"From The Garden to The Plate" is a new and intriguing workshop that combines garden and food photography. Francesca, an expert in both fields, takes you on a delightful and delicious journey exploring some of Santa Fe’s lovely gardens, the lively Farmer’s Market and a chef’s kitchen.

Our week begins in “The Garden” where we learn how to capture the beauty of nature’s own environment. The aim here is to enjoy the smells and textures of the gardens while exploring some of the basic principals of successful garden and location photography.

Later we explore “The Still Life.” In a more controlled atmosphere, we photograph the “fruits’” of the garden and, using available and artificial light, learn basic lighting techniques. Francesca explains the art of food styling by presenting examples from her numerous cookbooks, along with an in-studio demonstration.

We then enter “The Kitchen” and observe a chef preparing a meal. We take action shots of the process, learning how to capture the all-important “moment” that results in images that are fresh and alive. Finally, we photograph the finished dish in all its plated glory. After this intense and challenging work, we all sit down to enjoy the feast!

Throughout the week, Francesca shares examples of her work and reviews the images produced by participants, individually and as a group. Join us in the exceptional “foodie” city of Santa Fe for this photographic and culinary journey.