| A Safe Place: Discovering a Mindful Photographic Journey

Discover mindful photography with Andrea Birnbaum in a pressure-free workshop, exploring visual self-expression and a fresh perspective, without the demand of producing award-winning images.

Guided by Andrea Birnbaum, this workshop aims to put you at ease and offer you the chance to step outside of your everyday life and explore the mindful aspect of photography to express yourself visually. We will do that through a  combination of inspirational readings (short ones!), and short meditations designed to help you see with fresh eyes. This course is not designed to produce award-winning images or to put you under pressure – quite the opposite, in fact.

I’ve found that in many workshops, people arrive nervous – feeling that they are not as good as the other participants, and concerned that they can’t “keep up” or won’t know what to photograph. In this class, there is no “one size fits all” assignment, rather, each assignment will be personalized for you, and your interests.  

With gentle guidance from me, we’ll move you away from the anxiety of not knowing what to photograph (or how to photograph it), and towards a place where you are confident in your abilities and excited to capture your next image.

Before you even arrive, you and I will have a conversation about what kind of photography you are drawn to and what you are hoping to achieve during our week together. Based on this information, we will look at the work of photographers and create a path for the week for you,  concentrating on visual awareness, simplifying composition, and taking your time to become aware and present in the environment, focusing less on technical photographic skill and more on building greater awareness and consciousness of your surroundings in a safe, non-judgmental space.

Over the course of the week, I will present you with small challenges and ideas to help you become aware of how you see in your own way.  You’ll be encouraged to tune in to your emotions – what you’re thinking, feeling, and seeing as you make each photograph, and find the courage to express yourself in your own way. We will move towards finding your creative voice, by capturing the world in the way you see it. Capturing your photograph is only part of the story; interpreting it is the other, and we will spend time each day looking at the images you make, writing about them, and learning from each other.

 Course Requirements

Students should have a strong working knowledge of their camera, as this workshop will not focus on technical aspects.