Photography & New Media
Advanced Mentored Studies: Visual Storytelling and Documentary Photography Projects
with James Estrin, Ed Kashi
| Advanced
Ed Kashi The weekly market in the village of Bonsaaso, Ghana, 2015
Ed Kashi The weekly market in the village of Bonsaaso, Ghana, 2015
Code: P1302-27
Aug 23 - 27, 2027
9AM - 5PM
Tuition: $2,150.00
Studio Fees: $250.00
Fees include the welcome dinner, daily lunch, and studio supplies.
Long-Form Documentary Photography: Research, Fieldwork, Editing, and Publication
This rigorous, three-year Advanced Mentored Study program at Anderson Ranch supports experienced photographers in developing a sustained, personally meaningful documentary project. The digital age has given documentary photographers and photojournalists new ways to tell stories with greater authorship and control. Through ongoing mentorship, critical dialogue, and intensive independent work, participants explore these possibilities while deepening their visual language, strengthening their research, and examining their responsibilities as contemporary documentary storytellers.
Students identify a subject rooted in personal commitment and develop a distinctive approach through sustained fieldwork, experimentation, editing, and sequencing. The program emphasizes ethical engagement, relationships with subjects and communities, and critical examination of representation, authorship, and the contexts in which images circulate. Faculty mentorship and peer critique challenge participants to clarify their intentions, question assumptions, and build cohesive narratives.
As projects evolve, participants consider how photography, text, audio, digital video, and emerging technologies serve their stories. They evaluate platforms such as social media, transmedia, and virtual reality for their narrative possibilities and relevance to the work. Equal attention is given to audience, publication, exhibition, and strategies for bringing projects into public view. The program culminates in a fully developed documentary project with a considered plan for presentation and dissemination.
COURSE COMPONENTS
- Individual faculty mentorship
- Group critiques and discussions
- Project research and proposal development
- Sustained independent fieldwork
- Ethical and contextual inquiry
- Technical and narrative experimentation
- Editing and sequencing
- Exploration of multimedia platforms
- Publication and exhibition planning
- Culminating project and presentation
IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR YOU?
This workshop is designed for experienced documentary photographers, photojournalists, and visual storytellers with a developed body of work and strong technical proficiency. Participants should be prepared to advance an existing project or develop a new one, refine their visual voice, engage critically with contemporary documentary practices, and experiment with digital video, social media, transmedia, and virtual reality. A portfolio demonstrating a sustained commitment to documentary storytelling is recommended.
View All Photography & New Media Workshops
Media & Techniques
Presentations, discussions, critiques, and editing of work, this workshop is in year two of a three-year program.
Meet Your Faculty
James Estrin
James Estrin is a staff photographer for The New York Times. He is a founder of Lens, The New York Times’s photography blog, and has been its co-editor since it launched in 2009. He has worked for The New York Times since 1992 and was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team in 2001. James is a co-producer of the HBO film “Under Fire: The Untold Story of Pfc. Tony Vaccaro”.
Ed Kashi
Ed Kashi is a prolific photojournalist, filmmaker, speaker and educator. A member of VII Photo Agency, Kashi has produced 14 books, and his work has been published and exhibited worldwide.
For general information about studio access, shipping, and more, please visit our info page.
If you have any questions regarding your supplies for your workshop, please contact Jack Fox, .
What You Need to Bring
Required Tools & Supplies
- Updates on projects for group discussions and feedback
* Available for purchase in the studio.
** Available to purchase at the Anderson Ranch ArtWorks Store for 10% off. The store aims to stock comparable items, though specific products from the supply list may vary based on inventory.
Learn more about shipping supplies and artwork to and from the Ranch in the Student Handbook.
Housing is limited and includes shared and private lodging options. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you reserve housing, the better your chance of receiving your preferred option. Please note: Workshop costs do not include accommodations.
NEW: Course fees includes a welcome dinner and lunches. In our effort to foster a stronger sense of community and accessibility at Anderson Ranch, we include the welcome dinner and all lunches as part of course fees for summer workshop students. Our hope is that this adjustment will encourage all students to come together to share meals and engage in meaningful conversations. The Ranch Café Meal Plan, which is included with Room and Board fees, strives to provide healthy, creative meals that will nourish your artistic creativity. Learn more.
We have established a Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritize the health and safety of our staff, students, faculty and guests while continuing to provide you with the Anderson Ranch experience that you know and enjoy.
Getting to the Ranch, local transportation, and amenities in and around Snowmass Village.
Photography & New Media
Photography & New Media Studio in Aspen / Snowmass
The Photography & New Media Studio at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, located in Snowmass Village near Aspen, Colorado, is a professional studio environment designed to support immersive photographic and digital media practice. The facility provides dedicated workspaces, critique areas, and technical infrastructure for artists working in traditional photography, digital imaging, video, and experimental new media.
Interested in enrolling? Explore the full schedule of Photography & New Media workshops at Anderson Ranch.
Photography has always been a vital part of Anderson Ranch, one in which students explore visual storytelling through a variety of contexts and concepts. The program has uniquely evolved to focus on both traditional photography and new media— making it one of the only workshop settings of its kind. Three floors of the Fischer Photography Center house state-of-the-art equipment, including three photography studios, two Mac labs, a traditional darkroom, and a lighting studio with strobe and continuous lighting for photography and video.
All photography workshops are rooted in the same idea—powerful art requires rigorous inquiry of techniques and ideas. We focus on technical skills, content and critical dialog. Students have access to color-managed media labs equipped with 24-inch iMacs, flatbed and film scanners, Epson printers, and cutting-edge software including Adobe Creative Cloud. When appropriate, students utilize strobe and tungsten lighting equipment, seamless backdrops, green screen, audio and video recording equipment and Epson large-format printers.
The Ranch Photography and New Media team creates an inspiring environment, allowing artists of all levels to explore lens-based media and the journey of artistic discovery in the unparalleled setting of the Colorado Rockies.
Don’t know where to start? View the skill levels for Photography and New Media workshops.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a historic, rustic campus that features gravel pathways and uneven terrain that may pose challenges for individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. We strive to provide accommodations to ensure all guests can access and enjoy our programs and facilities. With advance notice, our staff can offer personalized assistance and coordinate access to studios and campus spaces. For questions or to request an accommodation, please contact us at (970) 923-3181 or [email protected].
Anderson Ranch is happy to extend a 20% tuition discount for summer one- or two-week adult photography and new media workshops for SPE, the Center for Fine Art Photography, and Colorado Photographic Arts Center members at the student membership level or above. Please email [email protected] with your SPE or CFAP membership information prior to registering and we will send you a promo code to complete registration with your discount applied. You are also welcome to call 970-924-5089 to register after verifying your membership with us. **Please note, this discount must be approved prior to registering and cannot be applied retroactively. SPE and Center for Fine Art Photography discount does not apply to Advanced Mentored Studies programs or Destination Workshops, nor can it be combined with any other discount, scholarship or special offer.
Studio access, shipping, campus policies, and other information for workshop participants.
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please read the workshop description carefully to make sure the workshop is appropriate for your skill level. You must be at least 18 years old to attend an adult workshop.
Payment: A deposit of $650 per workshop is required to reserve a space (with or without housing). The balance of tuition, studio and registration fees, and housing is due 60 days prior to the start of your first workshop and is automatically charged to the credit card used for the deposit.
Cancellations: With at least 60 days’ notice, we will refund your payments less a cancellation fee of $250 per workshop. Cancellations made within 60 days of the start of your workshop will result in a full forfeiture. Housing cancellations follow the same 60-day notice, less $200 per week of housing reserved.
Transfers to another workshop or housing option are possible, space permitting, with at least 60 days’ notice and a $25 transfer fee.
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Scholarships, College Credit & Discounts
Making Art Accessible
Applications for scholarship support are encouraged. Specific scholarships are funded by Ranch supporters, either through endowed funds or special gifts.
Many colleges and universities offer college credit for workshops taken at Anderson Ranch. Discounts are available for students and teachers.