We are here to help you pick your next workshop!

A message from our Director, Reid Callanan.

One of the aspects of my job as Director of the Workshops I enjoy most is sharing my knowledge of our classes and insights into the instructors that teach for us. I love talking with prospective workshop participants about our programs. Part of this pleasure comes from the pride I feel for the value of our educational offerings and part is because I know the classes so well I can help you make the right decision. I realize taking a workshop is a significant investment of time and money and I want to make sure the best choice is made.

With over 200 workshops offered each year, the decision is often daunting. I invite you to call me. I will offer my advice, and together we can decide what makes the most sense for you. I do not want to use e-mail. I want to have a conversation with you.

Please feel free to call me at 505-983-1400, ext. 15.

Thanks for the opportunity to help you make the right choice.

Reid Callanan
Director, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops

Digital Lab Workshops

Dottie Lopez here. I am an assistant in The Digital Lab. I have had the honor of working with the Workshops for three years. During my first year, I worked as a seasonal course assistant. This job provided me with the opportunity to work with many of the top photographers who teach with the Workshops, such as Jay Maisel, Arthur Myerson, Bobbi Lane and many others.

During the past two years I have assisted many of the masters of digital imaging, such as Scott Kelby, George DeWolfe, Katrin Eismann and numerous others whom have taught everything from “Beginning Adobe Photoshop” to “Creating the Fine Art Digital Print.” With this experience, I would like to help you find the next workshop that is the perfect fit for you.

If you have taken “Beginning Adobe Photoshop” or “Photoshop: The Next Step”, sometimes it is tough to figure out what your next workshop should be. I am here to help you through that process. To start off, let’s take a look at some of the workshops held this coming summer season.

If learning how to fine-tune your print is where you would like to go, Jon Canfield is teaching “Digital Printmaking”, June 15th throught 21st. The goal of this workshop is to make the digital printing process as clear as possible and to achieve the prints we envision.

Or, if incorporating sound with your images is the path you would like to take, check out Bob Sacha’s workshop, “Visual Storytelling with Audio”, July 6th through 12th. You will explore and create this new kind of storytelling by learning how to add music, voices, interviews, narration, and ambient sounds to your images.

And, finally, if you are just learning how to create those photographs and want to take that first step to learn Adobe Photoshop, try Lesa Snider King’s workshop, “Beginning Photoshop”, July 13th through 19th.

I am happy to talk with you about any of the instructors and workshops I have assisted during my time at the workshops. Anything from teaching style to pace of instruction, and even whether or not they have a good sense of humor. Please feel free to contact me at the Workshops (505-983-1400 ext 17) or shoot me an email (dottie@santafeworkshops.com).

I look forward to hearing from you!

-Dottie Lopez

Photoshop Tip from Josh Withers

Are you ever unclear on just how much of a feather to add to your selection in Photoshop?

Feathering softens the edges of a selection.  This is an essential technique in Photoshop.

Here is a quick tip:

Make a selection.

Hit the "Q" key to enter Quick Mask mode.  Quick Mask mode will allow you to see your selection with a colored overlay.  The default color is red.  Quick Mask mode is a temporary mode to alter your selection by viewing it as an editable mask vs. the "Marching Ants."

Go to Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur.  Gaussian Blur works virtually the same as if you were to feather your selection.  Instead of feathering, you have a visual idea of how much softening you are doing to your selection by blurring the quick mask instead.

Once you do the appropriate amount of blurring for your image, remember to hit the "Q" key again to get out of Quick Mask mode.  Your marching ants will change shape a bit to reflect the change you made to the edges of your selection.

I hope this helps the arbitrary guessing game when it comes to feathering your selections!  Happy Photoshopping!

-Josh Withers

Nick Rapaz

For the past year at SFPW Nick Rapaz served as a key figure on the seasonal staff.  First as a Studio Assistant and then as the Studio Manager for two seasons.  Nick brought the energy, enthusiasm, and professionalism in the studio to new heights.

Nick moves to New York City this June, but we know we will see him back in Santa Fe (maybe next time as an instructor!) as opportunities to assist photographers, such as Platon, are on the horizon.

Inside the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops

Susan Hayre Thelwell, one of our lovely and inspirational digital lab assistants, suggested interviews with core staff to help us get to know a different side of one another and introduce the behind the scenes folks to fans of The Workshops.

Welcome to the first of Inside the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops with Jennifer Chapman.

Brook Buxton, SFPW's full-time media coordinator as of January 21st, is originally from Baltimore, Maryland.  He and his wife Sara moved here at the end of October.  Recently married, they wanted a fresh start in life.  "Santa Fe seemed right," Brook said.

JC: What do you like about living in Santa Fe?

BB: It's not humid, there's sunshine, great sunsets every night, and no traffic.  If you live ten minutes from work you can actually get home in ten minutes at 5pm.

JC: What is one thing you dislike about living in Santa Fe?

BB: The lack of humidity.  Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and have to drink a huge glass of water because it's so dry.  Also, it's hard to be away from friends.

JC: What is your favorite place to eat in Santa Fe?

BB: We haven't been out much but I like Gabriel's and Blue Corn Café.  My parents sent us some gift cards for Applebee's so we enjoyed eating there.

JC: What's the most challenging aspect of you job at The Workshops?

BB: Getting class photos from the Course Assistants.  Also, all the over-time during the season -- having to work during the day and at night and on the weekends.

JC: What do you like most about your job?

BB: I really enjoy the one-on-one time with the instructers when I meet with them in the chapel about their slide-show presentations.  I like getting to know them.  I was able to go on a few locations and photograph this winter and I really enjoyed that.

JC: What's your favorite color?

BB: If you look at what I wear I guess it would be brown.  I don't know, Laptop Grey.

JC: What inspires you?

BB: Good music, mountains, my wife, and functional computers.

JC: What food grosses you out?

BB: A few years ago I would have had a lot of answers for you but now I eat most of those things.  I don't like nuts in deserts.  I think it ruins them.

JC: If you didn't have to be here today, what would you be doing?

BB: Anything?  I'd be on a road trip in Utah with my wife visiting Arches and Zion.

Capture to Print

Tim Grey brought his very popular "Capture to Print" intensive workshop to Santa Fe last weekend. He filled the digital lab with humor and a clear command of the digital workflow. Participants were immersed in Tim's Digital World and had the opportunity to work through his Photoshop CS3 Workflow which is also the name of one of his many books. Tim has an informative blog and is the editor of Digital Darkroom Quarterly, both available through his website.

Our new Digital Lab Manager

The Santa Fe Photographic Workshops and Digital Programs Director Jerry Courvoisier welcome Rick Allred as the new Digital Lab Manager.  Rick assumed responsibility of day-to-day management of the digital lab on April 1st.  

Rick has a long history with SFPW as he served as the first digital lab assistant when the lab was created.  Since that time, Rick has worked in Santa Fe and Hawaii teaching digital photography, managing digital labs, photographing commercially and working on his own personal work.  While in Hawaii, Rick served as head of the photography department at the Hui No'Eau Visual Art Center.  

Rick's addition gives Jerry the opportunity to finish his book on Lightroom (due out June 2008), to teach more one-on-ones, and to continue to develop and schedule additional programming for SFPW.

Rick will lead a Beginning Adobe Photoshop workshop May 5th through 9th.