Nocefresca Residency

 

This year I was fortunate enough to be elected as part of the 2024 April group at Nocefresca residency in Sardinia Italy. I’ve chosen this time to work on my writing and organizing my chapbook. However it is also a wonderful time for creating new images and responding to this place. This has not been an easy year and having this time, this gift to process my experience has been truly enriching and rewarding.

 

2024 Workshops

I can’t believe we are already at March and the workshop season is about to get well and truly underway.

I have a few offerings this year and I hope something to tempt everyone who is looking to develop their photography and writing through the language of metaphor and personal story telling. So please take a moment to explore what’s coming up this year! I hope to see you there.

MAR 26 - MASTER CLASS: NARRATIVE STORYTELLING - ONLINE

Work with me to develop your work into a cohesive portfolio. Over the course of six enriching weeks, you'll embark on a transformative journey to enhance your photographic storytelling abilities and develop your work into a series, with a clear project statement to support it. Meeting once a week for two hours online we will gather in a supportive environment  where you'll share your work and receive constructive feedback from me and your fellow photographers. This critique group is open to fine art photographers looking to develop a body of work, exploring fresh perspectives in a nurturing creative community.

March 26 - April 30
Tuesdays 10am - 12 noon ET.
Register with The Griffin Museum

APRIL 10 - MAY 29 TEXT & IMAGE 1 - ONLINE

Join me to experiment with different ways of combining text and image to tell your story. Assignments will provide prompts and inspiration to help you think about how to bring writing into your photographic practice to create new conversations in your work. Each meeting will include opportunities for critique of your images and discussion of how to incorporate text into your narrative. There will also be time for discussion and workshopping of your writing together with the rest of the class. This is a class for photographers looking to experiment and play with incorporating writing into their creative practice in combination with their photography.

April 10, 17, 24 (break) May 8, 15, (break) 29
Wednesdays 1pm - 3pm
Register with Nord Photography


SEPT 9 - SEPT 13 - THE LYRICAL PHOTOGRAPH - ROCKPORT MAINE

Join me to develop your personal narrative through the lens of memory and personal symbolism. Through written prompts and photographic cues you will explore connections to the landscape and the natural world and your own personal narratives; through the visual language of allegory, myth and metaphor.

Sept 9 - 13 2024
Register

SEPT 24 - 30 - PHOTOGRAPHY AND WRITING RETREAT IN TUSCANY

This workshop provides a unique opportunity to join with other photographers in a supportive, creative retreat amidst the rolling hills of Tuscany. This is an opportunity to develop your voice in a place rich with cultural history and devastatingly beautiful landscapes. Through writing your morning pages and shooting prompts we will focus on creating new work, shooting together, experimenting with portraits, landscapes and props to explore how you can make your own distinct work wherever you are, whilst being inspired by the space and wonderful locations of this unique setting. Rather than spending time traveling from place to place we will largely be based on site, amidst the gardens and buildings of the enchanting Spannocchia estate, where you will have time to dig in and develop your personal story.

September 24 - 30, 2024
Register

OCT 7 - 11 SPIRIT OF PLACE IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

Join me on an extraordinary journey to explore the captivating beauty and rich cultural heritage of San Miguel de Allende through the lens of your camera. In this immersive photography class, you will embark on a creative exploration of "spirit of place" – capturing the essence, energy, and unique character of this enchanting Mexican town. Together we will visit sites of cultural and photographic interest, giving you ample time to shoot and develop your own distinctive style.

Oct 7 - 11, 2024
Register

Upcoming Shows Fall 2023

 

Hello everyone, I have some exciting shows coming up I wanted to share.

September

September 14 - 17 I’ll be having a pop up exhibition at the Slow Exposures Photography festival in Griffin, GA. I’ve never been to Slow before and am excited to participate. My show will be in the brick building in Zebulon. Do stop by if you’re attending the festival!

October

October 6 - 10 a selection of my assemblages will be on display at the Maine Museum of Photographic Art in Portland. This is only my second show in Portland and my first with MMPA!

November

November 3, an exhibition of new work is showing at the Warner Gallery at the St Andrews School in Baltimore.

December

In December I’ll be showing botanical work as a solo installation for the Page Gallery’s Holiday Show.

FEBRUARY 2024

Finally in February of 2024 I’ll be showing assemblage work as part of the Art | Object Show at the Redux Contemporary Art Center in Charleston North Carolina.

 

Upcoming 2023 Workshops


There’s still time to sign up for workshops this summer and fall. Join me in person in beautiful midcoast Maine or online with the Los Angeles Center of Photography. My Italy workshop is officially full, but you can still be added to the waitlist! More details below.

LYRICAL PHOTOGRAPH
Transform what you see into a lyrical and transcendental image using the tools you have as a photographer, learning to recognize motifs in your own work to create images rich in symbolism. I’m offering this workshop twice more this year. One with Maine Media in Rockport, ME and the other online with LACP.

Maine Media Workshops
June 19 - 23
For more info and to register.

Los Angeles Center of Photography
Tuesdays 10 - 12pm PT | ONLINE
Nov 7, Nov 14, Nov 21, Nov 28, Dec 5, Dec 12
For more info and to register.


WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY - ITALIAN EDITION
This workshop takes us to the rolling hills of Tuscany to explore a place rich with cultural history and devastatingly beautiful landscapes. Through writing prompts and shooting assignments we will focus on creating new work, exploring how your writing can enhance your photography and vice versa.

Nord Photography Workshops, Tuscany.
October 6 - 11
FULL. Email for waitlist or to inquire about 2024.

LA Art Fair Feb 15 - 19

I’m excited to have these three pieces up at the LACP booth at the LA Art Show this February. I’m so looking forward to visiting my old stomping ground and catching up with friends; as well as visiting Art Frieze too while I’m there! Do stop by if you’re in town, you can send me a message on IG if you’d like to meet up - I’d love to see you!


2023 Workshops

I’m so excited to announce my upcoming workshops for 2023, with… drum roll please one special one on writing and photography that will be held in Tuscany next fall! I speak Italian fluently and am always looking for an excuse to get back there, cannot wait to take students to find inspiration amongst the olive groves!

LYRICAL PHOTOGRAPH
Transform what you see into a lyrical and transcendental image using the tools you have as a photographer, learning to recognize motifs in your own work to create images rich in symbolism. I’m offering this workshop twice this year, both in person. One at the workshops in Santa Fe and the other with Maine Media in Rockport, ME.

Santa Fe Workshops
March 20-24
Email for more info.

Maine Media Workshops
June 19-23
Email for more info.

WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY 1 ONLINE

This online weekly class is for photographers looking to experiment with incorporating writing into their creative practice in combination with their photography. If you are a photographer looking to dip your toes into the world of writing, and experiment with different ways of combining text and image to tell a story, then this is the class for you.

Nord Photography Workshops
Tuesday’s 1pm - 3pm
Jan 31, Feb 7, Feb 28, Mar 7, Mar 14, Mar 28
Email for more info.

WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY - ITALIAN EDITION
This workshop takes us to the rolling hills of Tuscany to explore a place rich with cultural history and devastatingly beautiful landscapes. Through writing prompts and shooting assignments we will focus on creating new work, exploring how your writing can enhance your photography and vice versa.

Nord Photography Workshops, Tuscany.
October 6 - 11 TBC
Email for more info.

Tour of Touchstones

I recently put together a little tour of our show Touchstones that is in its final weeks at the Cary Arts Center in North Carolina. The show was the culmination of my project with fellow artist Dawn Surratt and will travel to The Griffin in Boston, opening July 8th before finishing in Maine in Camden, with a reception of Sept 24th. So excited for this work to be seen. Enjoy!

Lyrical Photograph at Wild Rice Retreats

 

I’m so excited to be heading to Wisconsin this October (Oct 2nd - 7th) to teach at the wonderful new workshop center Wild Rice Retreats.

Nestled between growing pines and the red rock shores of Lake Superior, Wild Rice is a vibrant destination retreat center in the Midwest founded on the pillars of nourishment, expression, and movement. Wild Rice Retreat offers a respite for groups, solo travelers, guided retreat travelers, creative instructors—really anyone with an open heart and curious mind.

Sounds pretty amazing!

The workshop is designed for advanced photographers looking to develop their portfolio and who are interested in themes of symbolism, myth, and personal history in the creation of a lyrical photograph.

Some testimonials from students who have studied with me before:

"Lyrical Photography" with Sal Taylor-Kydd is a transformative experience. I do not say this lightly. Sal, an incredibly patient and generous instructor (with a great sense of fun), is that rare type of artist who can articulate her version and inspire others to do the same using our own voices and our own imaginations, memories and stories. Sal is super organized and keeps to time; every student in the class gets a real opportunity to share and discuss the work. The assignments are fun but also challenging. And they open up space for individual creativity. I especially loved considering the role of symbols and archetypes. A Selwyn, student

“Sal’s The Lyrical Photograph workshop was an engaging opportunity to work on using metaphor and symbols to intentionally create images that go beyond the literal. The week was a perfect mix of on-location shoots, critiques, group conversations, and short talks. I really appreciated Sal’s taking the time to get to know each of us and her encouragement and support as I tried new approaches to creating images. She’s obviously a teacher who cares about her students and I wholeheartedly recommend this workshop!”
C Mervis, student

I hope you can join me this Fall in the stunningly beautiful Wisconsin landscape to make some lyrical photographs.


 

Review of Yesterday

I'm so grateful to Elin Spring and Suzanne Levy of What You Will Remember for their thoughtful review of my book Yesterday in their meditation In the Mourning Light, that looks at a selection of books exploring grief and hope arising from the pandemic.

“In elegant, spare compositions, textures convey feeling, shallow depth of field focusses attention, light transmits breathing space, and nature endows a cloak of security. Kydd’s frames keep drawing us “to the sweet now of doing,” in ethereal allusions to a time and place where hope floats”.

Yesterday is available to order from this website, and there is also a Collectors Edition that includes 5 photopolymer gravure plates as well as the original plate. Available in an edition of 5, just 1 remaining.

 
 


Photo Eye Yesterday Review

Earlier this year Photo Eye reviewed Yesterday and I neglected to share it on this blog. An oversight on my part especially considering it was one fo the most thoughtful reviews of the book to date and I am so very grateful to Christopher Johnson of Photo Eye who really understood what I was trying to achieve with this work.

“What Kydd has successfully created here, to my mind, is a fixed point. A unchanging and timeless time. A time capsule, even, of the pandemic. But, not in its anxiousness and jarringness, this is not the pandemic of radio buttons and phone scroll throughs and fear… This is the pandemic of slow hours and uncertain waiting. The Pandemic of empty roads. The Pandemic of being startled to hear voices in the dark. The Pandemic of permissive travel notes, that we have printed and resting on the passenger seat, but never think we’ll be called on to use because to interact would be stranger than not to interact. It is the Pandemic of birds in surplus and Nature’s reclamation.

Yesterday is an achievement. It shows us Kydd evolving in her book form. There is a master narrative here, though its something more like Walden than Death on the Installment Plan. The narrative ambles, rather than lurches; it whispers... It is a work of tranquility. A work of silences and deep, unhurried breaths. Yesterday is a set of dream-view goggles to transpose upon your waking eyes. It is, as the narrative itself suggests (you’ll just have to get your hands on one) a window.”

Read the full review here.

Touchstones at the A Smith Gallery

On view at the A Smith Gallery in San Antonio Texas until the end of the month, I am thrilled to share the first exhibition of my collaboration with fellow photographer and visual artist Dawn Surratt. Touchstones will then travel to Cary, North Carolina in April, followed by The Griffin Museum in Boston in July and the Page Gallery in Camden Maine in September.