Over the course of four Saturdays in May 2012, 60 students from underserved areas of Los Angeles were exposed and instructed on a variety of different types of photographic styles/genres.
Each Saturday was hosted by a different venue from Santa Monica to West Hollywood and Central Los Angeles. Students selected one area of photographic style to learn throughout the month of May 2012, and in collaboration with the instructor, selected their image for a printed exhibition which took place in June 2012.
The instructors and guests speakers are listed below.
A special thank you to all of our host venues, Santa Monica College, Julia Dean PhotoWorkshops, Lomography and Broadway Art Space for donating their space to support this program.
Students passionate about fashion learned the basics components in digital photography and lighting. They integrated conceptual elements such as (mood, style, composition and the unexpected) using models and props. Students had access to a studio and one on location shoot.
Daryl Henderson has the unique ability to capture the essence of people. Whether on location or in the studio, Daryl’s vision for his body of work radiates through each image. Photography is more than a job for him; it is a purpose, a tool for self-expression.
For over 15 years, Daryl has been creating captivating imagery through the exploration of light and composition. He has also cultivated his skills in Photoshop and postproduction over the years, and has become an expert at beauty, fashion, and composite retouching. His clients include Nylon Magazine, 944 Magazine, Bonnier Corporation, and American Airlines.
In addition to his business endeavors, Daryl is actively involved in the community. He organized the photography aspect of The Heart Gallery of Broward County in Florida, which is a traveling photography exhibit of foster children who are waiting to be adopted. By taking pictures of the children and portraying their unique personalities, the intention is that these children will be adopted and placed in permanent loving homes.
This class introduced students to conceptual photographic practices with a focus on the narrative portrait. Through a combination of studio work and lectures on the historical developments of conceptual photography, students learned the basic steps of creating high-concept portraits. Working from idea to final print, the emphasis was on character/story development, establishing the narrative thread in images, capturing the essence and narrative of their subject on camera and the importance of editing. Issues of personal vision, composition, scale, technique, and execution were also addressed. Although this class was not meant to cover technical concerns in depth, students were introduced to basic digital shooting and printing skills as well as to digital workflow.
Crystal Am Nelson is an artist, curator, and writer based in Los Angeles, CA. She received her MFA in Photography from San Francisco Art Institute and BA in English and Identity Studies from University of Rhode Island. As an artist, Nelson has exhibited nationally and internationally, was the recipient of the 2011 Visions from the New California Award, and was selected as one of the artists for the 2012 ECAR program at Boston’s Emmanuel College. As a writer, she is a regular contributor to the online art journal Art Practice, and has contributed to Identity Theory (identitytheory.com) as well as the African American National Biography, a joint project of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University and Oxford University Press, which was published in 2008.
Students learned how to distinguish between a snapshot and a portrait. They discovered what shooting techniques will help to capture the personality of the subject. Lighting and environment were also discussed.
Tiffany Naz Roohani, a native Southern Californian, is an artist and photographer currently based in Los Angeles. She obtained her degree from Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. Her photography credits include Funny or Die, NBC, and From Here to There Collective, among others. Tiffany has also been a photography Mentor and Instructor for Venice Arts in Neighborhoods. She currently resides in Echo Park.
Who speaks to me with my own voice? The French phenomenologist Mike Defrenne said, “The imagination is that which is least human in man. It wrenches him away from himself and plunges him into ecstasy; it puts him into secret communion with the powers of nature”. This workshop focused on developing work that articulates a personal vision. Students and instructors looked at contemporary works and ways of using images. The workshop helped students learn to see visually and articulate their inner voice to ask questions about the world we live in.
Suné Woods is a Los Angeles based artist. Her projects often focus on the body in relation to historical contexts, narratives, rural spaces, and intergenerational relationships. Woods’ work to date includes photography, video, and collage. Her work has been shown at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Latin Collector Gallery, New York. The Lowe Art Museum, Miami; Patricia Sweetow Gallery, The San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery; Koplin Del Rio, Los Angeles. Woods received her MFA from California College of the Arts and is currently serving as Visiting Faculty at CalArts. She will be in residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts in the summer of 2012.
Simplicity is the key. Students gained insight into working with film, the original medium of photography. Students learned the fundamentals of capturing the moment without the hassle of high technology.
Amanda Shank. A photographer since the age of 6, my first camera was purchased with Kellogg’s cereal box tops and featured Cornelius, the Corn Flakes Rooster.
Inspired by the Magnum Photo Agency photographers, I decided to earn my B.F.A in photography, concentration in Photojournalism, from Shepherd University in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.
I moved to LA two years ago and work for Lomography as well continue to freelance as a photographer and videographer. My fellow Lomographers and the creative energy of Los Angeles continue to inspire me on a daily basis.
Astor Morgan shared his love of creating images using digital and analog photography. Astor explored the available environments to show students how images may be found and created anywhere and everywhere.
Astor Morgan, commercial and fine art photographer, philanthropist, and consultant.
Astor has been involved in the photo industry for 20 years. Astor’s appreciation of the visual arts was born while growing up between the two colorful cultures of southern Louisiana and Sicily, Italy.
Astor’s images have been published worldwide in magazines, on CD covers, movie posters, as well as featured on television. He has had the pleasure of working with an array of legendary artists, actors and musicians. Astor is heavily involved in the global photo community representing commercial photographers and artists as the Chairman of the Los Angeles Board of Directors for the Advertising Photographers of America. Through APA, Astor helps to educate and inspire photographers through workshops and seminars, and promoting ethics in the photographic community.