In Search Of The Sacred – A Conversation With Chris Rainier @ Santa Fe Workshops

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Wednesday, May 13 @ 8pm EST, 2026

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Creativity Continues at Santa Fe Workshops with a conversation between two photographic masters, Chris Rainier and John Paul Caponigro.

Our hour of inspiration will begin with a short presentation of images by both artists – one focused on land and the other on culture.

Then, Chris and John Paul will share their journeys and insights. What is sacred? What does it mean to approach the sacred with photography? What does a sacred image look and feel like? Can one actually photograph what is sacred? What is a sacred journey? How can other cultures inspire our own sacred journeys?

We’ll finish with a lively question-and-answer session open to all participants.

Join Santa Fe Workshops’ worldwide community of photographers and writers as Creativity Continues.

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Chris Rainier began his career as Ansel Adams’ last photographic assistant. Then he began a journey to explore the world’s most sacred places and cultures. That journey continues some thirty-five years later. Rainier is a National Geographic Fellow and photographic Explorer. From 2000 to 2015, he directed a number of Initiatives at the NGS focused on documenting Traditional cultures.  He is now the Director of Cultures Sanctuaries Foundation that helps traditional societies maintain and amplify their traditional knowledge.  His photography and books are a part of the Permanent collections of the George Eastman House, International Center of Photography in New York, The Australian Museum in Sydney, The Royal Geographic Society in London, and the Explorers Club in New York.

 

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View 12 Great Photographs by Chris Rainier

Read 24 Great Quotes By Chris Rainier 

Read His Short Q&A

View Chris’ National Geographic Video Cultures On The Edge

Visit Chris Rainier’s website.

 

Finding Faces in the Rocks – John Paul Caponigro & Joel Simpson

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“If you look very intensely and slowly, things will happen that you never dreamed of before.” This Aaron Siskind quote neatly sums up the deeply contemplative discussion we had with landscape photographers John Paul Caponigro and Joel Simpson in this week’s podcast.

  • 3:30: Joel Simpson describes his early landscapes as a way to re-experience being elsewhere.
  • 9:24: Pareidolia: what it means and its relationship to Joel’s photographs.
  • 13:24: John Paul’s relationship to the term pareidolia: a way to find patterns and make sense out of chaos.
  • 19:12: The influence of Gestalt psychology when interpreting abstract patterns.
  • 24:55: Differences between pre-visualization vs going in empty. Plus, getting beyond imitation.
  • 35:58: How do you know when your unique vision is ready to be released into the world?
  • 42:12: Episode Break
  • 43:24: John Paul’s approach to post-processing—using the tools as a laboratory to make multiple iterations.
  • 47:00: Joel describes the discoveries he made finessing photos of Zhangjiajie, China.
  • 50:21: How does AI factor into crafting an authentic vision, plus the mind as the original AI?
  • 1:03:18: Using photography to tap into things that haven’t yet been discovered and elicit wonder.
  • 1:06:50: Joel and John Paul talk about the places that inspire their respective photographic projects.

 

View images here.

Find more about Joel Simpson and his book Faces In The Rocks here.

 

Join Me For My Free Artist Talk Online Tonight Aug 15 @ 08:30 PM EST

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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.

Register here.

The Landscape – National Juried Small Works Exhibition

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The Landscape
National Juried Small Works Exhibition
Juror: John Paul Caponigro, Photographic Visual Artist

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Exhibition Dates: November 26, 2022 – January 16, 2023
Reception: Saturday, November 26, 5-7 pm EST
Meet the Juror and Artists on Zoom: December 14, 7 pm EST – Register Here.

This is our tenth annual Small Works exhibition, and each work is affordably sized 13 inches or smaller for your Holiday gift list.

Our juror selected fifty-seven artworks by forty-six national artists working in photography, painting, and mixed media depicting the theme. These personal vistas of our land world include the expanse of outdoor scenery, varied environments and geography, and natural or man-made related landscape subjects.

About the Gallery Exhibition, The Landscape:
Landscape (noun): a picture representing a view of natural land scenery; the landforms of a region in the aggregate; a portion of territory that can be viewed at one time from one place.

Our national juried exhibition welcomes entries of traditional and alternative photography in color or black & white, photo-based works, paintings, mixed media, and small sculptural works depicting the theme, The Landscape. Our Juror will be looking for thought-provoking, creative works expressing the theme with representational or abstract interpretations showcasing the natural land world, the expanse of outdoor scenery, environments, geography, and natural or man-made related landscape subjects.

Aspects to consider: 

compelling abstraction, dramatic compositions, varied vantage points, detailed lines, shades, textures, rich tones, environmental concerns, and expressive scenes.

Aspects to avoid:
people, animals, sunrises, and sunsets unless the physical Landscape is the main focal point of the image or composition.

Discover more at the Alex Ferrone Gallery.

How To Discover & Develop Your Visual Voice – A Talk With Photographer Matt Payne

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Recently, I had a great conversation with Matt Payne (FStop & Collaborate).

We talked about …

  • My journey into photography and how I differentiated myself as an artist,
  • The difference between what art “is” and what it “is about,”
  • Discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary through photography,
  • Finding our voice as artists (and is that even a thing?),
  • And a lot more!

In bonus content, we discuss studying creativity, ways to do it, and how it has helped me as an artist.

Listen to the bonus content on Patreon.

Find more of Matt Payne’s great content here.