With
Sam Abell
When
October 16 - 21, 2018
Category
Creative Vision, Fine Art, One-of-a-Kind
Package Price
3915.00
$3915 (USD) includes double accommodations for 6 nights (ideal for couples and friends traveling together; single supplement for solo travelers is an additional $500), breakfast Wednesday through Monday, lunch Wednesday through Sunday, dinner Tuesday & Sunday, and model/location/materials fees if applicable to the class.
View the Cancellation and Transfer Policy for workshops in Mexico.
Registration Info
"Often we are far from the garden of our dreams, but nearby may be a reminder of it, waiting to be seen." So writes Sam Abell in his book Seeing Gardens, and it is that same subtle perspective he brings to this class in San Miguel de Allende.
Sam begins the week with traditional garden photography, using the genre as a jumping-off point for discussing the essential elements of photography, from framing and lighting to scale, as well as the importance of recognizing moments that exist in apparently still situations. We photograph in private and public gardens, endeavoring to truly see these spaces within San Miguel's geographical, social, and cultural contexts.
San Miguel is an engaging city bursting with color and populated with vibrant markets, churches, homes, restaurants, and public spaces. We expand the scope of our photography to include unexpected “found gardens”—those existing in arrangements, fabrics, displays, and signage. In addition to field work, we spend time editing, sharing, and critiquing images, in group and individual sessions. Throughout, participants employ a simplified technique that requires neither sophisticated equipment nor software.
This is not a conventional garden photography course. Instead, it is about clarifying your vision as you create an original, compelling body of work about the “seen”—and the “yet to be seen”—gardens of San Miguel.
Note: Sam requests that participants view his book Seeing Gardens (specifically the last chapter) before the workshop to clarify the expansive, even esoteric, possibilities of what a garden can be.
Additional Information
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Advanced Amateurs, Professionals
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:
Working knowledge of digital workflow and manual mode on your digital SLR camera.
PORTFOLIO REQUIRED:
Please see the Portfolio Section of General Information for Guidelines on your submission of recent images.
SPECIAL NOTES:
Alumni of Sam Abell’s Seeing Gardens in San Miguel de Allende are not eligible to register for this workshop again. Sam has requested that this San Miguel workshop is made available to other photographers.
Enrollment for this San Miguel workshop is limited to 12 participants. Visit the San Miguel General Information on our website for details on accommodations, meals, transportation, and more.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Double accommodations at Hotel Posada de la Aldea included. Single supplement available for an additional fee.
PACKAGE PRICE INFO:
$3915 (USD) includes double accommodations for 6 nights (ideal for couples and friends traveling together; single supplement for solo travelers is an additional $500), breakfast Wednesday through Monday, lunch Wednesday through Sunday, dinner Tuesday & Sunday, and model/location/materials fees if applicable to the class.
View the Cancellation and Transfer Policy for workshops in Mexico.
Sam Abell is a gifted and insightful teacher, an expressive artist, and a sensitive photographer who learned photography from his father, Thad Abell. Sam worked for National Geographic as a contract and staff photographer, and also as a Photographer in Residence. In 1990, his work was the subject of a one-person exhibition at the International Center of Photography in New York. Since then he has published three collections of his work: Seeing Gardens, Sam Abell: The Photographic Life, and The Life of a Photograph. In addition, Sam maintains a career as a writer, teacher, and lecturer on photography. This is his 27th year teaching at The Workshops. His website address is samabell.com.
Get to know Sam in our Inspiration Series video »
The workshop with Sam was transformational. His authenticity and generosity have made this experience so special.
Mary Constable, past participant, The Next Step with Sam Abell