The Romantic Image


Examine your passion through photography with supportive and masterful image maker, Elizabeth Opalenik.

Elizabeth OpalenikIn this intensive workshop, students explore human emotions and the many beautiful possibilities of creating stunning portraits, sensual figure images and graceful human forms in motion.

Participants examine their passion with photography to be the visual voice for stories left behind, as they understand that all good photographs are self-portraits. Students experiment with fabrics, styling, movement within the frame and seeing the moment.

This workshop demonstrates combining natural light with reflectors and how the use of infrared (film or digital) creates an ethereal mood to finding the beauty within. Through assignments, exercises and working together on location sharing ideas, students discover new ways to convey intention and remember why they are photographic artists. This class is about using one's imagination in capturing light and feelings. The week starts with a portfolio review followed by lectures, demonstrations and critiques throughout the workshop.  

Students should bring 10 images, print or digital, that they have made and feel strongly about and one figure or portrait image that they wish they had made.

Testimonials:

"A great learning experience in a beautiful environment."
- Barry McNew, Greenville, TX

"Elizabeth is supremely sensitive and supportive."
- Steven Fierberg, Los Angeles, CA

"Learning from Elizabeth Opalenik is to learn from a true master and a lovely woman."

Instructors

Elizabeth Opalenik

Elizabeth Opalenik Photo By: George DisarioElizabeth Opalenik was trained in common sense with a keen eye for observing life and its minute details.    Her voice is that of a fine art photographer known for the sense of poetic grace and movement she brings to her images. She is a sought after educator for the sense of wonder and possibility she creates in her students. 

Elizabeth’s heart is in her Oakland California darkroom where she creates many one of a kind images with Mordançage, painting and other diverse alternative processes.  She bridges technology, mixing digital and traditional when appropriate to utilize all the creative possibilities to fuel her passion working with the figure, dance and anything in water.  Elizabeth believes that all good photographs are self portraits that allow the power of photography to be a visual voice for stories left behind. Images become stepping stones that trace where the mind has been and reflect the unique vision that each of us carries through life.

Her innovative images  have been collected, shown and profiled internationally in most major photographic publications.  She privately leads figure, travel and dance workshops in the United States, France, Italy, Mexico, and Argentina while also conducting classes for The Maine Media Workshops, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, the Center for Photography at Woodstock, National Geographic Expeditions, Stanford Continuing Education and others. 

With her first monograph "Poetic Grace: Elizabeth Opalenik Photographs 1979-2007",  Elizabeth fulfilled her dream,  learned many things about herself, her audience, publishing and being on press. Says Elizabeth "Publishing "Poetic Grace" opened many doors, but more importantly allowed me to close some and move on to new projects.  There is a wonderful sense of completion when you can organize bodies of work in such a way that allow you to move forward."  

Please visit www.opalenik.com to learn more.

What Elizabeth's students have said:

"Elizabeth is supremely sensitive and supportive."
- Steven Fierberg, Los Angeles, CA

"Learning from Elizabeth Opalenik is to learn from a true master and a lovely woman."

http://www.opalenik.com/