Subtractive Vision: A Practical Approach to Photographic Minimalism
with Eric Stein
July 10 – August 7, 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.
Rather than approaching minimalism as a fixed aesthetic, this workshop presents it as a practical training ground for clarity and restraint. In this new online course, photographer Eric Stein guides participants through a structured exploration of subtractive thinking, helping them refine images by removing distraction, shaping space with intention, and composing with greater control.
In this five-week program, we look at work by photographers such as Michael Kenna, Franco Fontana, Luigi Ghirri, Uta Barth, and Bruce Percy, whose images demonstrate how reduction, space, and restraint can strengthen visual meaning. Each week includes thoughtful image reviews, group dialogue, and guided assignments that encourage participants to explore subtractive thinking and apply these ideas in their own photographic work.
By the end of the workshop, participants will leave with:
- A deeper understanding of how subtraction strengthens meaning
- Greater sensitivity to space, balance, and visual weight
- Increased confidence composing with restraint in varied environments
- A more intentional and disciplined approach to photographic decision-making
Together, these skills cultivate stronger visual judgment—abilities that extend beyond minimalism and into any photographic practice.
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 12:30 – 2:30 pm (Mountain Time) on Fridays starting July 10 and ending August 7 (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.
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 Withdrawal and Transfer Policies for online programs.
For the convenience of participants, recordings of each class session are posted privately for one month after the end of each session. Santa Fe Workshops takes the recordings down after one month to protect the intellectual property of our instructors.
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
