Portrait Revolution Workshop | Illuminate Classes

Creating a portrait is an intimate act.  A wordless interchange of trust that passes between the sitter and artist.  A portrait is far more than just a photo of a person; it is their story as an art form preserved in a single moment.  Portraits can be spontaneous and intuitive or calculated and crafted.   They can challenge, soothe, offend, and knock us over.  All are wonderful in their own way.  But what way is your way? What is your portrait voice? What stories and relationships do you want to tell with one single image?

In this course, we will work on creating images that explore the technical aspects of portraiture from traditional to environmental to fine art.  We will discuss available lighting and using spontaneity and the environment to strengthen your connection with the subject to create authentic portraits. Most importantly, we will explore the emotional space of people and the places they live since that is the crux of portraiture - capturing emotion. The goals of this class is to get intimate portraits that are raw, beautiful, mindful, and meaningful so we can preserve and create timeless portraits for generations.  

What You Will Learn:

  • Defining portraits and what they mean for you in your artistic journey

  • Learning different approaches to portraiture (environmental, storytelling, documentary)

  • Composition and natural/available lighting strategies for portraiture

  • Lightroom editing for portraits

  • Freelensing portraits

  • Going beyond “cute” child portraits to understanding and using the complexity of childhood emotions to strengthen the image

  • Using relationships rather than pretty visuals to create tension between viewer and subject

  • Honing your approach with subjects to create authentic rapport

  • Taking your portraits beyond beautiful images to timeless family heirlooms full of memory and meaning

  • Learning to integrate the unexpected into portraiture

  • client portrait work for business

  • studio portrait lighting

Class Mechanics:

  • This two week online interactive class will include:

  • daily interaction from me regarding presented material and discussions

  • video lessons to supplement each of the written lessons

  • individual feedback on all photo assignments delivered via video

  • Bonus photo challenges to help you stay on top of the material (detailed feedback will not be given on bonus assignments)

  • silent students will have a section of the classroom to interact with one another

  • at the end of the workshop, a PDF will be provided workshop material

  • all class members will be invited to join a private Facebook group after the class ends

Prerequisites:

In order to participate in this class you need to be comfortable shooting in manual mode with a DSLR. All photographers: professionals and hobbyists are welcome. To get all you can from this workshop it is important that you are able to shoot daily for assignments/exercises. While this workshop covers many portrait techniques it also covers learning your own approach and working with people. It is imperative for this workshop that you have access to children or adults so that you have subjects to photograph.

Student Reviews:

“I absolutely loved this class. Lindsey transformed by thinking about portraits, it truly was revolutionary. It totally deepened and expanded my understanding of portraits as art... with purpose and intention... and the ability to capture and communicate relationship and emotion.. and much more of the essence of a person or memory than just a cute or beautiful image. I am truly grateful for this class.” - Juliet Biagi