Portraiture: The Empathetic Lens

With Jessica Holleque

August 20 - 26, 2023

Location: Grunewald Guild Library

What will class time be like?: Group learning time focused on portraiture and storytelling photography, as well as how to connect with your subject. There will also be a hands-on exercise each day to tap into our creative practice! You will be able to share and reflect so that we can continue to build on this theme throughout the week.

Will I need to work outside of class?: Yes, participants wishing to create complex or ambitious projects should expect to spend additional time working outside of class.

What can I expect to create?: You will create images from daily exercises used for class review and/or your own portfolio. Quantity will be based on the individual, with no expectation for end products, with encouragement to document the messy, beautiful process of learning together.

Do I need experience to take this class?: All experience levels welcome, including beginners

What do I need to bring to class?: Though the instructor will supply a bunch of cameras participants are free to play and learn with (including digital mirrorless cameras, old film cameras, or Polaroids), you may bring a camera with which you familiar and comfortable (including smartphones)

Minimum age of participant: 18

required deposit: $250

  • Commuter – $115.00
  • Cabin – $1,180.00
  • Hilltop Entire House – $1,480.00
  • Private Queen Room + Shared Bath – $940.00
  • Private Twin Room + Shared Bath – $940.00
  • Shared Room + Shared Bath – $610.00
  • Yurt – $730.00
  • Library Dorm – $460.00
  • RV with Electric: 125V/30 Amp – $460.00
  • RV with Electric: 25V/20 Amp – $460.00
  • Personal Tent or Car Camping – $400.00

Jessica writes: “Behind the lens, we become the storytellers for the people in front of our cameras.  This workshop is an opportunity to learn and discuss in community, how to find the place where we weave together our own stories with that of the subjects in front of us to create photographs that feel universal. Together we will explore ways to work from an empathetic lens, empower our subjects, and map a road to honest image-making. The days will include group discussions, self-portraiture exercises, exploration of personal projects, and an invitation to use the tools we’ve learned in your own photo sessions.”

This class is not a how-to for using your camera/editing/technical skills. Participants are invited to join wherever they are in their technical skill set, put away comparisons, and instead focus on the heart within their work.  This class will be about sitting in the mess together, digging deep, and finding the stories that are begging to flow out of us. We will be exploring how the themes that are tugging at our hearts can be found in the human experiences of others around us.

About the Faculty

Jessica Holleque

Jessica Holleque is a self-taught photographer and ceramic artist in Minneapolis, MN. Raised in the rural mining region of northern Minnesota, she is continuously drawn to the connection of the human experience as related to the surrounding environment. Her photography is rooted in moments of connection, documenting honest experience, and empowering her subjects. She has […]

Learn more about Jessica Holleque

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