During this engaging class, we are combining two fascinating topics into one transformative photographic experience: the practice of Mindfulness and the technique of Macro Photography. Get ready to slow down, see deeply, and experience a meaningful shift in how you perceive the phenomenal world around you.

Urban landscape photography serves to encapsulate the very essence of urban life, from its bustling energy and lively scenes to its captivating architecture that tells countless stories. It is about understanding the unique language of the city, and translating that into an image that can effectively communicate a compelling story, idea, or feeling to the viewer.

October 6, 13, 20, 27, November 4, 2025 Mondays 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Contemplative photography may not seem like an obvious tool in the fight against systemic racism—but in truth, it offers a deeply subversive and healing way to disrupt the habits of perception that uphold bias, disconnection, and "othering."

Systemic racism is maintained, in part, by inherited patterns of seeing—social conditioning that categorizes, judges, and filters the world based on race, class, and power. Contemplative photography invites us to pause that mental machinery.

This in-person class is great for photographers, artists at heart, or the curious wanting to explore the symbiotic relationship between contemplative practice and photography.  You can use whatever camera that is available to you, including your cell phone.  This class will also include an interactive photo walk experience in downtown Winston-Salem.

Location:    The Sawtooth School for Visual Art, Winston-Salem, NC To Register:    sawtooth.org (Photography)

October 7, 14, 21, 28, 2025 Tuesdays 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Contemplative photography is not about taking “better” pictures. It’s about seeing more clearly and living more deeply. In this gentle and spacious 4-week course, we’ll explore photography as a mindfulness practice—one that helps us slow down, soften habitual patterns of perception, and reawaken to the beauty and sacredness of the everyday world.

Rooted in the Miksang tradition and inspired by Zen and other contemplative lineages, this class offers a unique blend of meditation, visual exploration, and personal reflection. Each session includes a short teaching, a mindfulness practice, a guided photo exercise, and time for reflection and sharing.

Whether you're a seasoned photographer or just curious, this in-person course is for anyone seeking to deepen presence, awaken the senses, and discover wonder through the lens of a camera.  Just bring your curiosity, your smartphone or camera, and something to write with.

Location:    The Sawtooth School for Visual Art, Winston-Salem, NC To Register:    sawtooth.org (Photography)

November 3, 10, 17, 24, December 1, 2025 Mondays 6:30 – 8:00 pm

In a world filled with noise, speed, and distraction, how do we return to the quiet miracle of presence?
This 5-week course invites you to slow down, look deeply, and express what you see and feel through the twin lenses of contemplative photography and poetry. Inspired by traditions of mindful seeing and creative reflection, we’ll explore how ordinary moments can become portals to beauty, insight, and truth.

Each week combines gentle teaching, guided practice, image-based sharing, and writing exercises. You’ll learn to approach your camera and pen not as tools for achievement, but as companions in attentiveness and expression.

No prior experience in photography or poetry is needed. Just bring your curiosity, your smartphone or camera, and something to write with.

Location:    The Sawtooth School for Visual Art, Winston-Salem, NC To Register:    sawtooth.org (Photography)

December 2, 9, 16, 23, 2025 Tuesdays 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Winter invites a quieter kind of attention. In this season of stillness and simplicity, we can learn to see more clearly, feel more deeply, and awaken to the hidden beauty of the world around us.

This 4-week contemplative photography course explores winter not just as a backdrop, but as teacher. Each session will offer a blend of mindfulness practice, photographic exploration, and reflective inquiry. We will slow down and open our eyes to the muted colors, stark contrasts, subtle textures, and quiet stories that winter has to tell.

Open to all skill levels, this course emphasizes presence over perfection. Bring your camera or smartphone, a sense of curiosity, and a willingness to discover what winter can reveal—both in the landscape and in yourself.

Location:    The Sawtooth School for Visual Art, Winston-Salem, NC To Register:    sawtooth.org (Photography)