop will guide you through the capabilities of AI-generated images, helping you develop your unique approach while addressing prompt creation, blending techniques, and the ethical considerations of using AI in your creative process.