class by cami turpin

The Process is The Point

Learn to trust yourself as a photographic artist using experimental analog film.

This hands-on, analog film and mixed media workshop will push you out of your comfort zone into experimental techniques to help you let go of perfectionism and fear, and help you learn to work by instinct and trust.

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A black clock with white numbers showing the time as 3:00. 
COURSE LENGTH

4 weeks

Close-up of a black and gray machine or electronic device with a small screen and buttons. 
class start date

tbc 2027

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INVESTMENT

$300 / $350

Independent / Guided

Digital collage with a silhouette of a woman standing with hand on hip, layered over a sunset landscape with trees, a winding road, and a signpost. Various color overlays and abstract textures create a layered, artistic effect.
A yellow graphic 
cami turpin

When we use techniques that are out of our control, we learn about ourselves as artists, creators, photographers, and people.

If we indulge our curiosity, we dig into new parts of our brains, allow the hidden parts to come forward, and can allow ourselves to be continually surprised by both the path and the destination.

Although results can be magical, we are here to discover that the experimental process can be instrumental in our creative development, whether or not we succeed in fulfilling our original vision.

Black and white abstract image of a blurred person wearing glasses, with shadows and geometric patterns on the wall behind. 
cami turpin
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  • Analog film, instant film, and mixed media techniques including the following:

    • Film Soup

    • Blind Double Exposures

    • Exposing both sides of the roll (EBS)

    • Light Leaks

    • Multi-exposures

    • Instant Film Basics

    • Polaroid Emulsion Lifts

    • Polaroid Transparencies

    • Intentional Polaroid Damage

    • Tri-Chromatic Photography

    • Playing with Prints

    • Gold Leaf Techniques

    • Cyanotypes

    • Experimenting with Negatives

    • Editing without Judgment

    Strategies for creative experimentation, development, and process:

    • Embracing Loss of Control

    • The Importance of Failure

    • Going with and Getting in the Flow

    • Play vs. Work

    • Pushing Boundaries

    • Creating by Instinct

    • Breaking Free of Rules

    • Gaining inspiration from other artists

    • Learning from your own work

    • Developing projects and creative habits

    • Allowing yourself to ask “WHAT IF?”

  • This four-week interactive class will include:

    • A supportive and active community with space for questions, surprises, and frustrations, and a place for sharing beyond the scope of the techniques we are working on.

    • Daily prompts and questions that will help you get to know yourselves and each other, and figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are.

    • Written and video instructions on each technique, as well as photo examples.

    • Video lessons diving a little deeper into some of the projects and processes I use as examples. 

    • Artistic development discussion topics as written lessons and video lessons.

    • Artists to look to for inspiration on experimentation and process.

    • Weekly Zoom Meetings/Live Lessons.

    • Weekly Assignments on both your process and your results.

    • “Cheat Sheet” PDFs with technique instructions at a glance.

    • Invitation to a post-workshop Facebook group for additional sharing and discussion.

  • Some knowledge of analog film is preferred but not mandatory. I will provide a short pre-workshop lesson on the basics of shooting film, working from the assumption that you have a solid understanding of manual digital shooting.

    You will need access to a 35mm film camera, and a Polaroid camera or Polaroid lab printer (NOT Instax). Basic knowledge of editing in Lightroom or Photoshop will be helpful. A list of supplies and equipment you may want to use in this workshop will be given in advance.

  • Interactive classes are held online and registration opens seasonally.

    Guided students can participate fully in class, by asking questions, submitting assignments, and getting personalized feedback from your teacher.

    Independent students have full access to class content and can participate in class discussions —they just don’t get teacher critique and feedback on images or assignments.

“Cami is super inspiring! She helped me let go of the worry about the final product and to just have fun and experiment. Her feedback helps push us further with more creative ideas”

caroline collins
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MEET THE TEACHER

Cami

A woman with blonde hair and a serious expression is shown through multiple overlapping reflections, creating a fragmented visual effect with blue and yellow tones against a dark background.

Turpin

Hello! I’m Cami, a portrait photographer, experimental film artist, and writer. Literature was my first love, and where I spent the bulk of my formal education.

But I am a storyteller at heart and have found photography to be my favorite medium for telling stories. After starting out in digital photography in the early 2000s, for most of the last decade I have been using analog film for my personal work in every format I can get my hands on.

Lately, I have been especially loving mixed media work, alternative processes, and including writing in my photographic projects whenever I can. Teaching has been an integral part of my experience as an artist, and I have taught a wide range of classes in photography, writing, and artistic development to all skill levels.

I believe in helping my class participants become the best version of their artist self, however that shows up. I live at the foot of the Utah mountains with my family, I love to travel and also to be cozy at home, and I thrive on being continually surprised by life, the people I love, and by art.

See cami's instagram
Visit cami's website 
Any questions?

Email your teacher directly here and they will get back to you.

Alumni Student?

We’d love to have you back! Email your teacher here and they will send you a link.

Interactive Class Registration opens August 26th

EXPLORE
An abstract artwork depicting two faces close together, one painted in blue and the other in pink, with a yellow element across the face of the blue figure.
A woman viewed through a glass with colorful, blurry lights and a pink illuminated plant on the right at night.
A hillside with green grass and a group of people at the top, with baked cinnamon rolls reflected in a window in the foreground.
Looking up at a large, circular, brick structure with a hollow center, illuminated from below, with a string of colorful holiday lights and decorations on a tree on the left side, and a bright light near the horizon.
Double exposure image featuring the silhouette of two hands reaching out to touch fingers, with a background of trees, sunlight, and a landscape during sunset or sunrise.
Silhouettes of people walking on a foggy street lit by bright orange streetlights.
Two hands holding yellow flowers against a colorful, blurred background.
Collage of nine Polaroid-style photos with scenic landscape images, overlaid with abstract paint and ink patterns in various green, yellow, and blue hues.
Polaroid photo strip showing three images of a photography studio setup with lighting equipment, backdrops, and furniture, including a chair with a camera and blurred person silhouette.
Six black and white artistic photographs of women, arranged in two rows of three, showing close-up and profile shots with dramatic lighting and shadow.
A mountain landscape at sunset or sunrise, with colorful light effects and a film border.
A photograph showing a landscape scene with mountains, partly cloudy sky, and a colorful, layered geological formation in the foreground.
A silhouette of a child holding a sunflower standing outdoors near a yellow flower field with trees in the background, seen through a reflective glass with a sunflower pattern.
A person standing on a desert landscape at night, surrounded by a fire display with sparks and smoke, under a starry sky.
A pink rose with green leaves against a colorful, abstract background.
The image shows a strip of Kodak Portra 400 film with a double exposure photograph. The first layer features a rocky desert landscape with large rocks and a cactus, and the second layer shows a sunset or sunrise with a pink and blue sky and a promine
A person stands on a sandy path near a rocky cliff looking at a surreal, colorful sky with a large rainbow-like arc and psychedelic patterns.
A woman in a black and white striped shirt standing on a green surfboard on a boardwalk against a clear blue sky, with a ball and other objects nearby.
An abstract image with colorful, wavy streaks overlaying a beach scene with a pier, buildings, and a person walking on the sand.
Blurred city skyline viewed through a window with a film strip border.
Blurry image of a person in a red dress viewed through horizontal blinds.
Multiple mirrors reflect a woman in a flowing dress with a scarf, holding the scarf with one hand, creating a distorted, layered reflection.
Colorful abstract lights projected onto a beach with a person surfing in the ocean waves.
A landscape photograph of mountains and a sunrise or sunset, with some decorative gold strips.
A film strip with a layered, faded image of a woman on the beach, with ocean waves and rocks in the background, and a sunset or sunrise sky.
Two boys fishing on a ledge against a colorful, abstract sky background.

What other students had to say

Cami, thank you so, so much for this beauty of a class. The love, thought and energy that has entered it is not just static, it’s something we can feel. I’ve never felt more empowered as an individual. Empowered through creativity and a growing trust in myself.

jodie

I’ve always loved alternative photography, and this course was everything I hoped for—and so much more. Every lesson, every video, every detail made it clear how much heart, passion, and thought you poured into this experience.I’m so grateful we have access to revisit everything, because there’s so much to absorb and explore. Thank you, Cami!

cyndi
A lavender graphic

I have not been this excited or inspired surrounding my art work in a long time. Not only did I learn so many film techniques I’ve been yearning to learn for awhile, but I truly had so much fun. This course fostered me to let go, and brought me back to the roots of my creativity. I feel so much freer now mentally surrounding the process of creating, and I’ve learned so much about myself as an artist.

A yellow graphic 
nichole
Check out more class reviews
A yellow graphic

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