Sustained Vision FAQ

This is exactly why the application process is structured as it is. Your first step is to move through your own process of reflection — clarifying what matters to you and what kind of inquiry you want to pursue. If you reach clarity and complete the application, you’ll already be cultivating the independence the seminar requires. If focus feels elusive, another kind of learning environment might be better suited right now.

The proposal doesn’t need to be fixed or finalized. Instead, it should show that you’ve thought about your motivations and how they might unfold through sustained photographic work.

Shifts are integral to the process. The goal isn’t to hold a rigid focus, but to stay attentive as your understanding evolves.

It’s less about technical skill and more about readiness for independent practice — the ability to work without external prompts or assignments, building on an established technical core.

The seminar runs for twelve months with a rhythm of monthly meetings and ongoing independent work. Consistency matters more than quantity of hours.

Most applications are responded to in writing. Occasionally, a short conversation may be requested for clarification or alignment. A shortlist of candidates will be interviewed. We’ll have a conversation (no longer than 45 minutes via Zoom) about your work, your goals, and whether this seminar is the right fit for both of us. This is as much about you evaluating whether this structure and approach will work for you as it is about you being suited to this seminar format.

No. The application itself is part of a reflective process. The questions are designed to help you articulate your ideas independently.

Being declined isn’t a reflection of your ability. It may just mean the timing or direction isn’t in sync with this program. You’re welcome to reapply when ready.

The seminar does not require that new work be made specifically for the application. Instead, what matters is your ability to recognize trajectories within your prior work — to see the threads or inquiries that are already present.
The seminar then becomes a way to deepen and extend these lines of attention, rather than start from zero.

Monthly group discussions alternate with extended periods of independent work. Conversations revolve around work in progress, and include discussion of image sequences, writing, and readings — not traditional critique but shared exploration.

The seminar is held online with two in-person gatherings. Participation in all meetings is required.

Consistent presence, engaged conversation, and attentiveness to others’ work are central to the group experience.

Tuition reflects the year-long scope of engagement. Payment plans typically include a deposit and scheduled installments. Details are outlined in the application materials.

No. At this time, the seminar cannot support scholarships or financial aid.
However, Kozo Press welcomes conversation or proposals from individuals or organizations interested in helping provide such support in the future.

Each group has three to four participants, allowing for meaningful dialogue and connection.

Many participants continue developing their projects or forming collaborations beyond the year. The seminar’s aim is to provide lasting frameworks for independent practice.

The seminar prioritizes and aligns inquiry over instruction. It’s about sustained engagement with ideas and images, not step-by-step teaching. Participants work as peers in conversation rather than students in a classroom.

It refers to a method of working grounded in curiosity and investigation — where making images and thinking critically evolve together. Research, here, is experiential as much as academic.

Yes. Selected readings accompany the year, offering context and provocation. They’re intended to open questions, not prescribe answers.

Writing is a form of reflection and a critical tool, helping to trace your thoughts and further develop any resulting investigation. It works as a component of your creative process, not apart from it.

Feedback emerges through open discussion and close looking. The aim is not correction, but deeper understanding of how your work operates and resonates.

There is no requirement for exhibition or publication. The outcome is a robust independent practice; the accumulation of understanding, sustained practice, and the ability to navigate one’s process with greater clarity. Tangible projects often emerge naturally from that foundation.

No. While photographers are very welcome, this seminar is designed for a wide range of creative practitioners and thinkers — artists, designers, scientists, scholars, and anyone engaged in meaningful work who wants to deepen how they see, think, and make. It offers something rare: intensive, personalized, and collaborative mentorship that adapts to your evolving needs over time. I bring over 30 years of running seminars not only with photographers, but also with people working in visual arts, design, environmental and earth sciences, psychology, the humanities, and various non-academic practices.

If, after spending time with this page and the application materials, you still have questions, you’re welcome to reach out directly. Please contact Kozo Press through the email address listed on the seminar page or contact form, and I’ll respond as thoughtfully as I can.
I encourage you, whenever possible, to sit first with your questions and see what you can clarify on your own. Often that initial process of reflection is itself part of the work this seminar is meant to support.