[Update 26 February]

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 1 - student project

So happy with the enthusiasm for my biggest class so far. I published my class a week ago. It has taken me over two months to make in total and the past months I've been working at it nearly fulltime.

It's been such a ride. I really hope it will help a lot of photographers out there, struggling to connect with their subjects trying to capture them as they are.

My class is for professional photographers and aspiring photographers who want to learn to take authentic portraits of their clients and friends. Whether they love the camera or are camera shy; my methods will help them a lot.

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 2 - student project

[Update February 10

So I think I have my class cover! Still playing with the size and alignment of the text, as it has to work for both project and class (which has a wider aspect ratio) and it shows differently on YouTube as well.

I've also uploaded a version of my intro. It still needs several cover shots, like examples of my work and screencast, but I'm getting there.

I think I've said everything that was mentioned in the class guidelines. Pfff!

Let me know what you think!

[Update january 29]

Playing with the class cover and the font for the graphics in the class.

I'm not sure about this photo, but I like that it is a 'behind the scenes shot'. I would like to do one like that with her (from the previous class cover).

Any thoughts?

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 3 - student project

[update january 26th]

Wow, time is going by so fast! But luckily I'm getting a lot done too. I've added my outline and have started recording the talking head parts and it's going well to pretty bad (must take my own class again :)).

At least I'll have a huge blooper roll by the end of this. But I'm really happy to be back and sharing what I know and have learned myself when working with people. Here's a mini blooper preview.

[update january 20th]

Here is my class plan. I've decided to share the outcomes of each lesson, so I know what to teach to get there.

Very short intro:

In this class you’ll learn to look and go beyond the surface of your subjects (and yourself!) and portray who they really are.

You’ll learn to build rapport and capture their inner beauty in authentic portraits. I’ll teach you several ways to invite your subject (paying client or model) to reveal themselves as they are so you can capture their aliveness. No more fixed poses or fake smiles or vacant looks. No more stifling discomfort. No more uninteresting, superficial portraits.

By the end of this class "Authentic Portraiture || Connect With and Bring Out the Real Person" students...

will have access to and some experience with a large toolbox of tricks, attitudes, exercises, and a mindset to use with their subjects and make better and more real portraits
will know better how to connect with different people

No more fixed poses or fake smiles or vacant looks. No more stifling discomfort. No more uninteresting, superficial portraits.

By the end of lesson What is Authenticity (and What Isn’t)? the student knows...

what authenticity means and why it is important in one’s work
why we don’t trust fake smiles
why trust and being connected is important

By the end of lesson Preparing for a Photo Session or Shoot the student knows...

the importance of preparing your subject before a shoot or session.
how I prep my clients and models and they will have access to my document so they can learn how to prep theirs.
why you shouldn’t over-prepare and leave room for surprises
the difference between a shoot with models and a session with a paying client

By the end of lesson Trust and Surrender the student...

knows how to establish an environment where subject (and photographer!) can relax, open up, be real.
knows how to approach each person differently
knows why it’s okay to be scared or stressed

By the end of lesson A Very Important Discovery the student...

will have gotten some experience creating a safe environment after doing the first exercise
will have learned my big discovery on confidence and creating a relaxing environment

By the end of lesson Difference Between Evoking and Acting the student...

knows more about authenticity and how it flows and changes and can be steered
knows why acting is not a good idea for most amateurs
knows the difference between acting and evoking certain qualities or moods
will have heard some of my personal stories that will make it easier to evoke
will have practiced evoking traits in their subjects

By the end of lesson The Power of (E-)motion and Aliveness the student...

realizes why their subjects (and the photographer too) must be as present as possible and shouldn’t think too much
will know some ways to bring their subject back if they have drifted off
will understand why aliveness in the eyes is essential for a strong portrait

By the end of lesson Dynamic Posing and: From Prey, to Being in Charge the student...

will have learned to give away some of their power to their subject and will understand why this is a good idea
will have learned how to teach their subject to do dynamic posing and will be able to see the difference from static posing

By the end of lesson The Power of a Distraction the student...

will know how to use a small distraction to help their subject be more present
they will understand which type of distraction will be useful and which won’t
will have seen some of my crazy examples, they can build on themselves

By the end of lesson If all Else Fails the student...

will have learned another powerful way to reach their subject that they might not have thought of before.
this will bring a whole new dynamic to the set and will have taught the student more about how to approach their subject.

By the end of lesson Duration is of the Essence the student...

will know why a longer shoot is usually better
will know how to spend that extra time
will have some arguments to persuade a client to book a longer session
will know when to give up on a possible job

By the end of lesson Shoot Nonsense the student...

will have learnt why nonsense is important
will have seen many examples of playful things to do with a subject
will know how to use bits of nonsense in a serious way
will have done an exercise to practice all this

By the end of lesson Raw Edges the student...

will learn why they shouldn’t always aim for perfection
will have seen how the raw edges in a portrait will make it look more authentic
will have seen my flawed second best seller and will better understand why raw edges will add to a success
will have practiced with a polished and a flawed portrait

By the end of lesson Standing or Sitting and Playing Some More the student...

will know they effect of different postures to their subject and to the result/story of the portrait
will learn about using support for the body or body parts
will generally have learned more about alternating postures and motion and stillness

By the end of lesson Try Simpler Gear particularly the tech savvy student...

will have had to use basic equipment in order to work faster and more freely
will know when and how to use simpler gear for a more authentic result and process
will have experienced the effect on their subject and themselves (more energy, more freedom, more fun)

By the end of lesson “What Should I Wear?” the student...

will know how to brief their subject regarding clothing, makeup and hair
will have received my client brief they can build upon
will understand how the outside can affect and help the inside

By the end of lesson Some of My Mistakes (That Turned out Quite Beneficial) the student...

will understand why making mistakes can be a good thing
will learn how honest mistakes can make ambassadors of their clients

By the end of lesson The Cherry on Your Project the student...

will have done a final bigger assignment for their project.
they will have applied several tools I shared with them and will have gained some experience using them
will have seen their confidence grow while applying the tools and seeing their effect

At the end of the class, in the final video, Last Trick up my Sleeve students...

will receive one final trick that I use sometimes and that has made for many great portraits.

[update january 18th 2021]

Woop! Finally I'm back! I'm currently making a class on how to make authentic portraits, by connecting with your subject. It will be for professional photographers (like landscap and still life) who want to start working with people. And also for aspiring beginners who like to portray their family and friends better.

My first classes were aimed at the people in front of the lens, particularly those with camera shyness, now I'm standing behind the photographer!

I'll keep updating this page.

_____________________________

[update April 18th 2018]

Master the Light & Mood of Your Head Shots || published!

A slight addition to the title (the word Light) makes it feel just right now.

[update April 13th] New cover image that better suits the content (and the audience I hope) and i changed the title back to the original one. It's quite the journey!

Please join and let me know what you think!

[update April 4]

A bit late but almost ready to publish! By the end of this week the class should be live.

[update March 21th:]

I'm really getting somewhere. I am at two thirds of making the class and it has its own will. Like me, the class wants to be about experimenting, more than mastering. And that makes sense. I believe experimentation is at the basis of every learning and growth and it always makes me happy. So I changed the title once more.

Class summary:
Friendly, poppy, natural, lively, romantic, classy, scruffy... In this class I’ll teach you how you can drastically change the mood and meaning of your photos and videos by playing with some very basic materials.
Light is the mother of photography and will be the main topic of the class.

I love to use low tech materials to get high tech results.

You really don't need expensive or professional gear, so no excuses anymore! The stuff you’ll need for this class, is probably in your home right now. A window, curtains, tin foil, white paper, twigs, some lace or other translucent material, black paper, tape, a bowl and water.

Start experimenting and discover how to influence the mood of your head shots!

If you have any wishes for a certain mood or feeling to be dealt with in the class, I can see if I can include it.

[update March 6th:]

Testing my new cover image. Does it say enough? Is it too busy? I'm thinking about re-designing all cover images for all my classes, as the layout is a bit difficult sometimes.

The dinosaurs were not working well enough to show how light affects a portrait, so I got myself two dolls! Finally playing with dolls properly.

[update March 5th:]

Unfortunately I didn't make it in February, but I'm well on my way now. Did a lot of the demonstrations today and I hope to film some talking head tomorrow!

[update February 22nd:]

Change of concept and change of title.

While working on my class, I found that it will probably be huge. Since I prefer classes that are relatively short, I decided to turn this into a series. Each class will help you master the mood of your images, by manipulating different variables. First up: Light!

Other topics will be: contrast, depth, depth of field, blur, motion blur, motion, shapes, layering, colour, timing, angle and placement. I will combine some of these for the next classes, but firstly I'll focus on lighting.

[update February 19th:]

The actors are preparing and warming up for their shoot.

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 4 - student project

[update February 18th: short intro video]

Today the neighbour's son is coming over to show me his dino collection. I may use them for my class.

And: I made a short intro video.

[update February 12 th: added class layout]

I've chosen my third class topic and I'm very excited about making this class. I made a slight change to the title and added meaning.

Friendly, scary, lively, romantic, classy, scruffy... In this class I’ll teach you how you can drastically change the mood and meaning of your photos and videos with the help of some very basic materials.
Light is the mother of photography and will be the main topic of the class. Other topics are contrast, depth, colour, timing and placement.

I love to use low tech materials to get high tech results.

You really don't need expensive or professional gear, so no excuses anymore! The stuff you’ll need for this class, is probably in your home right now. A flimsy shopping bag, some lace or other translucent material, a dark curtain or black paper, regular paper, string, tape, glue, scissors, flower and rice…

Start influencing and mastering the mood and meaning of your images!

Please read my class lay out here and feel welcome to comment and if you have any wishes for a certain mood or feeling to be dealt with in the class, I can see if I can include it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 5 - student project Yes! I made it. Published my second class January 31st and it is trending since day three. So happy with it.

For most people, having an authentic and strong presence on video is difficult. We tend to get distracted by the technical stuff or we have negative convictions about ourselves. When the camera is running, we nervously look at our notes, our eyes tend to stare into the lens and we forget what we want to say. When we are camera shy, we might even end up thinking it's 'not for us' to be in the spotlight.

Good news! This is not true and just some unconstructive talk from our inner critic.

In this introductory class I will teach you some basic tips and tricks that'll help you bring across your message clearly and authentically and how to have the inner critic take a seat on the bench.

You can watch the class here!

Or watch the intro to the class

How to...

... engage your viewer
... deal with nervousness and how to relax (enough);
... give the inner critic something to do;
... remember your lesson / story / message;
... use your body;
... speak at a good pace;
... connect with your viewer;
... stay close to who you are and use your quirks and other qualities;
... use a second camera / smartphone
... watch footage of yourself with kindness

...

Please find the complete class outline here. It is in constant flux.

(And... what else? What should I cover in class? Please let me know below!)

My experience with this topic is wide and deep. I worked as a director for children's TV for four years, where I worked with actors, presenters and guests, the latter often showing up in front of the camera for the first time. I used to be camera shy myself and can still be so. For many years I have been working as a portrait photographer for camera shy people on a near daily basis. I am now able to put my finger on many of the mental and physical processes that are active and helpful or distracting, while making a video.

I'm happy to be working on this class. Even though you might still shit your pants and have a pounding heart, you can do it. Let's take that fear on an exciting journey; let's go and Kill it on Video!

(I will add more info soon.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My first class: Courage for the Camera Shy

Below you can find the description of my first class, which is published here!!!!!

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 6 - student project

You'd rather go to the dentist than have your portrait taken. You freeze when a camera is pointed at you, but you NEED a good photo portrait of yourself representing who you really are? This is your class.

You can watch the intro here

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 7 - student project

Some of the things you'll do, learn and practice in this introductory class:

Get some insight into the drivers of your camera shyness;
Get physical;
Prepare yourself for a portrait session, mentally as well as physically;
Some really weird exercises;
Dynamic posing and taking charge of your photo session instead of feeling like prey to the photographer;
Have your portrait taken or take it yourself;
Start looking at photos of yourself with kindness.

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 8 - student project

Courage = feeling shyness or fear and doing it anyway;
Get into action and practice (it is not enough to watch the videos);
Don't force it; take your time.

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 9 - student project

No experience with being photographed professionally is needed to enter this class. You may not even experience real camera-shyness and still benefit from growing your confidence and familiarity with the camera.

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 10 - student project

It is my belief that the best learning results happen when we are playing, experimenting and enjoying ourselves. I try to make the lessons playful and light, even though we'll do some stretching of comfort zones and digging.

The Authentic Portraiture Toolkit || Capture the Real Person, Camera Shy or Not - image 11 - student project

This is not a technical photography class. You'll be asked to do some personal inquiry.
You will be in charge of how deep you'll allow yourself to go, however:

some of the lessons may evoke stronger emotions and memories than you can deal with on your own. If so, please ask the help of a trained therapist to support your process.
Although I have a lot of experience with camera-shy people and I am available per e-mail; I am not a therapist.
if you are diagnosed with anxiety disorder or experience strong anxiousness from time to time, please consult a therapist before enrolling. He or she can help you determine if this is the right course for you to take.

Join my class Courage for the Camera Shy!

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Oct 01 - Oct 31