Desert Nights

with Todd Hido

July 20 – 24, 2026

Tuition $2295.00

(includes meal plan, see below)

Location Fee $65.00

Standard Deposit $400.00

Sorry, this workshop is full. Now accepting sign-ups for waitlist.

Course Description

Join acclaimed photographer Todd Hido in Santa Fe for an immersive workshop focused on photographing the desert at night. Working in and around the city and its surrounding landscapes, you explore how darkness, artificial light, and place can be used to create photographs that feel atmospheric, ambiguous, and emotionally charged.

Todd introduces his approach to nighttime photography through lectures and guided discussion, sharing insight into his influences, working methods, and decision-making in the field. Together, you look closely at how light behaves after dark, the streetlights, interior glows, passing cars, and the night sky, and how these elements can be used to shape mood and suggest narrative rather than simply describe a scene. Group image reviews and conversation help you better understand how photographs function individually and as part of a broader body of work.

In the evenings, you head out to photograph independently or in small groups of two to three, allowing space for quiet observation, experimentation, and personal exploration. Todd remains available for guidance and check-ins, while encouraging you to work at your own pace and follow what draws your attention in the landscape. During the day, you focus on editing, sequencing, and refining your images, with direct feedback from Todd on how to strengthen visual cohesion, tone, and flow.

This workshop is well-suited for photographers interested in expanding their approach to nighttime imagery and developing a more personal relationship to place. By the end of the experience, you leave with a deeper understanding of how to work confidently after dark and a clearer sense of how mood, light, and place can shape your photographic approach.

Additional Information

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Advanced Amateurs, Professionals

What You Should Know:

Working knowledge of digital workflow and manual mode on your digital SLR or mirrorless camera. You must be able to download and select images using image editing software for class sessions, and you will need to bring a tripod for nighttime shooting.

Activity Level:

To get the most from your workshop experience, participants should be in good physical (mobility, stamina) and mental health. Come prepared for the high elevation of Santa Fe, long days, and seasonal weather including high temperatures. You must be able to carry your own photographic and personal gear at all times, both on campus and on location. You are responsible for being open and honest about your physical fitness, and we reserve the right to remove you from the workshop if we find your fitness to be less than that which you have described.

Participants should be able to engage in moderate outdoor exercise for up to an hour or more at a time. Location work will include late evening shoots. Since much of the work is self-directed, you should be prepared to spend several hours photographing on your own or in small groups around Santa Fe.

Accommodations:

Participants are responsible for making their own housing arrangements in Santa Fe. On-campus accommodations are not currently available.

Meals:

Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner before the Friday evening Image Presentations, and daily beverage service are included.

Policies:

View Payment, Refund, Withdrawal, and Transfer Policies for domestic workshops.

about

Todd Hido

Todd Hido wanders endlessly in search of imagery that connects with his own memories. Through his unique landscape process and signature color palette, he alludes to the quiet and mysterious side of suburban America—where uniform communities provide for a stable façade—implying the instability that often lies behind the walls.

Todd’s photographs are in over 50 private and public collections around the world, including the Getty, Whitney Museum of American Art, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Pier 24 Photography holds the archive of all of his published works. Todd’s work has been exhibited at Les Rencontres d’Arles in 2025 and 2023. He has published more than a dozen books, including the award-winning monographs House Hunting (2001) and Excerpts from Silver Meadows (2013). His Aperture titles include Todd Hido on Landscapes, Interiors, and the Nude (2014) and Intimate Distance: Twenty-Five Years of Photographs (2016). A revised and expanded edition has been released in 3 languages (2025).

Todd returned to the cinematic landscape photography that he first explored with Roaming (2003), as well as in Bright Black World (2018), and followed it up with The End Sends Advance Warning (2024). He is also an avid photobook collector, and in the last 30 years has created a notable collection of almost 10,000 titles.

Todd’s work has influenced multiple Hollywood productions, such as Spike Jones’s Her, Sam Levinson’s Euphoria, Issa López’s True Detective: Night Country, and the directorial project by Jason Momoa, Chief of War. He is also one of the subjects of Momoa’s documentary project on creative makers for HBO Max, On The Roam.