The Art of Seeing; photographing farm, garden and forest

Saturday evening, June 25th, 7:00pm – 9:30pm
Sunday, June 26th, 2011, 8:30am – 4:00pm
instructor: Brian Harris and Michael Ableman
cost: $145 + HST (lunch included)

Observation is one of the most important skills for any artist, whether painter, photographer, musician, farmer, gardener, or forester. Learning to see and interpret what we see in creative ways brings depth and meaning to our daily lives and work. In this workshop we will use the dynamic landscape of Foxglove Farm, it’s historical buildings, farm fields, orchards, and the wildness of its forests, creeks and lake to explore with the camera. We will encourage students to transcend the stereotypical and explore a deeper way of seeing and sense of place. While the workshop will initially allow for wide ranging exploration, each participant will be asked to articulate and focus on a particular theme, develop that theme, and present their work for critique to faculty and students during the last afternoon and evening. Both teachers will provide an evening presentation of their work with discussions on their own particular creative process. While technique will be touched on where necessary, this is not a technical workshop. Participants should already be technically comfortable, and bring their own digital equipment. Laptops for downloading and processing of images are suggested but not required, we will provide large screen viewing for image critique.

Since 1989 Brian Harris has used his photography and project design skills to raise funds and public profile for not-for-profit organizations. His two main clients have been Seva Canada, an NGO that restores sight to the blind in Asia and Africa and FarmFolk/CityFolk, a Vancouver based charity that promotes and supports small-scale, sustainable farming in BC.

Michael Ableman has been making photographs for over 40 years. His work has appeared in publications throughout the world and in solo exhibitions at the Oakland Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Field Museum in Chicago. Ableman has written and photographed three internationally acclaimed books on food and agriculture.