Portrait Photography: Commercial (five-session workshop)

What makes a portrait memorable? A portrait can change our perception of how we look at people. Portraiture is about the decisive moment when the photographer chooses to capture someone through the lens. There are critical steps to take the perfect photograph of an individual. In the course, students will be asked to consider the relationship between the photographer from a commercial perspective. Throughout the five-week course, students will look at historical and contemporary portraiture photographers working in across a wide range of contexts from advertising and public service to documentary. We will examine how to think critically about representation and learn how to take compelling portraits. Students will be required to produce imagery outside of class in addition to in-class assignments. As a class, we will analyze and discuss the student imagery weekly, providing guidance and constructive feedback for the work to improve and grow.

Students can expect to walk away with the skills to hone in on their intuition to create expressive portraits. All kinds of digital cameras are welcome: compact point-and-shoot, the new mirrorless cameras, and SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras. Tripods are required. Fleisher can provide tripods for use during class sessions.

Special Notes

This is an in-person class which will take place onsite at Fleisher. Please review our COVID-19 community safety policies for current guidelines.

Tuition Assistance is Available

To make our classes and workshops accessible to everyone, Fleisher offers tuition assistance every term so that everyone can join our creative community. Tuition assistance applications can be completed once registration is open by clicking here. The deadline to apply for spring term assistance is Friday, March 10; Notifications will be sent by Monday, March 13.

What you will learn:

  • Engage with the topic of commercial portraiture photography

  • Discuss historic and contemporary approaches to commercial portraiture

  • Develop an understanding of lighting setups both natural and artificial

  • Explore the relationship between the photographer, the subject, and the client

  • Build skills in critical discussion and analysis

  • Develop a commercial portraiture portfolio

Required supplies:

  • Digital Camera (All digital cameras are welcome: compact point-and-shoot, the new mirrorless cameras, and SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras)

  • Memory card for a digital camera

  • Please bring an external flash or hard drive to class or be prepared to save your work on a cloud-based storage alternative. Fleisher’s computers are shared tools and the hard drives are cleared regularly to keep them in good working condition.

  • Tripod

  • Notebook and writing instrument