VISUAL STORYTELlING INTENSIVE
Dates: December 12th, 13th and 14th, 2025.
Applications Open: October 13th
Pricing: $500.
Applications Close: December 1st, 2025.
Format: 3-day workshop
December 12-13-14
9AM - 6PM
With an hour lunch break.
To participate, photographers must submit 15-18 photos from a specific project along with a brief bio and artist statement to studio@deliciastudio.com
General Text:
Visual Storytelling Intensive – a 3-day intensive workshop with photographers Josefina Santos & Creative Director Lola Villa for mid-career photographers ready to turn their images into a powerful, publication-ready story. Bring printed work only—we’ll be sitting in small groups for in-depth, collaborative editing and sequencing sessions during the first two days.
On Day 3, your newly refined project will be exhibited at Delicia in an open showcase, presented in the way you’ve come to curate it throughout the workshop. Walk away with a polished story, fresh perspective, and a creative community to support your next steps.
The Process
Editing for impact means understanding ebbs and flows. The tension and release that creates visual momentum. Visual storytelling requires awareness of energy—highs and lows, rhythm, narrative arcs.
We'll examine your work through the lens of energy and emotion. Identify the visual elements that elevate your project or undermine it. Turn your ideas into stories that are personal, universal, timeless, and timely.
Ready to be exhibited. Ready to be published.
In Three Days You'll Master:
Day : Identify & review work
Stepping back to view your work objectively
Understanding visual rhythm and narrative momentum
Identifying core messages beneath surface aesthetics
Day 2: Editing & Sequencing
Sequencing for emotional impact and story clarity
Collaborative editing with experienced eyes
The discipline of elimination: story vs. ego
Day 3: Refine & Present
Final edit refinement
Presentation strategies
Community feedback and vernissage
You'll Leave With:
A coherent project with clear narrative spine
Refined, publication-ready edit
Analytical tools to maintain clarity as your work evolves
Network of serious photographers and industry professionals
Confidence to present your work powerfully
10% 1:1 mentorship program with Lola Villa
10% of Art of Curation Cohort program with Lola Villa
Your Guides
Josefina Santos
Photographer and visual storyteller with
Josefina Santos is a Colombian photographer and director based in Brooklyn. Blending portraiture, fashion, and documentary, her work is expressive, intimate, and rooted in connection. Known for her intentional use of color, Josefina uses it to evoke emotion and tell deeply personal stories. She’s currently working on Sucre, her first monograph, exploring cultural memory, place, and identity in her mother’s hometown of Sincelejo, Colombia.
Lola Villa
Curator, Art Director & Mentor. Founder of NATIVE Agency and ByNature Studio. Contributor to VOGUE, ATMOS, World Press Photo & NPR. Expert in visual narrative and creative development.
Details
When: December 12th, 13th and 14th.
9am-6pm each day
Where: DELICIA STUDIO - 1717 Troutman St
Includes:
Three-day intensive sessions
Lunch recommendations
Final vernissage and artist talk
Ongoing community access (WA community)
Digital resource package (Grant writing database)
Ready to transform your photography from collection to story?
Your spot is waiting.
Limited to 15 photographers.
Curator + Mentor + Art Director
Atmos, NPR, World Press Photo alumni
Founder of By Nature Studio
Co-Founder Future Sounds of Nature
https://www.laurabeltranvillamizar.me/
Subscribe to my weekly curation of ecology, art & deep-listening on substack.
FAQ: VISUAL STORYTELLING INTENSIVE
Q: Who is this workshop for? Mid-career photographers with a work in progress who need storytelling strategy to make it publication-ready. You should have technical skills, a solid body of work, and a project that needs editorial direction and sequencing.
Q: How many photographers will be in the workshop? Limited to 15 photographers to ensure everyone gets quality attention and feedback.
Q: What do I need to bring? Printed work only. 15-18 images from your project. We work with physical prints on the table—no laptops, no screens.
Q: What if I don't have my work printed yet? Get it printed before the workshop. This is part of the commitment. Seeing your work physically changes how you edit and sequence.
Q: Do I need to have a finished project? No. You need a work in progress—a body of images with an idea you're developing. The workshop helps you refine it into something cohesive and publication-ready.
Q: What happens on Day 3? Your refined project gets exhibited at Delicia Studio in an open showcase. You'll present your work the way you've curated it throughout the workshop. Community feedback, vernissage, artist talk.
Q: What's included in the $500? Three full days of intensive work (9am-6pm), collaborative editing sessions, mentorship from both facilitators, exhibition on Day 3, ongoing community access via WhatsApp, digital resource package including grant writing database, plus 10% off future 1:1 mentorship and Art of Curation Cohort programs.
Q: Is there an early bird discount? No. $500 flat rate. Applications close December 1st.
Q: How do I apply? Submit 15-18 images from your project + brief bio + artist statement to studio@deliciastudio.com by December 1st, 2025.
Q: When will I hear back about my application? Within one week of submission. Spots are limited to 15 photographers and filled on a rolling basis.
Q: What if I can't attend all three days? You need to be present for all three days. The process builds—Day 1 informs Day 2, Day 2 sets up Day 3. Missing a day breaks the continuity.
Q: Where is the workshop located? Delicia Studio, 1717 Troutman St, Brooklyn.
Q: What's the refund policy? No refunds after November 25th. Before that date, full refund minus $50 processing fee.
Q: I'm early career / just starting out. Can I still apply? This intensive is designed for mid-career photographers who have technical mastery and a substantial body of work. If you're just starting out, consider our other mentorship programs.
Q: Can I bring multiple projects? No. Choose one project. Bring 15-18 images from that single body of work. Depth over breadth.
Q: Will there be opportunities to connect with other photographers after the workshop? Yes. You'll have ongoing access to the community via WhatsApp group and future networking opportunities through By Nature Studio events.
Questions not answered here? Email studio@deliciastudio.com