Photography's demands have never changed: to create expressive and compelling images that communicate something essential and imperative. Too often in this digital age we've focused more on moving pixels than on making pictures that move us - move us to evocative and memorable feeling states.

Another aspect of photography that has always fascinated us is our curiosity about the human condition. We are fascinated with our species, with what we can find in another face that both verifies who we are and expresses the differences that make us unique.

This workshop is structured in two ways, each demanding the highest level of creative insight.

First, we will learn approaches for going out into the world, meeting strangers, persuading them to pose for us, and making strong, dynamic exposures. We will work in the classic sense of making 'contact' with our subjects, getting them to collaborate in the portrait process, and then bringing them 'alive' for the camera.

Second, we'll take our images into the digital laboratory to expand the visual dynamics of the portrait. John will share a fascinating technique he invented for uniquely altering images. You will learn amazing methods for extending the possibilities of your portraits into newly expressive and unexpected realms.

But regardless of how much we enhance the visual possibilities of the portrait; our aim is to maintain the integrity that compelled the original shot, while orchestrating a new and dynamic vision.

Day one and perhaps day two morning will be spent getting the idea of how to go out and approach people and finally producing a well exposed negative or digital image. If you already have film or digital negatives you wish to use, you can bring those along and use those instead. As long as we gather between 4-5 images that we can enhance and combine we will have enough to produce a very interesting image. The images should be up close portraits of you, your familly, friends or snapshots of strangers that you took along the way. Bring in an old photo of your Grandmother and some other family members and see how you can use something personal and meaningful and make it new and different!

The rest of the week we will be making proofs of our images as we create textures and compile our images to make one (if not many) incredible and marketable prints. All participants will leave with a large print of their creation.

Call Victoria at the office if you have more questions about the class!