FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the connection to Neomodern?

Neomodern was an organization dedicated to creative photography for everyone. The company Neomodern, Inc. had a printing gallery in San Francisco (2017-2020) before closing permanently. Because the domain was a popular and well-respected photographic brand, we continued to use it for these haiku photographic workshops as well as a banner over the Rubin Collection of 20th century photography.

HOW do I LEARN THIS “Haiku” APPROACH?

The easiest way is to take a one-day introduction to the topic. Our 5 or 6-day workshops go deeper and are more hands-on, more critique, but we offer a range of access points, from our podcast, to the book, to zoom courses, to in-person workshops.

Is THIS APPROACH SIMILAR TO MIKSANG?

Miksang is a similar buddhistic photographic form, but one that differs from haiku in important ways. Miksang uses photography as a tool for personal growth—a kind of spiritual practice. Photographic haiku does the opposite, it uses haiku and Zen arts to enjoy and create compelling photographs.

According to a leading instructor, "Miksang can result in great photos but that’s not what it’s mainly about. It’s a perceptual practice. It’s about connecting with the world as is, in the moment, as is haiku. If the end results are aesthetically appealing, that’s simply a bonus. Not the aim. It is also more a communal practice than personal, and deeply philosophical, not really working on the self."