"I Photograph What I Want To See" with Jordan Reyes

$250.00

Honing A Photographic Methodology That Invokes Your Unique Cognition And Experience

The best teachers and critics know to analyze and foment understanding according to the fundamental ethos within each individual, artist, or work of art. As artists, we still often find ourselves courting validation through established hierarchies — but positive reception is never guaranteed, and a more sustainable practice is the one that banks on satisfying ourselves in the process.

There is no way to photograph correctly. You can take a bunch of pictures haphazardly and then triage/edit deeply. You can pre-plan, pre-diagnose a venture out to a specific space at a specific time with a specific film with a specific camera at a specific aperture to get the exact image you’d like. Both are completely valid and can make for thrilling work.

With this workshop, Jordan Reyes will begin with a seminar before venturing out into Tokyo to attempt photographing with our methodology in mind. We will discuss readings by critics and writers like John Berger, David Campany, Philip Guston, Samuel Delany, Susan Sontag, and Julia Kristeva to break open our notions of what is true and what is permitted, allowing us to photograph more honestly, more sustainably, and ideally have a great time while doing so.

Deadline of Applications: September 30, 2025

Honing A Photographic Methodology That Invokes Your Unique Cognition And Experience

Deadline of Applications: September 30, 2025

"I Photograph What I Want To See" with Jordan Reyes

Objectives and Benefits

Create Representative Work: You will have a number of photos or works that are representative of your new methodology, helping to springboard future work.
Engage with Critical Theory: You will engage with critical readings from renowned writers and critics to deconstruct notions of artistic and critical judgment.
Develop a Methodology: By the end of day three, you will have a concrete, worded or charted methodology emblematic of your personal, artistic truth and/or practice.

Target Participants

Any level is welcome, but a "beginner's mind" is essential. This workshop is designed for 4 participants, as Jordan is a very hands-on teacher and will spend as much time one-on-one with students as needed.

Language of Instruction

This workshop will be conducted in English and French. Participants are welcome to use AI translation tools (such as Google Translate) to assist them with communication during the session.

Schedule

This workshop is a three-day intensive held during the Ephemere Photo Fest at Gallery Conceal Shibuya in Tokyo.

Day One, October 1, Wednesday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (4-hour seminar and methodology creation)
Day Two, October 2, Thursday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (4-hour methodology debrief and refining)
Day Three, October 3, Friday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (4-hour methodology debrief and refining)

The schedule for all three days is subject to extensions to allow for a comprehensive discussion with all participants. The mentor is willing to be flexible to ensure everyone gets the most out of the experience.

Workshop Fees

The workshop fee is $250 USD (or ¥35,000 JPY) per participant.

Application and Refund Policy:

Application Deadline: Applications for this workshop will be accepted until September 30th.
Payment & Selection: Your application is considered complete upon receipt of the full payment. In the event we receive more applications than available spots, we will conduct a selection process. If your application is not selected, you will receive a 100% refund.
Cancellations (for selected participants):
- Cancellations made one month or more before the workshop date will receive a 50% refund.
- Cancellations made less than one month before the workshop date are non-refundable.

Required Equipment & Materials

Digital camera (phone cameras allowed)
Writing materials (notebook and pencil or pen)
A way to send photos taken during the workshop to the mentor's email and/or print your photos.

Workshop Overview

Pre-Workshop: A couple of weeks before the workshop, participants will receive a series of PDFs with critical readings from the mentor, which they are expected to review in preparation for the seminar.
During the Workshop: The workshop begins with a four-hour seminar where we will discuss readings from critics and writers. On days two and three, we will venture out into Tokyo to photograph with our new methodology in mind and reconvene each day to showcase what we’ve done.
Post-Workshop: After the workshop, participants will be asked to write a short reflection or summary of their learning. These insights are for internal purposes and will help both the participant and the mentor reflect on the experience.

About the Mentor: Jordan Reyes

Jordan Reyes has lived many lives – forklift operator, journalist, record hustler, art critic, touring musician, archivisit – and had his hands in literally hundreds of albums, EPs, and singles as label head, producer, and musician, work that’s been lauded by outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, The Grammys, and more. He has led workshops, panels, and seminars at Moogfest and the AIDS foundation of Chicago. He began making music videos and taking press photos for musicians in 2022 and soon got sucked into fine art photography. His visual art can be seen on album covers, as books, in moving images, and occasionally sprayed on walls.

Process & Philosophy: Jordan Reyes's work is driven by a desire to create a sustainable practice that banks on satisfying ourselves in the process, of creating not for the industrial tools of now but for ourselves fifty years down the road. He uses both hand-drawn process graphs and charts as well as words to map his cognition and creation.
Commitment to Practice: Jordan is a very hands-on teacher, committed to helping photographers live up to their essence at a specific point in time and space. He photographs to make the world feel manageable and to slow down his racing mind—a deeply personal and intentional practice.

Instagram