WORKSHOPS
Workshops
Join me in person or online. Here's my schedule of upcoming workshops.
July 3 – 8, 2023
with Santa Fe Workshops and Arien Chang Castán
Truly skillful street photographers are respectful and open, ready to respond to the serendipitous moments that transpire every day. Capturing the essence of a new location requires nimble camera skills, sensitivity, courage, and luck. Join longtime friends and street photographers Arien Chang and Jennifer Spelman for an immersion into the streets of Santa Fe.
July 13, 7:00pm online
Title: Photographing Cuba: 50 Trips to a Complicated Paradise
In this evening zoom lecture, Jennifer will show a wide range of work and share stories about her time in Cuba and how it has influenced the way she sees.
July 14th 5:30-8:30; July 15th & 16th Times TBA online
Storytelling, Editing, and Sequencing a Photographic Project into a Contemporary Zine
In this online weekend intensive, you will learn how to create a photo zine that tells a story or shares a portfolio of images through careful editing and sequencing of your images. Through a combination of lectures, group discussions, and focused examples we will explore the fundamentals of storytelling, image selection, and design principles, and gain practical skills in creating a zine from start to finish.
September 7-25, 2023 Thursdays and Mondays; 9:30 – 11:30 am (Mountain Time)
with Santa Fe Workshops – Online
Shape your images from past adventures with a more focused eye, transforming them into a finished project. The goal of The Travel Portfolio as a Zine is for each participant to create a unique project comprised of thoughtfully sequenced images. This collection of images is then designed into a PDF layout for a Blurb Premium Magazine—better known today as a “Zine.”
September 7-25, 2023 Thursdays and Mondays; 5:00 – 6:30 pm (Mountain Time)
with Santa Fe Workshops – online
The remarkable photographic features of the iPhone you’re holding in your hand now rivals a professional camera in its ability to create images and share stories. It’s a tool that is always accessible, lightweight, and easy to use once you learn its varied features. Each of our six group sessions are an exciting blend of exploring both the technical possibilities within the iPhone and the creative elements inherent to all compelling images.
October 5-9, 2023
with Santa Fe Workshops and Pepe Gavilondo
Gather with Jennifer and Pepe on a journey creating imaginative images of the soulful Mexican music culture We’ll enjoy an audible and visual immersion into indigenous, Spanish, contemporary and traditional sounds, and the musicians who create them. The breathtaking city of San Miguel de Allende, its surrounding rugged landscapes, grand haciendas, local practice studios, scenic parks, and neighborhood cantinas are our backgrounds as we listen and respond with our cameras.
November 8-19, 2023
with Santa Fe Workshops, Michael Amici and Derek Baron
Experience Diwali, India’s most celebrated and important holiday of the year while embarking on a visual adventure that will light-up your spirit and your lens within the sacred culture of Northern India. From palaces to local villages, through ancient cities to natural preserves, we move slowly and allow time for our ideas, experiences and perfect light to align. We get to the heart of each of our destinations by meeting local people, enjoying a cup of chai, and wandering instead of rushing. We put aside notions of traditional travel photography and open ourselves to creating more mindful imagery as we immerse into sacred India.
December 9 –18, 2023
with Santa Fe Workshops and Carlos Otero
Deepen your understanding of eastern Cuba, broaden your ability to create images that are visually compelling, and celebrate the stories of this island of paradoxes.
January 6 – 13, 2024
with Santa Fe Workshops and Carlos Otero
Engage with the artistic colonial city of Camagüey and explore nearby farming villages and seaside towns.
January 16 – 26, 2024
with Santa Fe Workshops and Carlos Otero
Experience the untamed beauty of one of Cuba’s least explored regions and deepen your understanding of Cuba’s history, culture, and people in Granma Province.
February 7 – 16, 2024
with Santa Fe Workshops and Carlos Otero
Discover the colonial heritage of charming Trinidad, enjoy the beautiful countryside and people of Playa Larga, then end the journey with a taste of vibrant Havana.
February 18-February 26, 2024
with Santa Fe Workshops and Carlos Otero
Travel back in time to a quieter and simpler Cuba where small, independent farmers work family plots and use ox-power to plow their tobacco fields then explore vibrant Havana.
March 8-15, 2024
with Santa Fe Workshops and Leysis Quesada
Experience the complex and exhilarating world of traditional and contemporary dance in the pulsating city of Havana.
CubaSeen: Havana Artist in Residency
March 18 – March 27, 2024
with Andrew Child and collaboration from Nelson Ramirez Arellano & Carlos Otero
The CubaSeen Artist Residency is a 9-day residency in Havana, Cuba. This immersive program provides time and space to focus on your creative process, inspired by the culture of Havana’s thriving arts scene. In addition to accommodation and work space, the program supports you through: publishing seminars; structured critiques with US and Cuban colleagues; visits to galleries and artist studios in Havana; and, shared access to transportation. The Residency concludes with a group exhibit in Havana sharing your work alongside that of fellow residents.
Link coming soon!
Exploring Turkey One Grand City and Endless Natural Wonders
May 21-31, 2024
with Santa Fe Workshops and Derek Baron
Istanbul & Cappadocia
This once in a lifetime journey into Turkey leads us through some of the most breathtaking sites in the world. Istanbul, known as the city where East meets West, was the land of the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans and each contributed to its remarkable mix of churches, mosques, cisterns, and palaces. Cappadocia’s awe-inspiring rock formations and beautiful valleys are a natural phenomenon without comparison. Our path will lead us through a mix of modern, ancient, and natural world wonders.
Link coming soon!
Iraq: Baghdad, Babylon, Najaf, Samarra, Hatra, Mosul, Erbil
October 3 – 13, 2024
with Santa Fe Workshops & Derek Baron
While many of us think that Iraq could not possibly be a travel destination, this is no longer the case. This trip will provide an immersion straight into the culture, people, food and history of this absolutely intriguing and complex country. We’ll spend time in vibrant Baghdad, travel south to the gorgeous holy Imam Ali shrine in Najaf and connect with the 5000 year old civilization of the Marsh Arabs, living secluded among the Mesopotamia Marshes. We’ll visit Iraq’s most eye-opening historical sites – from Samarra to Hatra to Babylon and more – while also touring the culturally-proud cities of Mosul and Erbil.
Most importantly we will spend significant time meeting such kind Iraqi people, learning directly from those we come into contact with and experiencing their genuine warmth and kindness all over the country. Meeting the people of Iraq will be the major highlight of this trip.
Link coming soon!
Morocco: A Photographic Journey: Casablanca, Fes, Merzouga, Sahara Desert, Dades Valley, Marrakech
October 16 - 27, 2024
with Santa Fe Workshops & Derek Baron
Casablanca, Fez, Marrakech, and the Sahara Desert are the places of our imagination and countless timeless stories. Join world travelers, Jennifer Spelman and Derek Baron on a winding journey into the heart of Morocco and through an endless array of bright colors, diverse aromas and enigmatic sounds.
Link coming soon!