Developing a Creative Body of Work with AI
with Ann Cutting
November 3 – December 8, 2026
*
Course Description
What if you could use AI to push the boundaries of your creativity in ways you never imagined? In this online workshop with Ann Cutting, you learn how to craft a cohesive, long-term project using the latest generative AI tools. You explore platforms such as Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Stable Diffusion, ChatGPT, and DALL·E, alongside motion-focused apps like Runway, Luma, and FLOW, to rethink traditional photography and cinematic processes, unlocking entirely new narrative possibilities. Whether creating zines, surreal imagery, fashion lookbooks, storyboard sequences, short motion pieces, or other creative projects, this workshop opens new doors for both fine-art and commercial work.
In Ann’s carefully constructed curriculum, you experiment with creating prompts, style generation, enhancing images with Topaz Gigapixel, and image manipulation through Adobe Generative Fill. Through structured discussions, image reviews, and project-based assignments, you also explore the ethical, copyright, and best practice considerations for incorporating AI into photography.
The course combines hands-on technical instruction with thoughtful analysis, encouraging you to look beyond just learning new techniques and instead focus on how AI can enhance your creative vision and conceptual depth. Upon completion, you leave with a portfolio of original work that reflects your personal approach to AI-driven imagery. These projects demonstrate AI’s potential as a creative partner, helping you discover new possibilities to tell stories, develop visual styles, and apply your work in real-world creative projects.
Additional Information
This program includes workflows that incorporate AI-based tools. Read more about Santa Fe Workshops position on AI here.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
What You Should Know:
Basic computer skills and the ability to edit and download images using editing software are necessary.
Special Notes:
Class will meet 5:30 – 7:30 pm (Mountain Time) on Tuesdays starting November 3 and ending December 8; no class on November 24 (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
Ann Cutting is an award-winning commercial and fine-art photographer with over 30 years of experience. Her clients include The Washington Post Magazine, Time, Oprah, Nike, Bloomberg, and Warner Bros. Records. Her fine-art work is in the New Hampshire Institute of Art collection. With a background as a molecular biologist at Caltech, she now explores the intersection of photography and AI. Ann is an associate professor at ArtCenter College of Design, where she combines her expertise in photography, technology, and science to examine how AI is reshaping creative practice and visual storytelling. She holds a B.F.A. in Photography from ArtCenter College of Design and a B.A. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from UC San Diego.
Website: cutting.com
Instagram: @aecutting
