Michael Rubin | The Photograph as Haiku

@ About After decades behind a camera, a single word reshaped the way M. H. Rubin understood photography: haiku. As Rubin studied haiku more closely, he began to see striking parallels between the structure of the poem and the visual language of photography: simplicity, structure, balance, timing, mystery, and attention to the ordinary. From this came a practical, teachable approach to making photographs — one that treats composition not as a set of rules, but as a grammar for seeing. Even photographers with no particular interest in haiku+photography will come away stronger in their picture creation. No special gear, software, or technical tricks are required. This is not a workshop in meditative photography, and it does not depend on any background or interest in Zen philosophy. It is a practical course in seeing, composing, and making stronger photographs — whatever your subject. At its heart, haiku photography is a visual poetry of the ordinary: the photojournalism of your everyday life, seen beautifully. Topics Instructor Details Enroll Now © Michael Rubin © MH Rubin © MH Rubin © MH Rubin © MH Rubin TOPICS This four-session online workshop reimagines composition and storytelling through the lens of haiku. Using examples from photographic masters such as Ansel Adams, George Tice, Harry Callahan, André Kertész, Elliott Erwitt, Edward Weston, and others, Rubin shows how great photographs inexplicably work through the same qualities that make haiku powerful. The workshop also draws supporting lessons from related Japanese and Zen-influenced arts, including ikebana, ensō, kintsugi, and bonsai. These traditions offer useful ways to think about balance, imperfection, and attention. Applied to photography, they can help students see familiar subjects anew and find new delight and challenge in their photographs. Haiku photography is not soft, placid, or merely pretty. While it can be quiet, it is also dynamic and demanding to execute. It asks you to notice more, include less, and make every element in the frame matter. It offers an intuitive path into compositional structure that goes beyond geometry and formulas, while giving experienced photographers a fresh framework for experimentation and growth. © Michael Rubin DETAILS October Oct 20 (11am – 3pm) October 23 (11am – 1pm) October 27 (11am – 1pm) October 30 (11am – 1pm) Format: ONLINE on Zoom Participants: Limited to 8 Course Fee: $585 (members) / $650 (non‑members) Level: Open to All Membership: Non‑member registration includes a one‑year Griffin Museum membership. Learn more about membership benefits. © Michael Rubin About M. H. Rubin M. H. Rubin is a photographer, collector, writer, and educator with more than 40 years of experience in photography and visual culture. After decades in the Bay Area, he now lives in Santa Fe, where he lives his photographic practice, and developments new tools for teaching. Rubin began making photographs under the influence of Jerry Uelsmann, whose surreal darkroom work shaped his early understanding of photographic possibility. Over time, Rubin moved away from manipulation toward a quieter practice of direct observation — a tradition sometimes described as “pure seeing.” He manages a large collection of classic 20th-century photographs, which he brings into his workshops as a teaching resource. These works allow students to experience photographic structure as well as some history. His curriculum draws from this collection, his own photographic practice, and his belief that great photography is a practice, and is accessible to everyone. Rubin is the author of The Photograph as Haiku, released in 2023, and has written extensively about filmmaking, technology, and creative practice. His earlier books include Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution, a history of Lucasfilm, Pixar, and the birth of digital filmmaking. Alongside his photographic work, Rubin has had a wide-ranging career in media and technology, with roles at Lucasfilm, Netflix, and Adobe. He has also worked in editing and post-production on television and film projects including Lonesome Dove and Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Sheltering Sky. He holds a degree in neuroscience from Brown University. As a teacher, Rubin is known for combining deep historical knowledge with an informal, vivid, and highly engaging style. Members recieve reduced pricing for this workshop The Griffin Museum of Photography Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live Ticket Information