January Studio Sessions: Photography & New Media

Join an engaging exploration of the synthesis between two distinct art forms: photography and painting. Students discover transfer techniques that integrate photographic images and text directly onto painted surfaces, resulting in intriguingly layered works. Participants explore traditional collage and photomontage, and master new methods that allow for opaque and translucent layers. Reductive methods, such as sanding and scraping, reveal the history of earlier photographic layers and suggest an archaeological approach to image development. The workshop emphasizes experimentation and exploratory approaches. Students produce a portfolio of physical examples of all techniques.

Anderson Ranch’s January Studio Sessions provide artists the opportunity to work on independent projects while receiving mentoring and critique sessions with Anderson Ranch artistic staff. Each participant receives an assigned studio space, orientation, and access to equipment, as well as some morning group demonstrations and / or critiques. This program affords artists the experience enjoyed by national and international artists who access our state-of-the-art studios. Participants may expand their practices, take artistic risks, try new media or complete works for exhibition. *Studios are open 24 hours a day and on weekends for students enrolled in multiple weeks, with limited use of equipment due to safety requirements. IMPORTANT DETAILS: Students will be responsible for all material costs associated with their projects. Private dorm rooms are available at Anderson Ranch for an additional fee; click here to view January 2027 lodging options. Breakfasts and dinners are included in the dorm fee. Lunches are included in the studio fees. TO APPLY: Applicants must submit project proposals or portfolios for approval. Contact Jack Fox with questions and to apply: [email protected]

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.