What are the reasons for creating a portrait of someone? Is every photo featuring a person considered a portrait, and what are the nuances? How can you add depth to a portrait and reveal something of the subject's personality?
 
In this workshop, you will explore the concept of portraiture through time, examining its applications and meanings, and you’ll create your own!
The workshop begins with an introduction to portraiture and core concepts such as posture, background, composition, framing, lighting, and perspective. This is followed by a brief active tour or independent assignment (you can choose this during booking) in the Gallery of Honor of Dutch Photography, preparing you for the final creative task. Along the way, you’ll learn how portraits in the past primarily aimed to be lifelike representations and how they later began to convey more about a person’s image or status.
 
In the second part of the workshop, you will create a portrait photograph of a classmate. The goal is to visually express an aspect of your classmate's personality. Together, you’ll thoughtfully and respectfully discuss your relationship and how to translate it into interaction (staging). What story and emotion do you want to convey as the photographer? Which background, posture, and expression suit that vision? A good collaboration between you as the photographer and your model is crucial for achieving a successful result.
 
Let yourself be inspired by our museum educators, who are also professional photographers!
 
Themes:

• The use and meaning of portrait photography over time


• Visualizing imagination and expressing emotions in a photographic image


• Communicating through imagery (staged photography) and body language (posture and facial expression)


• Awareness of subject, setting, and composition