Subtractive Vision: A Practical Approach to Photographic Minimalism
with Eric Stein
November 12 – December 17, 2026
*
Course Description
Minimalism is often mistaken for simply “less.” In practice, it is a disciplined way of seeing—one that sharpens perception, strengthens awareness, and builds confidence in visual decision-making.
This online workshop treats minimalism not as a style to adopt, but as a doorway into something more useful: subtraction as a practice. Rather than aiming to make images that look minimal, you learn to test what elements earn a place in an image and which don’t—learning to read the difference.
In this five-week course, photographer Eric Stein guides you through that practice directly: refining images by removing distraction, shaping space with intention, and composing with greater control.
Each week, we look at photographers—among them Michael Kenna, Luigi Ghirri, Uta Barth, Harry Callahan, and Hiroshi Sugimoto—whose work makes the results of that discipline and structure visible. Sessions combine image reviews, group dialogue, and guided assignments that put subtractive thinking into your own hands.
By the end, you have:
- Sharper instincts for what belongs in a frame and the confidence to act on them
- Greater sensitivity to space, balance, and visual weight
- The experience of finding the point where subtraction stops helping
- A more intentional, disciplined approach to photographic decision-making
These are the foundations that inform a path toward more minimalist approaches and imagery.
Additional Information
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
What You Should Know:
Working knowledge of digital workflow and manual mode on your digital SLR or mirrorless camera. Participants must be able to download and select images using image editing software for class sessions.
Special Notes:
Class will meet 12:00 – 2:00 pm (Mountain Time) on Thursdays starting November 12 and ending December 17; no class on Thursday, November 26 (five online group sessions). Enrollment is limited to 12 participants.
Zoom Video Conferencing software (available for no charge from Zoom.com) will be used to facilitate the class sessions. Further details will be emailed to registrants.
These live online sessions take place in the standard Zoom meeting format. Students can use their microphone and camera, see and hear the instructor and other students, and participate in live discussion and interaction throughout the sessions.
Santa Fe Workshops always aims to produce a high-quality experience for our online attendees. That said, variables including regional and local internet provider speeds, traffic on Zoom's servers, and your own computing hardware can contribute to a less-than-ideal streaming event. While we do our best to minimize the impact of these variables, they are outside the control of Santa Fe Workshops.
Policies:
View Cancellation and Transfer Policies for online programs.
Recording class sessions using personal devices or third-party tools is not permitted. Session recordings are provided by Santa Fe Workshops and are available to enrolled students for two months after the class. This policy helps protect the intellectual property and privacy of both instructors and students.
about
Eric Stein is a California-based photographer whose work explores structure, space, and the quiet ways human presence shapes landscape and the built environment. His photographs have been featured nineteen times in the Leica Fotografie International (LFI) gallery.
Earlier in his career, Eric worked as a creative director at global advertising agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, DDB, and McCann Worldgroup Europe, where he lived and worked in Germany for several years, leading brand concept development and visual storytelling—experience that continues to inform both his teaching and photographic practice.
For more than two decades, Eric worked in commercial travel, destination, and luxury lifestyle photography, developing a disciplined approach to visual storytelling and location-based work. His assignments have appeared in publications including Condé Nast and Elite Traveler, as well as in campaigns and branded platforms for hospitality, lifestyle, and travel clients, taking him from the high Arctic and the Caribbean to locations across South America, India, and Rwanda.
His recent work focuses on long-form photographic projects rooted in subtractive seeing—refining images through reduction, spatial awareness, and careful attention to visual balance.
Website: ericsteinphoto.com
Instagram: @ericthroughglass
