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Baja Photography & Design Retreat: Colour, Architecture, Culture, Design & More

Colour, architecture, culture, design, landscape. This is not just a list of our favourite things. Next April this will be both our To-Do list and our source of inspiration. We are heading to Baja, California Sur, Mexico for 6 days and 5 nights of cultural exploration, design inspiration, and a bit of creative time. The best part is… you can join us.

A Photography Retreat and Design Tour is exactly that— part exotic experience and part creative growth. Between gallery tours, photography workshops, and designer visits, a team of passionate design professionals who will share their best practices, insider tips, and lead a series of workshops designed to accommodate a range of experience levels and abilities.

Let the rich culture of Baja provide your inspiration for our workshops on photography and sketching and use the landscape, architecture, and food to enhance our discussions on design and aesthetics. All this content will be delivered through hands-on workshops and open dialogues, as well as one-on-one and group instruction and free time to work through your new knowledge at your own pace. We’re keeping the size of our guest list intimate and curating all the included experiences to ensure you have the time, space, and resources to enhance your creativity.

PHOTOGRAPHER EXTRAORDINAIRE: TRACEY AYTON

We are so pleased to have the guidance of Vancouver-based photographer, Tracey Ayton, during our time in Baja. We are big fans of Tracey and have long-coveted her gorgeous images that have been featured in Gray Magazine, Style at Home, Harper’s Bazaar, and Kinfolk Magazine (and even on Designers Collective!).  She has an eye that is equally adept at capturing the architectural essence of larger spaces as well as focusing on the subtleties of smaller objects to capture their singularity.

Tracey will be leading a series of 4 photography workshops that will take you through the foundations of composing a striking image, the tricks of working with a DSLR (no more shooting on Auto!), as well as more advance shooting techniques. Tracey will host workshops throughout the retreat at a variety of locations and provide practice time and some one-on-one to let you practice and hone your new skills.

Tracey’s portfolio  is an array of stunning images—from interiors and exteriors to small and large formats, she will be able to walk you through the process of producing images you love, and maybe making those images you envisioned a reality! The skills gained from Tracey’s sessions can easily be translated to smartphone cameras, social media practices, and day-to-day picture taking.

DESIGN DOUBLE-HEADER: TINA DHILLON + ALISON KENT

Tina Dhillon, co-founder of Designers Collective, never shies away from a challenge—especially when it comes to planning spaces. Her professional life in Architecture, Urban Planning, and Interior Design paired was a great match for her ability to come up with creative solutions, keen sense of composition and materiality, and eye for the small and subtle details in a space. By the way, Tina has also been on the other side of the camera when she was selected to be part of Holt Renfrew’s Spring All Together Campaign.

Tina is our Baja insider—she has hand-picked the best places to go in the Baja peninsula and will also be leading and facilitating in-depth discussions on contemporary design and modern Mexican architecture.

Alison Kent is a multi-tasker. With a background in Architecture and side ventures in fashion, interior design, and food, she now focuses oh her life-long love of art and illustration through her new company, akHOME.

Alison brings years of experience across different areas of design as well as understanding the balance between the artistic and analytical sides of creativity. Alison will be leading a botanical sketching workshop and facilitating discussion on creativity and design.

We are so excited to immerse you in the rich and vibrant Baja culture. This retreat and design tour is strongly focused on creating imagery and visual thinking. The right image can communicate– in milliseconds– the ethos of your aesthetic, your brand, and plant that seed of curiosity that leads viewers to explore more of your content, hit that all-important “like”, or share your brand with potential new followers. For any bloggers, content creators, business owners, and all other creatives, the ability to create these key images is central to your business or artistic practice.

But you don’t have to have a purely professional interest in photography and design! For anyone who takes photographs for their personal gallery or need some inspiration for that next creative project,  knowing how to quickly compose a beautiful image will up your photography game and impact how you see other visual-based areas of your life (suddenly planning a beautiful bookshelf vignette or choosing paint colours will become instinctual—it’s true!).

Learning how to capture and produce the images you want, from composing the initial photograph to publishing it, or being able to capture a splash of light in a sketch is a vital skill for any creative professionals or semi-professionals. The Baja Retreat and Design Tour is the best opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals, hone your skills, and gain the experience of a lifetime.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

6 days and 5 nights accommodation at the lovely El Encanto Inn boutique hotel, 6 Breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners, additional happy hour refreshments; organized day trips and guided tours in San Jose del Cabo, Pescadero, and Cerritos Beach; access to the Cabo Art Walk, cooking lessons and tour of Flora Farms (an Instagram fav!) and Acre Baja, a sampling of some of the best local restaurants and cultural hot spots throughout the trip; and of course, one-on-one and group instruction in photography, styling, and social media/branding; and finally the time and inspiration to hone your creative skills.

REGISTRATION:

by November 30, 2018 for an Early Bird Discount ($150) with code BAJA2019 through out BigCartel page! https://designerscollective.bigcartel.com/product/baja-design-tour-and-photography-retreat  

We would love for you to JOIN US this coming April!