ONLINE PHOTO WORKSHOP
The Documentary Portrait Essay
Learn to create photographs with emotion, meaning, and impact.
Somali immigrant, Lewiston, Maine © Catherine Karnow
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
This online workshop will be an exploration of what it means to create a documentary essay on a person or group of people. It will be a theme of your choosing.
This will be an extended portrait story of someone in your life, or someone you know, or would like to know better through photography. You may also decide to choose to photograph a family or subculture.
Suggested themes can be:
Your husband/wife/partner; housekeeper; piano/music teacher; gardener; sibling; children/grandchildren; elderly mother-father/parents-grandparents
A local immigrant or immigrant family
A hospice nurse; child prodigy/star; drag queen; trans individual; local hero
A subculture, such as a club of collectors, a car club, dog/pet lovers, people who share a common interest; a ballet school
A group doing charitable work
A trailer park; a neighborhood; a farm; a religious community
Guests will have three weeks to shoot an assignment. Images will be sent to me in time for the next group discussion.
The class discussions will be on Zoom, where you will have ample time to talk about what you photographed, your approach, and challenges.
There will be encouraging critiques in an ambiance of friendly support and camaraderie. With only five guests, we will be a nice intimate group.
Workshops are limited to a maximum of five participants.
DATES TBD
COST TBD
Optional 30-minute mid-session one-on-one consultation: $80
(Mid-session consultations are a wonderful way to get one-on-one guidance and feedback, as you are shooting your assignment. You may add on a consultation at any point during the workshop.)
Please be sure to contact us when you sign up. We will send you a Registration Form and Welcome Letter with all the details you need to know to be as prepared as possible.
TESTIMONIALS
"Your [online] workshop has been one of the most profound learning experiences of my life. I tried so many things I’d never done before and carried them through. I’ve never tried to conceptualize a photograph before, especially about something as abstract as loss or absence. Tapping into our emotions and feelings is such a different experience than traveling. I’m really proud of the photos I took for the workshop. Thank you for giving us the space to do that. All in all, the workshop was really special. It was a wonderful, deeply resonant, experience." - Ellen Newman
"I’m loving your [online] class and find the images created by our small group captivating and intriguing. [We are living in] a strange unsettling time and it feels good to be doing this with all of you." - Lisa Merrill
"I cannot find the right words say how helpful and positive this experience of meeting [online] to share photos as a group has been for me. Catherine, you create a safe space during this difficult time and your insights into our images are truly remarkable. Thank you for being the wonderful and talented person you are."
Valerie Hoffman
You can learn more about Catherine here, and please enjoy these additional testimonials if you like.