Photography

Yolonda Jones, photographic artist, envisions holding and facilitating space for VMFA distanced student participants to experience a primer in the Art of Everyday Photography. She will conduct the session in three parts: guiding students through an introduction to the theory of photography as art, getting cameras (phone build-ins, DSLRs, point and shoot, Polaroids—whatever’s available) into…

Photography was invented in 1839.In the beginning, there was a light-tight box, a lens, and a shutter to control light. The camera projected the image on a light-sensitive paper, which was then developed and made permanent through chemical processes. Students will view the first photographs as they look back at the history of photography and then discuss how photography has changed over the last century. Once students have an understanding of image making, the class will make rudimentary photographs using pinhole cameras (supplied) and review the materials needed to make pinhole cameras.

Using digital photographs and Photoshop, students will alter images at the pixel level creating digital montages — or a blend of imagery created by cutting, pasting, layering, and masking digital content — inspired by artwork in the VMFA collection. The instructor will provide digital images during the workshop, but students are encouraged to bring their own digital photos on a jump drive. Students are required to have basic computer skills.

A story is often told through photographs. Small groups of students will write fictional stories based on artwork from the museum collection and shown photography examples that take advantage of set construction, lighting, and documentary styles. Visually thinking about their stories, each group will decide how to convey the narratives using a camera. Establishing the subject, location, and character, the photography process begins. The final output will be a portfolio of photographs exhibiting the story either through digital or printed resources.

This workshop will illustrate an idea using various photographs. To start, students choose a word or phrase to be illustrated. Looking through a variety of photographic imagery, students will choose photographs to cut and paste to make a collage. Students will be asked to express their word or phrase with three to five different versions of their photo collages. If digital photography technology is available, cameras will also be used in the photo illustration process. The final output will be a portfolio of three to five photo collage illustrations.

Join photographer Glen McClure, whose projects have included A Random Portrait of Virginia and Faces at the Races, in a hands-on workshop on the digital portrait. Learn simple portrait techniques, including the use of natural light, electronic studio flash, proper backgrounds, and strategies to help your subjects relax in front of the camera. Weather permitting, we will work outside with natural light and create portraits of our classmates. At the end of the day, images are reviewed in one-on-one and group discussions.