Possibility. Inspiration. Transformation.

2022-10 SFPW/Miele “How To Write and Talk About Your Work” Workshop Page

Links, information, and assignments for our “How To Write and Talk About Your Work” will be posted here, and updated as we go.

The URL for this page is public, but only those who have the URL can access it. Please let Gino know immediately if any links on this page are broken, or if there are any errors. Thanks!

GENERAL INFO, SCHEDULE, ZOOM LINKS, CONTACT

Please send assignments, images, etc. directly to Olivia Pike, our Course Coordinator, NOT to Gino. To contact Olivia, e-mail is best: olivia@santafeworkshops.com

To contact Gino, text messages are best: 212-222-4808 – or you can email me at workshops@jeanmiele.com

Class will meet 12:30 – 2:30 pm (Mountain Time) on Mondays and Thursdays starting October 24 and ending November 10 (six online group sessions). Here’s the course page on the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops website, and on mine.

Here’s the Zoom link for class: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88058429239?pwd=QTJtbWJLazFpYjdDb0psVE5UWkhNdz09

Olivia will open the Zoom meeting 30 minutes before the scheduled time, if you’d like to chat with your fellow students before class. If you’re going to be late for class or miss a session, please let us know. Every class will be recorded, and the recordings made available to you afterwards.

ZOOM LINK FOR 12/15/22 REUNION – Office Hours & Extracurricular Meetings: Gino will be holding open office hours via Zoom, Friday 10/28 and 11/4, from 12:30 to 1:30pm Mountain Time. Feel free to stop by! Here’s the Zoom link for office hours: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88080912791?pwd=V0Y5V2VnSjdNQTllcWlEaGhwZXZMdz09 Please note: This is NOT the same link as for class.

Zoom Bonus: Here’s Bob Sacha’s cinematographer’s guide to looking good on Zoom.

HANDOUTS, ASSIGNMENTS, AND FILES FOR STUDENTS

This Dropbox folder contains handouts and other information for students, and will be updated as we go. You can view or download whatever’s in this folder. Here’s the full link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e5zp5xz0624v4k1/AABphZI-cqG_HnnkrtLATpP_a?dl=0

10/24/22 – Session 1 Assignment and Zoom recording link: Read these two PDFs found in Dropbox link above: “Miele-How to Talk and Write About Your Work 2022-10 v4.pdf” and “TheGuardian-1-ArtspeakArticle2013.pdf”. Follow the links in the Guardian-1 PDF. Session 1 Zoom recording is here.

10/27/22 – Session 2 Assignment and Zoom recording link: 1) Read these three PDFs found in Dropbox link above: “Miele – Secrets to Good Writing 2022-10v5.pdf” and “TheGuardian-2-ArtistStatementArticle2013.pages.pdf” and “StephenKing-ExcerptFromOnWriting2000.pdf” Session 2 Zoom recording is here.

2) Write 5-sentences about you/your work, based on the advice in the reading, and what we’ve discussed in class. Focus on what’s “in here” rather than what’s “out there.” Don’t talk about photography, or light, or beauty. Consider using the form, “I’m interested in…” or “What matters to me is…” Write a lot, read it out loud to yourself, then edit it down. Put the best stuff first. (This handout in DropBox may help. Take a look if you want to: “Miele-WritingPromptsV1.pdf”) E-mail what you’ve written to Olivia by Sunday night. ASSIGNMENT RESULTS AND FEEDBACK: Check out everyone’s drafts of their 5-sentence artist statement with feedback from Gino here. (You can also just find it in the DropBox folder.)

10/31/22 – Session 3 Assignment and Zoom recording link: 1) Read these two PDFs found in Dropbox link above: “Miele-CartierBressonWhatsThisAboutExerciseV1.pdf” and “Miele – On Photographic Portfolios 2022-10.pdf” Session 3 Zoom recording is here.

2) Applying the Cartier-Bresson exercise (that draws a distinction between what the picture is of, and what it’s really about) please answer the questions “What do you shoot?” or “What kind of photographer are you?” in one or two sentences. Write a lot, then distill what matters to you into one or two “bulletproof” sentences that make people want to know more. (Refer to this weblink/gallery for a model/inspiration.) 

3) Check out everyone’s drafts of their 5-sentence artist statement with feedback from Gino here. (You can also just find it in the DropBox folder.)

4) If you haven’t shared your website links or Instagram handle, and would like to connect with your classmates that way, please do so. If you’d like to, you can share your e-mail address and/or other contact info, as well.

11/3/22 – Session 4 Assignment and Zoom recording link: Class #4 Assignment: Due Sunday evening 11/6 via email to Olivia.
Please take a second crack at your 5-sentence artist statement. Begin by gathering as much as what you’ve written about your work as possible into one place. Review the recording of your mini-portfolio review, and include your notes. As you read through, focus on which lines and ideas stand out most for you – which parts does your body respond to with a big “yes!”? Leave out anything about photography, beauty, color, or light. Lead with your best line. Play. See where it goes. (Write, rewrite, half again, half again…) Have fun! 🙂 Session 4 Zoom recording is here. You can find the 5-sentence statement PDFs with feedback from Gino – and with feedback from Gino and the class in DropBox, or by clicking on the links in this sentence.

11/7/22 – Session 5 Assignment and Zoom recording link: Class #5 Assignment: Due Wednesday evening 11/9 via email to Olivia. 1) Please select and submit one picture of yours that you love the most (as a jpeg, 1500 pixels on the long side) accompanied by two (bulletproof!) sentences that reflect what really matters to you. 2) If you’d like to revise your 5-sentence statement and resubmit that, please feel free to do so. Session 5 Zoom recording is here.  

11/10/22 – Session 6: This note from Olivia reflects my own feelings about our class perfectly. Thank you, Olivia – and thank you all.

Hi all,

Thank you to all of you for all your hard work, vulnerability, and openness over these past three weeks together. It was a pleasure to get to know and hear from each of you and your own practices and processes, and I was privileged to get to be a part of it with you all, so thank you. I hope you all continue moving forward and that this course inspired you and gave you more tools and assurance to continue writing and expanding your individual journeys. Gino will be in touch about a follow-up Zoom meeting next month for you all to reconnect and share your progress with each other.

Here is the link to the recording of yesterday’s session! Please let me know if you have any issues accessing it. Also attached below are the notes from yesterday, including the Jungian Approach to Art (thank you Azita!!!)

Again, thank you to each and every one of you for being a part of this class. I hope you enjoyed it, and it would be our privilege to continue to help enrich your photographic journey down the road.  I hope to see you all again online, and I wish you all the very best.  Have a wonderful holiday season, and best wishes. – Olivia (and Gino)

FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT AND EDIFICATION: HELPFUL LINKS AND INSPIRATION

(Please feel free to contribute by e-mailing suggestions to Olivia or letting us know about things during class.)

Calvin and Hobbes on Art – © Bill Watterson

  • Helen found real inspiration in this podcast (A Photographic Life – 231: The Conversation with Bill Shapiro ‘Art Speak’) suggested by Mort. Give a listen!

  • Check out this online “artist statement generator.”  There are many!

  • My friends Josef Skye Tornick & Cinta Sinta Tornick are experts on how to present work for sale. View a gallery of still images of their work and captions here: https://adobe.ly/3skGHFb Pay close attention to the text that accompanies each image. (The text for each follows the image in the online gallery.) And view video of Josef talking about what he’s actually selling here – and telling the story of his Magic Horse picture here. 

  • Here’s where we’re headed. Check out this slideshow from a previous workshop, paying close attention to the short statements each student crafted to accompany their images. (Warning: contains nudity and scars.)

PARTICIPANT INSTAGRAM HANDLES, WEBSITE URLS, etc.


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