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This workshop is filling quickly. Please call soon to register (505) 983-1400, ext. 11.

This workshop is for photographers seriously interested in publishing a book of their photographs. We address every aspect of book publishing, from editing and writing, to layout and design, to manufacturing and marketing. By focusing on the unique aspects of your work, together we arrive at decisions leading toward an appropriate book format. Using materials you bring to the workshop, including photographs and text (manuscripts, journals, notes, ephemera, etc.), daily sessions are devoted to refining and structuring your body of work.  

The week begins with two days of presentation and discussion of each photographer’s project. Participants then turn their attention to working one on one with Sam and Leah on their individual bodies of work.  Emphasis is given to intensive editing, sequencing, book structure, and narrative flow. The goal of the workshop is to prepare each photographer to go forward toward publication.
Our week also includes critical examination of a wide range of classic books and methods of storytelling. Also included are visits by guest speakers and field trips to visit local publishers, photographers, and booksellers.

Instructor(s)

Sam Abell is a gifted and insightful teacher, an expressive artist, and a sensitive photographer who learned photography from his father, Thad Abell. From 1970 to 2005, Sam worked for National Geographic as a contract and staff photographer and as a Photographer in Residence. In 1990, his work was the subject of a one-person exhibition at the International Center of Photography in New York. Accompanying the exhibit was a mid-career retrospective monograph titled, Stay This Moment. Since then he has published three collections of his work:  Seeing Gardens, Sam Abell: The Photographic Life, and, most recently, The Life of a Photograph.

In addition, Sam maintains a career as a writer, teacher, and lecturer on photography. He is an active member of the Board of Advisors for the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. This is his 20th year teaching for the Workshops. 

Leah Bendavid-Val is a writer and curator of photography, and Editorial Director of National Geographic Photography Books. She has organized photography exhibitions for the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Art, Moscow. Leah is the author of four books on photography, including Propaganda and Dreams and Stories on Paper and Glass. She has collaborated with Sam Abell on five books. This is Leah's ninth year teaching at The Workshops.

Who Should Attend:
This workshop is for individuals in all fields of photography who have a well-developed body of work and a clear intent to create a book. A sample of 40 photographs and a written project description are required for admission.

Accommodations Available:
On-campus housing available. Click here for pricing information and suggestions for off-campus housing.

Meals:
Meal plan required
Breakfast available

Tuition & Fees:
Tuition: $1,495.00