The Founder

My name is Selma Fernández Richter and I am a photographer, educator and producer. Born and raised in Oaxaca, México, since 2011 I have lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with my husband, photographer Andy Richter and our son Julien. We spend our time between the United States and Mexico. 

My career began in 2001, primarily working on editorial projects for magazines. The desire to improve my photography led me to search for the most effective way to learn new skills. I discovered that workshops were an ideal way to do this. They provided an opportunity for me to immerse myself in a relatively short period of time, learn from the best teachers and photographers in the world, and apply the knowledge to my profession upon returning home. 

I was fortunate to study with Mary Ellen Mark, who ran an extraordinary workshop for nearly 20 years in Oaxaca, my home town. In 2011, I was invited to produce her workshops, which turned out to be the best school I could ever attend. Not only did I learn about photography, but also about her commitment to her students and her close relationship with the community. She pushed everyone, students and staff alike, to reach their full potential. I was fortunate to also assist her on assignment. Working in Oaxaca has always made me proud. I aim to share it with our students, who come from all over the world, in an authentic, intimate, and respectful way.

In 2018, I founded La Luz Workshops, as a natural extension of these experiences. It is a space that reflects my values around photography, education, and community. We are honored to collaborate with some of the world’s leading photographic artists and industry experts. 

When the Covid pandemic began, we made the difficult decision to pause our in-person programs. We started to shift our attention into online education: developing Workshops, Lectures Series, and Symposiums, allowing us to stay connected. 

We have found that online workshops create a unique space where people from different parts of the world can come together to learn, share ideas, discuss work, and develop personal projects under the guidance of renowned teachers. These experiences foster not only growth, but also lasting relationships and community. 

Our online programming has also allowed us to invite remarkable guest artists from different geographies into the same virtual classroom, creating rich and layered learning experiences around specific topics. Many of our students continue working together long after the classes end, which is one of the most meaningful outcomes of what we do. 

We are excited to offer a new mentorship program, which feels like a natural evolution of our work. This one-on-one experience is designed for photographers who are ready to take the next step to refine a body of work, build conceptual frameworks, edit and sequence a large group of images, write statements, prepare for an exhibition, creating a photographic a book, or find an audience for their work, among other topics. 

Please check out what we have to offer. We look forward to working with you.