The goal of this class is ultimately to learn the value of listening empathetically and to use that skill to relay our subject’s authentic story in a photograph. As a major theme in all my workshops, I require students to look inward in order to apply techniques in our work creatively. And of course, the class projects will always include a bit of self-reflection through writing!

Part 1: Free write!

After each lesson grab a notebook or your computer and free-write for 10 minutes. That’s it, only 10 minutes. I will give you a writing prompt to help guide you, but don’t feel limited to it! I encourage you to write about anything and everything. Reflect on yourself, childhood memories, what’s on your mind, and what you thought of the lesson, and explore why. Describe your thoughts and connect with your senses. Ask yourself questions as you would the most interesting stranger in the world. Just don’t stop writing for 10 minutes.

The benefit to free writing is that it reduces our expectations of perfection, brings out emotional blocks and barriers to our success, and offers a blank slate for 100% honesty. In turn, you’re getting to know yourself as a creative. To photograph with intention we must continue to check in with ourselves on where we stand on the topics we care about, and sometimes feel uncomfortable about.

Part 2: Now, shoot!

After finishing this course, your class assignment is to create a self-love portrait series. Collaborating with a subject, you will take whatever they are trying to celebrate in their life or body, photograph them, and add your own creative flare to it. After post-production, you will complete your project by writing an artist statement describing your photographs. I recommend only 5-7 images to finish the project as you don’t need a massive amount of photographs to have a finished set. I encourage you to share your portraits in the class discussion!

Eva Woolridge

Photographer, Public Speaker, Activist

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