Enjoy this tour of seminal photographer Man Ray’s life.
“Man Ray’s image, ‘Le Violon d’Ingres’ helped redefine photography, at a time when it was still seen as a mechanical, documentary medium rather than a vehicle for creative expression. The image blurred the boundaries between traditional art forms like painting and sculpture, and helped to establish photography as a serious and innovative artistic discipline.”
I’m giving a talk (for the Chicago Photo Forum) online tonight at 8:30 EST.
Lasting about an hour, it’s really several short talks in one.
I’ll share images, talk about key themes, discuss how writing works with my images, and then share a little bit about how I make my images, without getting technical.
I think you’ll leave inspired, and you might even think about photography a little differently.
It’s free.
The replay will be available to anyone who registers.
Wed, June 18, 2025 > 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST
Santa Fe Workshops collection of free online events, Creativity Continues features a summer evening with fine-art photographers Stephen Shore and John Paul Caponigro. In this special hour of inspiration, Stephen and John Paul take a deep dive into perception, addressing what’s special about photographic vision, how it influences everyday seeing, and how intention and awareness make dramatic differences for creators, their creations, and the people who view them.
Stephen says, “A quote that I like very much comes close to explaining my attitude about taking photographs – ‘Chinese poetry rarely trespasses beyond the bounds of actuality… the great Chinese poets accept the world exactly as they find it in all its terms and with profound simplicity… they seldom talk about one thing in terms of another, but are able enough and sure enough as artists to make the ultimately exact terms become the beautiful terms.’”
Stephen and John Paul conclude their conversation with a lively Q&A session with the webinar audience. Even if you can’t make the live event, a recording of it will be available for all those registered.
Creativity Continues is a program that collectively develops creative voices by offering connection and encouraging expression. Because the goal is to engage all within our creative community, we encourage you to extend invitations and share Santa Fe Workshops Creativity Continues events with anyone who expresses an interest.
View 12 Great Photographs By Stephen Shore.
Read 13 Great Quotes By Photographer Stephen Shore.
Listen to Stephen Shore here.
Explore Stephen Shore’s books here.
Visit Stephen Shore’s website.
The Nature of Photographs
The Nature of Photographs provides a framework for understanding the visual language of photography by analyzing the fundamental elements that contribute to a photograph’s form and meaning. It aims to help readers understand the mechanics of how a photograph functions visually. Shore explains how the qualities of a photograph, such as the collapsing of depth, the relationship between lines and the frame, and the duration of exposure, create tension and meaning.
Shore suggests that photographs can be viewed on multiple levels:
Physical Level: Recognizing the photograph as a physical object, a print with specific characteristics like size, paper texture, and printing process.
Depictive Level: Understanding how the 3-dimensional world is transformed into a 2-dimensional image through techniques like flatness, frame, time, and focus.
Mental Level: Acknowledging the mental process of apprehending the image and its interaction with the depictive level. This involves the focus of the lens, eye, attention, and mind.
The Nature of Photographs features a wide range of photographs from various eras and genres, including iconic images, documentary photography, and everyday snapshots, illustrating Shore’s concepts.
Shore’s writing is described as lucid, perceptive, and thought-provoking, offering clear explanations and insightful observations delivered in a concise, even poetic, style.
Now a classic, it’s considered an indispensable tool for students, teachers, and anyone interested in taking better photographs or looking at them in a more informed way. It teaches viewers how to see through the eyes of a photographer.
Modern Instances
Modern Instances: The Craft of Photography (MACK Books) is a memoir by renowned photographer Stephen Shore. It offers insights into Shore’s career and creative process, drawing on his decades of teaching and exploring the influences that have shaped his work. The book is a blend of essays, photographs, stories, and excerpts, functioning as an “impressionistic scrapbook” that documents the touchstones of his journey.
Modern Instances reveals Shore’s artistic vision, stylistic leanings, and the inspirations behind his images. While containing some of Shore’s images, the book features reproductions of other art forms like paintings and movie stills. Shore contrasts photography with painting, describing it as an “analytic” process where the photographer brings order to the world through framing and other decisions. Shore encourages readers to find inspiration in the everyday world by paying close attention to their surroundings.
The Mental Image
Stephen Shore is hard at work finishing his latest book The Mental Image (MACK Books), which takes what he’s done in his previous books even further. We’ll discuss key the ideas in it in our upcoming conversation.
June 18 – Join us for a Conversation online with Santa Fe Workshops.
View 12 Great Photographs By Stephen Shore.
Read 13 Great Quotes By Photographer Stephen Shore.
Ariel Meyerowitz shares 5 photographs that influenced his creative journey.
ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. C. Bentz, D. J. V. Rosario
View the latest Hubble images here.
Enjoy viewing 2024’s top photography collections!
New York Times – 2024 In Photos
The Guardian – Photos That Defined 2024
World Press Photo – Contest Winners
International Photography Awards 2024
Getty Images Sports Pictures Of The Week 2024
World Sports Photography Awards
LA Times – The Best Entertainment Photos Of 2024
Billboard – Best Photography Of 2024
National Geographic – Pictures Of The Year
National Geographic – Best Wildlife Photos 2024
Guardian – Nature Photographer Of The Year
Guardian – Wildlife Photographer Of The Year
Forbes Nature Photographer Of The Year 2024
Audubon Photography Awards 2024
Bird Photographer Of The Year 2024
Dog Photographer Of The Year 2024
Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Nature – Best Science Images Of 2024
Nikon Small World Photography Award 2024
Milky Way Photographer Of The Year 2024
Landscape Photographer Of The Year
Aperture PhotoBook Awards 20234
WIRED – Favorite Photography Books 2024
Enjoy this collection of photographs by Cig Harvey.
Join us Dec 4 @ 6 EST for our online conversation.
Call them 5-star images. They’re the images that make an instant impression, capable of grabbing a viewer’s attention amid a flood of other choices. Singular images are the ones that get the most likes on social networks, the top (and sometimes only) image on a webpage, the first and last images in a slideshow, the one used for a card to an exhibition or a poster promoting it, the cover plus the opening and closing pages of a book. Singular images are the heat.
Singular images are classically composed with strong graphic structures that are simplified and dynamic. The dramas they tell are easily grasped and digested. Color contrast (of luminosity, hue, and/or saturation) is high. Rarely will a singular image have technical flaws; they can afford no distractions. It’s rare that a singular image doesn’t exhibit these characteristics. For an image to be considered singular without them, it has to be exceptionally strong in other areas.
Some high-impact images don’t have legs. They sizzle and fizzle. They may be graphically compelling, but they may not offer anything exceptional beyond their execution. You may need to give images a waiting period to discover this. When determining whether an image’s payout is short or long, ask yourself some questions. Does the image sustain attention? Does it tell an interesting story? Does it make the viewer think? Does it work on multiple levels? Does it elude easy definition? Does it haunt the viewer long after it is seen? The very best singular images do it all. These are the truly great images.
It takes time to amass a number of singular images. Singular images often involve strokes of luck. No matter how talented, skilled, and prepared you are, it’s almost impossible to guarantee inspiration. But you can learn to recognize when it’s present and what it takes to cultivate and sustain it ...
Join me Tuesday, May 21 @ 6pm EST on Zoom – Register here.
Photographer David Brommer (Suspect Photography) will guide what is sure to be an animated, wide-ranging, and thoughtful conversation about photography and creativity. David has a knack for asking the questions that most need to be asked.
I’ll share new work. We’ll talk about the importance of printing your images. After that, anything could happen.
It’s been ten years since our last extended conversation. Enjoy it here as a prelude of more to come.