Discovering Your Personal Aesthetic | December 13, 2025 (zoom workshop)

INSTRUCTOR | Kevin Tully
GROUP DATE | December 13, 2025 beginning at 11amCT, lasting 5 hours
INDIVIDUAL FOLLOW UP | to be scheduled 2 to 4 weeks after group meeting
TUITION | $175.00 per person
WORKSHOP SIZE | limited to 6

“In all products of human industry we notice the keenness with which the eye is attracted to the mere appearance of things: great sacrifices of time and labour are made to it in the most vulgar manufactures; nor does man select his dwelling, his clothes, or his companions without reference to their effect on his æsthetic senses. Of late we have even learned that the forms of many animals are due to the survival by sexual selection of the colours and forms most attractive to the eye. There must therefore be in our nature a very radical and wide-spread tendency to observe beauty, and to value it.”  George Santayana, 1896

Most of us are not aware how profoundly our personal aesthetic influences our lives. It is an integral aspect of our humanity and an especially important gift to creatives. It influences us and our art more than we know. Our choice of tennis shoes, political causes, wallpaper, music, pets, restaurants, motor cars, and artistic pursuits are all guided by our personal aesthetic.

The photographer and educator, Garry Winogrand, would say in talks to students, “You need to go out to shoot with a strategy.” Casually looking at his photography it may appear that he didn’t follow his own advice.

His in your face, somewhat confrontational, not concerned with framing, almost snapshot approach, at first glance appears to be a non-aesthetic aesthetic. However, when one observes his large body of work, he is consistent, he has a strategy, a personal aesthetic.

So, how can one go out and shoot, with the intention of creating a cohesive body of work, if you don’t have a good understanding of your personal aesthetic? Or be able to articulate it?

Over the past twelve years, conducting workshops, mentoring, and conducting photography reviews, I have become aware that many photographers cannot articulate their personal aesthetic as it applies to their practice. The inability to do so and act upon it can hinder one’s creative path: lack of focus, difficulty in creating bodies of work, difficulty in recognizing successful, innate creative choices. The combination of mastering one’s craft and working within the context of one’s personal aesthetic is critical in developing a successful art practice.

My initiation into the concept happened forty-plus years ago through reading a book by Annie Dillard, “A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.” There is a passage that addresses having an “Aesthetic Awakening.” Many musicians claim it hit them listening to the Beatles for the first time. John Lennon claimed it happened to him listening to the Beach Boys. It is the moment one becomes conscious of an external beauty that becomes internalized. It can be a wham bang moment or something much simpler, barely noticed.

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The workshop will be a five-hour zoom conversation with a combination of introduction/explanation, writing, and critique/discovery. The participants will be asked to screenshare one or two bodies of work or work in progress, examples of outside photography, art or design, one printed image of their image, and an artist statement that the participants feel best represents their aesthetic.

Within a few weeks of the initial meeting, there will be a follow-up meeting with each individual to discuss their thoughts and questions.

Please contact Kevin at kevin@asmithgallery.com with any questions.

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“Kevin is an amazing critique leader—friendly, knowledgeable, and incredibly creative. He fosters an inspiring and supportive environment that helps us all grow as artists. Kevin blends his vast knowledge of various art mediums to elevate your work and create a cohesive story for your viewers. Since joining Kevin’s critique workshop, I’ve seen significant improvement in my work. I highly recommend taking any class with Kevin as the instructor!” 

Bryan Galgano

“Do not miss the opportunity to work with Kevin in his ongoing group critique workshop! Kevin’s eclectic background in fine art painting, woodworking, and landscape design provides him a solid understanding of design, aesthetics, and elements of fine art photography.  Kevin is a gifted Mentor, teacher, and group facilitator.  His compassion, empathy, and capacity to meet the artist where they are is unparalleled.

I have had the pleasure of working with him in numerous workshops, private mentoring and always come away excited to be an artist.  His program provides a solid framework and understandable algorithms for approaching your photographic practice.  As a long-time photographer, I find his guidance and system provides a reproducible approach to expanding my fine art projects.”

Keith Kesler

“I have been participating in a photography critique group with Kevin Tully for over a year now. Kevin is everything you could wish for in a group leader: knowledgeable, insightful, supportive, inspiring, generous, and passionate about art and photography. He has really helped me with understanding and developing my own work, and with gaining a deeper appreciation of modern fine art photography.” 

Jim Turner