HOMER PHOTO FEST 2011
May 31st–June 4th, 2011
WORKSHOPS
All workshops, round table discussions & portfolio reviews are conducted at Alaska Ridgetop Inn unless otherwise noted. Alaska Ridgetop Inn is approximately 6 miles from downtown Homer surrounded by forests, lawns and gardens with views of Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet. A spacious, quiet, picturesque setting for the Homer Photo Fest
To make use of every possible minute, and so that you can meet and talk with the instructors, round table facilitators and fellow workshop participants Homer Photo Fest provides lunches at the Alaska Ridgetop Inn. Coffee ready at 6:00am. Breakfast served from 7 to 8:30am Lunch is served from 12 noon to 1pm (see meal plan under registration).
Andrea Modica
Wednesday, June 1st, 9am to 3pm
"The Intuitive Portrait"
In this one-day workshop, photographers of every level will develop ways of working with their subjects to create a sense of personal style in their work. Participants discuss the use of narrative, aesthetics and psychological approaches as well as the emotional aspects of the portrait.
Andrea leads students from "first impressions" to translating their initial feelings into a creative expression. She covers topics such as approaching subjects, establishing a rapport, and forming a collaboration between subject and photographer that is both intuitive and spontaneous. Andrea encourages students to capture the essence of their subjects while exploring their imaginations and senses to create more intuitive portraits.
We will start the day talking about work. Then we will photograph each other, as a warm-up exercise. After lunch we will photograph in downtown Homer.
Due to the time constraints of this class, students must shoot digitally.
Sam Abell
Thursday, June 2nd, 9am to 3pm
"The Next Step"
This one-day workshop is designed for those photographers serious about taking their image-making to the next level. Our time begins with Sam presenting some of his work and opening it up to discussion. Sam will give assignments to help photographers see and build better images. Some of the concepts covered are: seeing in layers, the influence of internal framing and the power of "micro-composition." He'll stress the concept of "compose and wait" and also give an assignment called "giving life to a still life." There is a methodology to how to go about making pictures. By showing examples, giving assignments and "breaking down" the images Sam will make the process of photography comprehensible. This workshop stresses that good images and strong careers are the result of clear thinking and seeing, not of luck or the passing technique of the day. This is what makes lasting photographs.
Stephen Perloff
Friday, June 3rd, 9am to 3pm
"A Day in the Life of Homer"
In this one-day workshop, photographers will create a portrait of Homer, the place and its people, over the course of one day. Of course a place, like a person, has many personalities and activities that are different over the course of a week, a month, a year, so our view will be partial and episodic. Yet given the range of interests by the participants in this workshop, we hope to create some memorable images and sketch out a blueprint for how one might approach a longer-term project of documenting a place. We will explore ideas of how best to create this portrait, from establishing shots to telling details, and from capturing the decisive moment to establishing a rapport with people in more formal portrait settings. We will talk about the importance of captions, of how and when best to use them, to possibly integrating interviews and other text into a final project.
In the morning we will look at and discuss Stephen's work and the many possible models it represents, such as his study of the town of Centralia, Pennsylvania, which has had a coal mine fire burning beneath it since 1962. In the afternoon we will photograph in downtown Homer.
Due to the time constraints of this class, students must shoot digitally. If students own a tripod and detachable flash, they are encouraged to bring them.
