2024 In the Footsteps of Georgia O’Keeffe:
A Sheography Women’s Photo Workshop
SOLD OUT
Please email Colleen for waitlist
DATES: May 25-30, 2024
BEGINS: At 5:00 p.m. on May 25
ENDS: At 10:00 a.m. on May 30 (which is hotel checkout)
COST: $2695/person
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Easy to moderately strenuous. Best suited for active, sure-footed participants who are capable of hiking up to one-miles roundtrip on uneven, rocky, or sandy uphill terrain while carrying their gear. Participants should have a 2WD high clearance vehicle they are willing to drive short distances (less than 5 miles) on dirt/gravel roads.
MAX PARTICIPANTS: 10 women
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Calling all the ladies! Since 2011, Colleen's all-women's workshops have helped inspire photographic growth, personal development, wanderlust, and life-long friendships. And Sheography™ aims to continue that, to help women of all ages, backgrounds, and photographic skill "Put the HER in the photograpHER®."
Join Colleen and other Sheographers™ for an exciting six-day women’s-only photography adventure based out of the Ghost Ranch outside of Abiquiu, New Mexico, where we'll literally be following in the footsteps of the renowned painter, Georgia O'Keeffe.
O'Keeffe began visiting New Mexico in 1929 where she found much inspiration for her work in the fantastical rock formations, the colorful hillsides, and expansive desert landscape. By the 1940s, she had moved to what is known today as the Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu where she created remarkable studies of shapes, forms, and patterns in abstracts and grand views of her surroundings. Although she did not work much in the photography medium professionally, her husband, Alfred Steiglitz, did and was a famous photographer in his own right (yet he never visited O'Keeffe in New Mexico...). She died in 1986 at the age of 98, but her spirit and legacy lives on.
Now it's time for Sheographers to learn from her by studying, living, and experiencing her world to better our own photography and world!
Our workshop will start with a welcome dinner on Thursday evening followed by a casual get-together to discuss O'Keeffe's legacy and how we can leverage her approaches and techniuqes as inspiration for our own photography. On Friday morning through Thursday morning, we'll put our photography skills and workshop learnings in rousing locations on and around the Ghost Ranch property, visiting some the very locations O'Keeffe did to put our own spin on this breathtakingly beautiful desert landscape. To expand our knowledge and connection with place, we'll hear from guest speakers, walk through O'Keeffe's studio and home, and explore O'Keeffe's "backyard."
While we will photograph landscape scenes, instruction will put a special emphasis on creating abstracts in macro and intimate perspectives that transcend realism and incorporate individual meaning. After all, O'Keeffe said, "Even if I could put down accurately certain things that I saw and enjoyed it would not give the observer the kind of feeling the object gave me. I had to create an equivalent for what I felt about what I was looking at--not copy it."
As with all Sheography workshops, attendees will have ample opportunity to ask questions, experiment, and get immediate feedback through a blend of field-based, classroom, and image review sessions.
In an learning-intensive, supportive, and all-women's group, where pushing ourselves to try new things will be encouraged, attendees will learn how to:
Use mindfulness techniques to sharpen the eye to pay attention to details in the land.
"Fill space in a beautiful way" (per O'Keeffe's philosophies) by simplifying compositions into lines, shapes, and layers and convey contour/dimension, symmetrical and asymmetrical balance, patterns, etc.
Identify tones in varying types of light throughout the day from sunrise to sunset and including midday light. O'Keeffe did not chase light; she put available light to good use!
Apply special techniques like intentional camera movement, multiple exposures, and panoramas in the field to interpret the landscape beyond the literal.
Use processing software to further develop one's vision using the initial in-field capture as a baseline and palette.
Make deliberate compositional and technical choices by translating what you know, see, and feel into a personally meaningful photograph.
The workshop's curriculum will be developed from the participants interests (collected through a pre-workshop questionnaire) and tailored to both individual and group needs. All levels from beginner to professional--and all camera types from iPhones to fancy dSLRs--are welcome for what is sure to be an inspirational six days celebrating the life of Georgia O'Keeffe--and our own--through photography.
**IMPORTANT NOTE: We will be photographing both from The Ghost Ranch and surrounding public lands. The Ghost Ranch permits photographs created on their private property to be used for personal, non-commercial use only. Any commercial use requires prior permission from the Ghost Ranch Production Manager. If this is of interest to you, please contact Colleen to discuss further and to arrange. To read more about the Ghost Ranch's policy, visit www.ghostranch.org/commercial-photography/.**
WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
Five (5) nights lodging in a private room/private bath at the Ghost Ranch from Saturday, May 25 until Thursday, May 30
All meals for the workshop duration including breakfast (5), lunches (5) and dinner (5) from dinner on May 25 to breakfast on May 30
Photography instruction (classroom, field, critiques) and handouts
Permits, entry fees, and activities fees
An invitation to join the closed "CMS Photography: Workshop Alumni Forum" and "Sheography" Facebook groups
Cool Sheography™ swag!
WORKSHOP EXCLUDES:
Airfare (the ABQ airport is about a two-hour drive from the Ghost Ranch)
Transportation to/from/during the workshop (carpooling will be encouraged due to permit restrictions)
Trip insurance
CANCELLATION POLICY
All cancellations must be provided in writing. Cancellations made:
At least 90 days prior to the workshop start date: A refund for the deposit paid, minus a $250 administrative fee, will be granted.
89-61 days prior to the workshop start date: A full refund, minus the $500 deposit paid, will be granted. If the vacated spot happens to fill prior to the workshop, then a full refund, including any balance paid and the deposit minus a $250 administrative fee, will be granted.
60 days or less prior to the workshop start date: No refunds will be issued. If the vacated spot happens to fill prior to the workshop, then a full refund, including any balance paid and the deposit minus a $250 administrative fee, will be granted.
Any requests to transfer a participants registration to another CMS Photography workshop will be treated as a cancellation. The above policy will dictate which monies, if any, shall transfer.
Although rare, CMS Photography reserves the right to cancel a workshop for any reason at our discretion. Should we decide to cancel a workshop, we will refund your registration fees in full.
Also, CMS Photography also reserves the right to modify a workshop itinerary based on local or federal restrictions beyond our control (e.g. COVID-19 restrictions, government shutdowns, closed sites). Should a registrant choose to cancel because of these changes, our standard cancellation policy outlined above applies.
There are no exceptions to these policies.
CMS Photography strongly encourages you to purchase trip insurance with a "Cancel for Any Reason" clause immediately after paying your deposit to protect yourself in the event of unexpected circumstances preventing you from attending our workshops. Consider contacting AAA, your credit cards, or other notable trip insurance companies for appropriate policies.
TESTIMONIALS FROM PAST ATTENDEES
“I had high expectations going into this workshop and I was not disappointed! The scenery is stunning and O'Keeffe's life and art provided much inspiration. I loved the education component (including classroom sessions, help in the field and outside the box exercises) which was something I found missing in photography tours. This was my first workshop with Colleen but it won't be my last.” ~Nancy S., 2023 O’Keeffe Sheographer
“Colleen's workshops are the best way to learn / practice new techniques in a supportive and informative environment...an all around excellent experience!” ~Mary G., 2023 O’Keeffe Sheographer
"Colleen runs very well-organized workshops, which is extremely important when coordinating the activity of 8-10 individuals. She makes sure we're all comfortable and well cared for by choosing quality accommodations. Her attention to these details gives us the ability to "focus" on our art when we're out in the field. And when it comes to art, she is always adding special touches to our itinerary to encourage us to stretch beyond our comfort zone. I have been attending workshops from a variety of instructors for over 15 years. The range of quality is wide! With Colleen's Sheography Workshops, I've found a perfect fit for my future trips." ~Tina B., 2022 O'Keeffe Sheographer