Rolling hills, colorful gardens, interesting architecture, and friendly people provide great subject matter for our Photography students. Learn about light, improve your composition skills, or become more comfortable using a professional camera.
Photography Classes
Explore The Studio
Harvest Room in Orchard House
Orchard House was originally constructed in the 1950s as a residence. The studio and house overlook an orchard in the front yard and a rolling pasture leading to the creek in the back. The Photography & Writing Studio offers students a quiet classroom space equipped with high-speed internet along with Mac and PC computers. The studio’s large central table is ideal for coming together to review images or discuss your latest draft. In addition to the Harvest Room, Orchard House includes student housing.
News & Stories: What's Happening in Photography
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April 16, 2025
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February 20, 2025
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February 11, 2025
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December 10, 2024
Browse our 2025 classes digitally...
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November 26, 2024
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November 21, 2024
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July 23, 2024
Browse our 2025 classes digitally...
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June 28, 2024
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May 27, 2024
If you have been thinking...
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March 5, 2024
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February 9, 2024
Come take a photography class with me, Cory Marie Podielski! This April, I will be teaching Editing Essentials, a class focused on both shooting and post-production. I am excited to share not only my technical knowledge, but also my insider’s knowledge of the campus. I have shot at the Folk School professionally for over a decade, so I can be your guide to the best locations and hidden gems.
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November 9, 2023
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July 24, 2023
Browse our August 2023–June 2024...
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February 14, 2023
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January 17, 2023
Pinhole cameras have their roots...
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November 1, 2022
If turning your vacation to the Folk School into an exploration of travel photography sounds like a dream exploration, be sure to check out our upcoming class Wanderlust: The Art of Travel Photography taught by Elizabeth Larson. Elizabeth has been a professional photographer for 26 years. She specializes in documentary wedding photography, lifestyles, natural portraiture, travel, and editorial work. Join Elizabeth on our pastoral 300-acre campus in the Appalachian Mountains and learn how to capture the spirit of your travels through the camera lens. Enjoy our interview and find out a little more about Elizabeth!
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August 29, 2022
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July 25, 2022
Building on your feedback, we're...
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July 22, 2022
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February 10, 2021
Last fall, I and eight other craftspeople joined John C Campbell for the second session of the Traditional Craft Mentorship program. During this four-week program, we lived, ate, and crafted on campus (socially distanced of course). While we wait patiently for the Folk School to open in person later this year, I thought I’d share a story about just one adventure that befell us in October.
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January 31, 2020
The Sunday sun was sinking behind the Blue Ridge Mountains when my husband Randy and I arrived at the world-renowned John C. Campbell Folk School. It was the beginning of a week of classes set against the backdrop of purple mountain peaks and green valleys dotted with hay bales.
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May 7, 2018
Do you have a basic understanding of your DSLR camera and want to learn more in-depth techniques for improving your photography? Summertime at the Folk School provides an abundance of photographic material: pastoral landscapes, interesting folks, gardens, old buildings, barns, music, dance, craft studios. Instructor Stephanie Gross has a BFA in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design and has been making and thinking about photography for 25 years. Enjoy our interview!
Book & Paper Arts, Printmaking, Marbling, Calligraphy, Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media, Photography, Writing Coordinator
Rachel Watson
Rachel is an interdisciplinary artist working in alternative and traditional photography, printmaking, jewelry, woodworking, book arts, textiles, and installation. After completing her MFA at the University of Georgia in 2020, she digitized the 7,000-piece collection at Newcomb Art Museum in New Orleans. Originally from Northeast Georgia, Rachel has traveled the world learning alternative photography processes and participating in photography and printmaking conferences. She is currently renovating Elf School, a historic school in Hayesville, NC, where she plans to build studios and continue her art practice while sharing her passion, skills, and experience with others at the Folk School.
Images from the Studio
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