The Poetics of Pinhole Photography
with Zoe Peterson and Jordan Mount
March 20 – 22, 2026
Course Description
This hands-on, three-day workshop in Santa Fe with Zoe Peterson and Jordan Mount guides you through the history, basic technical aspects, and artistic use of pinhole cameras. You learn how pinhole photography works, how to build your own pinhole camera from start to finish, and how to unlock the creative potential of the medium.
On Friday, we dive into the very foundation of photography and the origins of cameras. Through lecture, we discuss the discovery, history, and contribution of pinhole cameras to photography. You then learn the mechanics of how a pinhole harnesses light through a field trip to a local camera obscura, laying the groundwork for building our own pinholes. Afterwards, we visit the Pinhole Resource Archives at the Palace of the Governors in downtown Santa Fe, giving you the opportunity to build a visual pinhole vocabulary and find inspiration.
On Saturday, we introduce the process of building and photographing on your own pinhole camera. Pinholes can be constructed from a wide variety of items and you explore the different options available. Zoe and Jordan demo each step and guide you through making your own paper negatives, followed by developing them in the darkroom. In addition to working with your own handcrafted cameras, you have the opportunity to explore and practice photographing on classic wooden 4×5 pinholes.
Sunday, we move into open studio time to continue working creatively with your new cameras and spend time in the darkroom developing images. There is also the opportunity to learn about contact printing, so you can see your photographs in positive form.
This workshop is intended for anyone who wishes to embrace what’s left when photography is stripped down to its most basic elements. You walk away with a strong understanding of the origins, technicalities, and many forms of pinhole photography, able to continue the process on your own at home and beyond. Those who are drawn towards the slower, methodical nature of analog techniques have time to experiment and create by entering the magical world of lensless photography.
Additional Information
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Everyone is welcome. Prior pinhole or darkroom experience is a plus, but not required.
What You Should Know:
Santa Fe Workshops provides all materials necessary for participation in the workshop, including supplies to build a pinhole camera and darkroom chemicals.
Special Notes:
Computer workstations equipped with M-series Mac minis are provided in the Digital Lab. Please ensure any external hard drives are formatted to be read by Mac systems. See "Santa Fe Campus" for more details.
Activity Level:
To get the most from your workshop experience, participants must be able to comfortably climb a staircase to access one of the classrooms. In addition, participants should be in good physical (mobility, stamina) and mental health. Come prepared for the high elevation of Santa Fe, long days, and seasonal weather. You must be able to carry your own personal gear at all times, both on campus and on location. You are responsible for being open and honest about your physical fitness, and we reserve the right to remove you from the workshop if we find your fitness to be less than that which you have described.
Policies:
View Payment, Refund, Withdrawal, and Transfer Policies for domestic workshops.
Package Price INFO:
$895 includes instruction, materials fees, location fees, and daily beverage service. Travel, accommodations, and all other meals are the responsibility of the participant.
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about
Zoe Peterson is a multidisciplinary artist whose work examines his identity, states of transition, and places he calls home. Fueled by experimentation, he works with pinhole and toy cameras to blur the fine line between what is ephemeral and fundamentally solid.
His printmaking background lends itself to the bookmaking world he has entered within his work, where he combines collage, writing, and photography to create zines, screenprints, and copper-plate etchings.
Zoe holds a BFA in Photography and a minor in Printmaking from the Savannah College of Art and Design and is currently living and working in Santa Fe, NM.
Website: zoe-peterson.com
about
Jordan Mount is a photographer from Wilmington, North Carolina. She received her B.F.A. in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2022. Finding most of her work to be a form of self-portraiture, Jordan explores the ways time, memory, and place collide to build her identity and self-perception. Through the use of pinhole cameras and modified lenses, she has found expressive ways to narrate the spaces that exist between fact and fiction when looking at oneself. She currently lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Website: jordanmountphotography.com
Instagram: @jesushatesfunnygirls
