Join Artist-in-Residence, Aubrey Laughlin, and Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument for a Friday classroom session that will cover photography basics, as well as tips and tricks for outdoor photography using only your smartphone! We will focus on composition, setting, focus, light, foreground and background elements, leading lines, and more. In addition, we will briefly cover some basic edits that you can do to make your photos stand out.

This talk will take place in the Ashland Food Co-op Community Classroom at 300 N. Pioneer in Ashland from 6:00 to 7:30pm. The classroom is one block toward downtown from the grocery store on N 1st Street. This Eventbrite is for the Friday Talk ONLY, register for Saturday workshop HERE. Attendance to Friday Night Talks is limited to 40 people.

Aubrey Laughlin is a multidisciplinary artist whose work weaves together poetry, nonfiction, and photography with a deep reverence for the natural world and the emotional landscapes it reflects. Her creative practice is rooted in observation—of ecosystems, memory, and the quiet intersections between the human and the spiritual. As a photographer, Aubrey has been widely published across literary journals, travel publications, and environmental organizations. Her images—ranging from intimate natural details to expansive landscapes—have appeared in outlets such as Fodor’s Travel, Matador Network, WhereTraveler, Terrain.org, and the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Newsletter. Her visual work reflects a consistent attentiveness to light, texture, and place, often highlighting the sacredness of everyday environments.

This program is presented in partnership with the Conservation Lands Foundation through their Art & Advocacy Program.

Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is a nonprofit organization and our mission is to support the protection, restoration and conservation of the monument through service, advocacy and education. Our Hike and Learn programs are designed to introduce the public to different topics and locations within the Monument. Hike and Learns are co-created with local scientists, historians, artists, students, and more.