M.H. Rubin at Dent 2023

Illuminating a New way of Looking at the World: “Photography as Haiku”

What makes a photo interesting? How do you improve when you’re already good? Welcome to “photographic haiku,” a novel approach to learning and exploring photography. About a decade ago, renowned photographer M.H. Rubin recognized that key attributes of the greatest photos in history aligned inexplicably with the rules of haiku. As he studied haiku more deeply, he found that the principles of this poetic form made for something both inspiring and teachable for anyone with a camera.

At Dent 2023, Rubin will illustrate these ideas with examples from his own work in combination with numerous historic works from Adams, Tice, Callahan, Kertesz, Erwitt, Weston, and dozens of others. His approach also speaks to capturing “the decisive moment,” as Cartier-Bresson described, and offers a platform not only for personal photojournalism and street photography, but for photos of any kind of subject matter.

“Haiku photography” is not placid and pictorial. It moves beyond still-life photography and into a new way to think about structure and content that is dynamic, challenging, and appropriate for anyone at any skill level. For beginners, it’s a better way to learn composition than the rule of thirds. For experienced photographers, it’s a way to play and evolve. In the end, it’s a new poetic form.

Join us in Santa Fe this September, and explore this new, groundbreaking approach to photography with M.H. Rubin. Apply for your invite here. 

Plus a Limited Opportunity: A Visit to the Rubin Collection

Thanks to the generosity of M.H. Rubin, we are able to offer a very unique, but limited, addition to the Sunday activity schedule. Nestled in the picturesque landscape of Santa Fe, a few minutes from downtown, lies the Rubin Collection. This remarkable collection of 2,500 works, cultivated over six decades, will open its doors to a limited number of Dent conference attendees and will provide an up-close look at Rubin’s selection of fantastic 20th century photography. During this specially guided tour, guests will embark on a journey through photographic modernism, tracing its origins in early Europe, the significance of California’s Group f/64, and marveling at the masterpieces of renowned photographers like Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, and Edward Weston, as well as contemporary artists like Richard Misrach, Paul Capponigro, and George Tice (and dozens more!)

The tour will explore the tapestry of relationships that shaped the Rubin Collection, reflecting an unparalleled blend of influences and friendships, most importantly the Rubins’ connection with Jerry Uelsmann, whose early work will also be shown. Immerse yourself in thematic explorations of urban life around WWII, Jewish life in pre-war Europe, iconic portraiture, photojournalism, and humor. This intimate event offers an unprecedented look at the museum collection in the most personal way. More about Rubin and the collection can be found here.

M.H. Rubin has been a photographer and collector for more than 40 years, a new Santa Fe local after decades in the Bay Area. As a young protégé of Jerry Uelsmann, he began by creating surreal analog images. Today, Rubin embraces the passion of the amateur and evangelizes photographic exploration for consumers. He is the director of a large collection of classical 20th-century works, always incorporated into his lectures, and has spent the past years developing a new curriculum in photographic education. His book, The Photograph as Haiku, was released in 2023.

Concurrent with photography, Rubin has had an entrepreneurial career that has spanned industries such as publishing, consumer retail, entertainment media, and technology. Career highlights include Lucasfilm, Netflix, and Adobe. He has had editing and post-production roles on numerous television and movie projects, including the miniseries “Lonesome Dove,” and the Bertolucci feature “The Sheltering Sky.”

Rubin has a degree in neuroscience from Brown University. He is a colorful storyteller and entertaining educator, and also the author of numerous essays and books, including a history of Lucasfilm and Pixar titled Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution.