I have been leading photography workshops and giving personalized portfolio reviews since 2017. With a dedicated commitment to nurturing emerging talent, I work in getting aspiring photographers towards acclaim in some of the most renowned festivals and competitions such as LensCulture, Italian Street Photo Festival, and Women Street Photographers Exhibitions. I work with a wide range of students - from beginners who need help with post-processing and editing, to more established photographers who are ready to send out their portfolios to the photo industry.
The Shadow Self: Empowering Through Self-Portraiture
Online
May 2 - 23, 2026
Saturdays; 10:00 am – 12:30 pm (Mountain Time)
Step into a workshop that transforms self-portraiture into a tool for emotional exploration and personal empowerment. Using mirrors, shadows, masks, and symbolic props, you create images that reveal hidden parts of yourself and express complex emotions. I will lead guided exercises, journaling prompts, supportive group discussions, and image reviews to help you process your inner world while developing your photographic voice. This new online workshop is perfect for photographers, artists, and seekers ready to explore vulnerability, reclaim agency, and turn emotion into art.
Join Sonia in an intimate online workshop environment for both creative growth and emotional insight using the self-portrait process.
Poetry of the Street: Santa Fe and Albuquerque
In-person - Santa Fe and Albuquerque
September 14 - 18, 2026
Monday - Friday
We will photograph daily in a variety of settings—from the vibrant energy of the New Mexico State Fair to the quiet rhythms of the Farmers Market, from the historic streets of downtown Santa Fe to the shifting perspectives experienced aboard the Rail Runner to Albuquerque. Sunset at the Cross of the Martyrs offers a chance to explore atmosphere, silhouette, and the emotional qualities of light. Using Santa Fe and Albuquerque as our classrooms, we explore how timing, gesture, light, and environment come together to create compelling street photographs.
Each day balances working on the streets with guided editing and post-processing sessions in a classroom, helping you refine your visual voice and deepen an understanding of composition, timing, framing, and intention. I will give short, dynamic lectures, introduce key concepts in street photography—working with light and shadow, layering, and visual storytelling—while group image reviews provide supportive, thoughtful feedback.
This workshop is ideal for the beginner street photographer as well as more advanced photographers who want to sharpen their street photography skills while developing a more intuitive, responsive relationship to the dynamic theater of the ever-changing street. Together we will explore the streets of Santa Fe and Albuquerque as living, ever-changing stages, shaped by the extraordinary light of Northern New Mexico.
One-on-one classes
In personalized one on one sessions, I work with a wide range of students. Beginners often need help with editing and post-processing their images. With intermediate and advanced students, I work on helping them find their photographic voice, put together a cohesive body of work, and work towards getting acclaim in some of the most renowned festivals and competitions in the industry.
What my students say
"I started booking one-on-one photowalks with Sonia after meeting her at ICP. I was immediately drawn to her positive attitude, energy and willingness to help all the students. She opened my eyes to see in ways I hadn’t seen in the past. I learned to tell a story through an image. Not only does Sonia have a great eye, she also has excellent technical knowledge. She’s helped me improve my technical skills.
We’ve also worked together (via Zoom) on post-processing images in Lightroom. I learned to not be afraid to push the processing of an image, and I could see my images come to life even more."
– Carol Dronsfield, SantaCon Workshop participant, 2025
"I signed up for a photowalk with Sonia in 2024 not realizing that after the walk, she would help jumpstart my photography in many unexpected ways. Her photo walks inspire and she is so generous with her time and expertise. She has since mentored me, with a focus on editing, sequencing and post-processing, all critical areas for me. Finally, I participated in her online workshop, GET SEEN: Submitting your work to Competitions, Festivals and Galleries, where she offered personalized guidance to each student and still drops me suggestions on places where I might submit my work. If you have a chance to work with Sonia, please grab it!!!"
– Denise Pensky, Get Seen Workshop & SantaCon participant, 2025
Past workshops
2024 NYC SantaCon Workshop
2024 Coney Island Workshop
2024 NYC Street Photo Workshop
2023 Holiday Streets Photo Workshop
2022 Chinatown Lunar New Year Photowalk
2021 MDW Street Photo Workshop
2021 Four Day NYC Halloween Photo Workshop
2020 Staying Creative During COVID-19
2020 Mindfulness in Street Photography
2024 Coney Island Workshop
2024 NYC Street Photo Workshop
2023 Holiday Streets Photo Workshop
2022 Chinatown Lunar New Year Photowalk
2021 MDW Street Photo Workshop
2021 Four Day NYC Halloween Photo Workshop
2020 Staying Creative During COVID-19
2020 Mindfulness in Street Photography
