On Location

–Santa Fe

The Storyteller: Creative Compositing with Adobe Photoshop

with Brooke Shaden

July 13 – 17, 2026

Tuition $2195.00

(includes meal plan, see below)

Model, Location, and Materials Fee $275.00

Standard Deposit $400.00

Course Description

Join fine-art and conceptual photographer Brooke Shaden for a week-long workshop that provides a roadmap to creating original, composited artworks through Adobe Photoshop. From hands-on demonstrations focusing on how to photograph for a composite and tell stories that resonate widely, to photographing and editing your own mini-series of images, we spend the week together creating digital narratives and collages that resonate on a deeper level.

Over the course of five days in the Workshops state-of-the-art Digital Lab, participants learn to master the following:

Imbue your images with storytelling components that resonate widely
Photograph for the composite, so no one falls victim to disappointment in Photoshop
Use tools like selections, masking and layering, color/lighting, and perspective
Select, cut out, rearrange, resize, reshape, and reimagine objects in Photoshop
Cut out hair, clothes, and other subjects with fine details
Lighting and color theory + dynamic light and color changes
Match color of subjects, objects, and backgrounds to create a cohesive color narrative
Maintain a non-destructive workflow by using blending modes, adjustment layers, and more
Create work that looks illustrative and polished rather than flat
Create shadows for believable composites
Texture an image subtly yet meaningfully
Replace colors within an image
How to prepare your images for print
And much more

Our time in the Digital Lab is balanced by one day photographing models at a unique Western location near Santa Fe, where Brooke directs you to photograph intentionally with composites in mind. While on location, participants learn to position light and shadow, direct models, photograph textures, and visually collect the many parts of the scene one needs to create a final visual narrative.

Joining this week-long workshop gives you access to a large folder of stock images shot by Brooke, which are yours to keep and practice with, including subjects, clouds, locations, textures, and more. You leave this workshop with a huge arsenal of tools to back up any creative idea you have, no matter how big or small, simple or whimsical. You also leave with a mini-series of three images that you conceptualized, photographed, and Photoshopped during the week, putting you one step closer to a gallery show or polished portfolio.

Brooke also speaks to the business of fine art, touching on such topics as printmaking, editioning, pricing, gallery representation, and more. You don’t need to have a business to make the most of the opportunities Brooke presents to you.

Whether you want to create a composite using a hundred images or just two, this workshop shows you how to blend photographs seamlessly together to create a believable composite that not only draws the eye and ignites the imagination, but speaks to others in a profound way. Brooke is your guide for the full week, and she hosts special small group dinners and one-on-one critique sessions to ensure participants receive meaningful feedback and guidance. She looks forward to having you join her this summer in magical Santa Fe!

Additional Information

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Amateurs, Advanced Amateurs

What You Should Know:

Participants should acquaint themselves with Adobe Photoshop prior to the workshop, so they are familiar with the layout and basic tool functions. However, Brooke also shares her workspace and provides a comprehensive overview of the most important tools needed for this course.

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 including off-trail walking on uneven terrain including sand, dirt, and loose rock. Location work is likely to include early morning and/or late evening shoots.

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

Brooke Shaden

Brooke Shaden is a fine-art photographer, mixed media artist, and writer specializing in conceptual imagery and self-portraiture. She grew up in Lancaster, PA, and holds two degrees in English Literature and Filmmaking. Brooke has always seen the world as a dark yet beautiful place. Inspired at a young age by mortality, she has always had a fear of death and a fascination with it. That intrigue morphed into a deep desire to portray grief in a positive way, and that north star has guided her work since 2009.

Over the past fifteen years, Brooke has helped new artists to reflect the way they see the world in their art and to heal through the experience. She specializes in finding beauty and darkness and utilizing a gentle approach to bring others into that space. Community is at the forefront of Brooke’s life. She hosts an annual creativity conference called Promoting Passion, which focuses on our purpose, legacy, and impact. Outside of her own convention, Brooke speaks to crowds of thousands throughout each year to inspire personal growth and reflection.

Represented by five galleries and with work collected by museums, her art has made an indelible mark and has inspired hundreds of thousands of up-and-coming photographers. With sponsorship from companies like Sony and Microsoft, Brooke has made it her mission to share inspiration far and wide. She was named in the top 10 most influential photographers, photographer of the year, winner of Ron Howard’s Project Imagination, and received the distinguished alumni award from her high school in 2019. Brooke co-founded The Light Space, a photography program for those vulnerable to human trafficking, and was a foster parent from 2019 to 2023 to six children.

When Brooke isn’t making visual art or traveling, she’s either reading or writing fiction.

Website: brookeshaden.com