About this Event
Have you ever seen someone on the street who you would absolutely love to make a portrait of but were too shy to ask them? Would you like to improve the connection to subjects in your portraiture? Regardless of your level of experience or confidence in photography, this workshop will inspire you and teach you how to handle your nerves, connect more authentically, and make portraits with emotional impact.
We'll cover the technical and more psychological approaches to making portraits, the legal aspects of street photography as well as the ethical and moral ones. We will work on gaining confidence slowly, one portrait at a time. You will have plenty of time to observe me and how I work until you feel ready to try it yourself.
This workshop is limited to six people to ensure each person gets enough one on one instruction.
Key Topics Covered:
- Setting up your camera for Portraiture (Aperture Priority vs Shutter Priority)to Maximise Correct Exposure and Image Quality
- Composition, Seeing the Frame, Thinking About the Subject and Background
- Tuning into Your Instinct and Selecting a Subject with Safety in Mind
- Your Fear- How to Feel it and Do it Anyway
- How to Approach a Subject Openly and with Confidence
- How to Talk to Your Subject by Putting Yourself at Ease (Annie Leibovitz has said that it's not the photographer's job to relax the subject. I can see her point but I can also contest it. Every photographer is different.)
- Getting Out of Your Head / Staying in the Moment
- How to Direct and Not Direct Subjects
- Legal, Ethical and Moral Rights When Photographing Strangers
- Model Releases: What are They and When Do We Need Them
Workshop Structure for the Day:
We will gather at the venue for a short introduction to each other, our equipment and cover how we'll conduct ourselves on the street. Dorothea Lange spoke of a "Point of Departure" - a task or chore one has to do involving any kind of journey, to a grocery store, to work or any appointment. You'll be more likely to 'find' photographs when you're not expressly looking for them. With this in mind, we'll set off on foot to a destination I've selected (for maximum people exposure) and photograph along the way.
You can observe me working as I do, and you will have a chance to work one on one with me. We'll also work as a group and as pairs and there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion as we go. There will be an optional dinner afterwards at a location of our choosing.*
*Meals and drinks are not provided as part of the workshop
Street photography is a fantastic discipline for any photographer regardless of your preferred genre (if you have one) because it is accessible to you anytime, anywhere you are. Learning how to photograph strangers is not only great for your confidence and overall photography practice, I've found it helpful for improving my mental health. It keeps my technical photographic skills sharp while helping me to work on insecurities, social anxiety and fears about rejection. In my experience, people rarely say no to having their photograph made, and when they do, I have come to appreciate that it is never about me. It is about them. The skills you gain in this workshop are transferrable to any genre of photography and to life itself.
You don't need advanced photographic experience to take this class. Beginners are welcome. Equally, if you have experience (even a lot) there will be techniques covered that will allow you to get more out of encounters and improve your photographs. You will learn my approach to best practices and how to engage people with respect to your personal style and comfort.
I prefer to reveal the extraordinary in the "ordinary" but sometimes I try to capture the extraordinary to reveal the 'ordinary'. This presents its own challenges and we'll talk more about that during the workshop.
What to bring with you (I recommend travelling light):
- Any camera (digital or analogue)
- One lens- 50mm or 35mm lenses are recommended (I primarily shoot with 50mm)*
- Appropriate attire**
- Appropriate footwear (comfortable walking shoes)
- A contactless card or Oyster Card for any tube or bus journeys
*Focal lengths of 85mm and above require you to stand too far away from the subject and don't encourage the kind of interaction we are aiming to achieve.
**Climate is unpredictable but this class will take place rain or shine. Make sure you're prepared for whatever the weather will be. I recommend checking it on the day before you leave your home.
Some of the wonderful things people are saying:
"An incredible experience. Gabrielle is an excellent teacher and communicator. Her work with strangers means she's gained an empathy that really shines through in her interactions with students." - Steven O
"Just want to say what an incredible experience I found the workshop. I started off feeling really nervous and ended up actually enjoying stopping strangers and asking them for a portrait! I think being able to see Gabrielle at work and watch the reaction of the people who she asked for a portrait was a huge help. Her coaching throughout the workshop was excellent; gently nudging and encouraging us without pushing us too quickly. It was a privilege to watch and learn from Gabrielle and I feel like I’ve genuinely had a huge mindset shift that will not only help me in my photographic practice but in all areas of my life." - Katy D
"Gabrielle in action makes it look effortless to approach a stranger. The way she shares the techniques, skills and talent is a true masterclass in this art. I found my voice and the ability to walk up and articulate to ask a stranger to take their picture. Finding the words to approach a stranger and ask them to stop and let me photograph them was amazing. It was brilliant to ask to take a picture, not shy away and retreat back into my own space and use a telephoto lens. Instead being able to connect with someone in a common area and capture their image face to face. It's something I have wanted to be able to do, but until now I could never find that voice. I now have the voice to ask." - William McD
"I can definitely recommend this workshop to everyone! The way it is structured allowed me to gradually (and quickly!) start and succeed! The checklist that was emailed the day before was extremely helpful - really allowed me to get myself into the right mindset beforehand and I will be using it next time I venture out on my own. Also, your teaching and coaching are amazing. I loved the honesty and support throughout the whole afternoon. It definitely was more than just a photography workshop!" - Lukasz I
"I am usually a shy and introverted person, thanks to the push and advice of Gabrielle I managed to stop so many strangers (which I never did before) and I've been able to come back home with portraits of 10 people never met before. I really enjoyed every single moment of this workshop. Thanks, Gabrielle." - Andrea G
This workshop is taught by award-winning photographer and colourist Gabrielle Motola. Known for her street portraiture and solo motorcycle journeys, she is a skilful educator with more than fifteen years of experience teaching privately, in corporate environments and at universities around the world including, but not limited to, MET Film School, The International Centre of Photography, The BBC, Warner Brothers, Canon Europe, and Olympus.
Visit her website to find out more about Gabrielle and her work or ask any questions about the workshop.
Watch the short film Sean Tucker made about Gabrielle's approach to street portraiture. It shows me photographing on the street with people. It was made in 2019 and I've grown a great deal since then but Sean is a wonderful filmmaker and the film itself is incredibly moving. If you love people it is definitely worth the watch.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Stumptown Coffee Roasters, 30 West 8th Street, New York, United States
GBP 100.00 to GBP 150.00
