Thinking of taking a photo workshop? Then be prepared to share with others your view of the world.

So says Reid Callanan, director of the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. "A lot of people come [to the workshop] and take pretty pictures, postcard pictures, pictures of exactly what things look like, but there's nothing of themselves in those pictures; they could be taken by any number of photographers. We try to work on people giving their pictures a personality [so] the pictures show how they look at the world."

Reid started up the Santa Fe Workshops in 1990, and he's seen a lot of changes. First in the locale: Santa Fe was a sleepy art town back then, not the popular international travel destination it is today.

Then in the workshop attendees: In the early days a lot of pro shooters signed up; today the core is the passionate advanced amateur. And, most of all, in the technology: "Digital changed everything," Reid says, especially the image review and critique process. "In the film days, people would drop off the film and they were free for the night. Now they're up 'til 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, downloading, editing and selecting from the maybe 500 pictures they shot that day." There's little editing done in the field. "Most of the instructors don't encourage it. First, it's not fair to judge from a rather small image seen in bright daylight, and second, it's a much better idea to go ahead and make pictures when you're in the midst of that creative process and not take time out to look at the back of the camera. Some instructors even go as far as saying, 'Tape up the back of your camera.' "

Reid says that many people who attend the Santa Fe Workshops these days have specific, relatively narrow goals. "They come for particular skill sets-they want to learn about lighting or perfect their digital workflow. A second group has the technical stuff down and just want their pictures to be better, more insightful. They know they have to become better photographers in order to keep their interest levels up, but they don't quite know how to do it. They take a class having to do with personal vision or the art of seeing or digital storytelling. They want to be with a teacher who can improve the power, the humanity, the compelling nature of their photography. That's a much more nebulous thing than learning about light, but perhaps it's much more rewarding."

Over the years Reid has compiled some guidelines for photographers thinking of taking a workshop. Among his suggestions:

          • Though it might be more costly, choose one far from your home. "Taking a workshop is supposed to change the way you look at your world and your life, so getting out of the familiar here and now is critically important....It is also important to see a new place with fresh eyes, so travel to a part of the world you think will inspire you."

          • Choose a workshop by reputation and recommendation. "Ask people who attended workshops to give you feedback from their personal experience. Word-of-mouth is the best way to evaluate....The Internet is a good place to start...and chat rooms on photo sites are valuable information gathering tools."

          • Choose an instructor whose images inspire you, who is taking pictures you'd like to take. But also choose one whose work is very different from yours because he can teach you something new. "Again, do your due diligence by talking with people in the photo community. Often you can speak directly to the photography instructor and ask questions about the workshop and your particular needs and goals."

          • If you're just getting started and don't know the images and reputation of an instructor, you'll have to choose on the basis of the subject or title of the workshop—maybe it's Photographing People or The Art of Seeing or Basics of Digital Photography. "The key to making the right decision is self awareness. Where are you in your photography, and what is the next thing you need to learn? Do you need to hone a certain skill...or is your technical foundation pretty solid and you now need to be more creative and develop a personal style?"

          • Don't worry about what the experience will be like. Workshops will provide information about what to bring-from general gear to good walking shoes and sunblock. "But at Santa Fe we don't go out of our way to tell people too much about the experience because we want them to come in relatively fresh and open. We don't want them to think they know what's going to happen; we like the spontaneous, serendipitous nature of the program. There should be a sense of adventure."

Reid also emphasizes the importance of the workshop community. "You can't overlook the value of being among like-minded people. I liken the photo workshop to summer camp for adults, where you immerse yourself into a community of people who have a common language, who share passion, challenges and questions. It's a real energizing experience to eat, sleep, drink and breath photography for a week. It's impossible not to grow and get better."

The accompanying photographs were taken at Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. For more information about the Santa Fe experience, visit their website.