Brand New, All Day Class: Discovering Your Style - An Interactive Journey To Defining Yourself as an Artist

I remember reading a wonderful statement several years ago: do something as good as everyone else does it and you'll be their competition. Do it better than them and they will be your competition. Do it like no one else does and the world will knock on your door.

We don't need to be told that a picture was taken by Ansel Adams. Rembrandt paintings are known for their unique lighting that, even today, remains named after him. A painting by Dali is easily recognized even without his name being mentioned. I can recognize choral music written over 400 years ago by Palestrina. Why is this? Because each of these people have a unique style to their art and became known for it.

In photography, whether you want to shoot professionally or remain a serious hobbyist, understanding and knowing your own style is crucial as you move onward and upward in your skills.

So, what is your style? How can you use it to start building your portfolio

This is not an easy question to answer and, in fact, is a discernment process. This class is designed to start helping you answer some questions and, more importantly, raise more questions all as part of the process of defining your style and, in the process, learning who you are as an artist.

Although a lecture is a critical part of the class, most of the class will be spent in small groups and on your own. The instructor will act more of a facilitator and lead the participants through a series of questions, exercises, and reviews.


Class Format:

• Each participant will need to bring 10 photographs (prints) to the class. These do not need to be your 'best', just shot by you. There is no critiquing of images during the day.
• Lots of paper and something to write with is required. This is journey of discovery and you'll want the notes later.
• There will be discussion and peer reviews on portfolios
  
• The session will include question and answer periods, small group discussions, individual times, peer review, and short talks.
• Exercises will help the participant start to put their portfolio into focus and organized according to the type of submission that they may want to do.
  

Who Should Attend?

• Anyone, regardless of experience, age, skill level, or camera type. In fact, any artist will benefit, irrespective of their chosen medium.
• Anyone who wants to explore and develop their artistry.
• Anyone who wants to start building their portfolio and start from a new perspective
• Anyone who has an existing portfolio and wants a "gut check" about what it contains.
• Anyone who wants to explore the various print and electronic versions of portfolios
  

What To Bring:

• Something to write on and with
• 10-20 prints (seriously, your perception of the images' quality is not important today).
• An open mind, an open spirit, and a willingness to discover.

In the End, You Will:

• Have written an artist's statement
• Be able to discuss your work, your style, your vision
• Have a starting point for rebuilding your portfolio
• Have an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of various portfolio types