New Mexico Abstractions

Whether observing breathtaking grandeur or everyday minutia, viewing the world indirectly can transform the imperceptible world into poetry. Regardless of where your inspiration takes root, creating the world anew through a visual metaphor produces endless possibilities into the world of abstraction.

This workshop with fine-art photographer and respected teacher Susan Burnstine gives participants the skills to exercise key abstract elements and skills to create compositions that bear little or no resemblance to the subject at hand. As we explore how metaphor and intent relates to non-figurative images, we effectively uncover the best approaches for realizing our personal visions.

Each day, we take a deep dive into specific elements and techniques such as multiple exposure, reflection, selective focus, defocus, intentional camera movement, light and shadow, isolation, and context to name a few. We discover innovative ways to reimagine the world around us through real-time presentations, group image reviews, guest artist talks, portfolio reviews, and daily assignments to be photographed at scenic locations in and around the inspirational and iconic surroundings of Santa Fe.

This rare in-person workshop expands on the teachings of Susan’s core online workshop The Poetry of Abstractions, but attendance in the online class is not a prerequisite for this workshop in Santa Fe. Over the course of our five days together, students gain the tools that allow them to take the leap beyond graphic form and technical approach to create personally meaningful, complex abstractions.