Santa Fe Photographic Workshop

I got back last Sunday from the workshop with Keith Carter. I had a great time! Keith is a great guy and an amazing teacher—fun, passionate, imaginative, always encouraging us to experiment, take risks, and find our own voice.

This image is of Cassie, one of my classmates.
















The title of the workshop was "Visual Poetry," and Keith emphasized the importance of allowing images to tell stories, and to raise questions rather than answer them.

This image was made at a movie set a few miles outside of Santa Fe, where Gunsmoke, Lonesome Dove, Lone Ranger, and other films were made. It was so cool. It was also the first time I'd worked with professional models.

















We learned about an "implied narrative"— there is a story being told, but each person can bring their own interpretation of what the story is.


















Keith also encouraged us to be ruthless with space, cropping out anything not essential to the story. I love how the light picks up all the details in this image.

















Several of us got lost trying to find some Spanish ruins, so we ended up just pulling off the road and using each other as models.















Tara was posing for the class when I noticed that every few minutes she'd bend down to straighten her hair.














I learned that all horses have "chestnuts": a dark circular scar on their legs, thought to be vestigial pads that were under the toes of their early ancestors. I love the way that the model has a spot of mud on her leg that looks like a chestnut.










I love the timelessness of this image. Is it 1909 or 2009?














This is one of my favorite images of the week. It's a picture of my roommate, Alex, who grew up in Brazil, and now lives in Australia. He is a lot of fun and an amazing photographer.

What's your story for this implied narrative?




















Thanks for taking the time to look at these images! I hope you have an opportunity to fly today.