Led by Connie Imboden, utilize the power of critique to gain a deeper understanding of your photographic style and make you the strongest image maker you can be.

There are no available registration dates at this time.

ACT QUICKLY!  Just TWO seats remain.

Note: This workshop will be held in a live, online format utilizing the Zoom platform.
Class meets for 8 Wednesdays, Jan 8, 15, 22, 29, Feb 5, 12, 19 & 26 from 10am-12pm ET.

Everything you need to know about creating your greatest work is staring right back at you from within the work you are making now, and the critique is the method of learning how to shed light on the potential of your creative process. Led by Connie Imboden, this class is for photographers who are actively making photographs, and looking to push their work to the next level and advance their ideas and practice in engaging with critical dialogue.

Instructor Connie Imboden during a Maine Media MFA retreat.
Instructor Connie Imboden during a Maine Media MFA retreat.

The critique can be a powerful tool for identifying possible next steps, for reinforcing the strength in your work, and the path towards better articulating your visual statement. Sometimes the critique can simply be a reality check – allowing you to understand what you thought your image was about versus what the feedback is saying. Critiques can also generate ideas or directions.  The goal of the critique is always to make you the strongest image maker you can be.

While the goals in this course will be targeted towards each individual artist and the specific work they are making, these goals and themes very likely remain relevant for the group to consider and to learn through. A major part of the critique process comes from the communal base, where one can learn as much from what is suggested to – or said of – another peer’s work as for their own.

Man gazing into own reflection in dark water
By Connie Imboden.
By Connie Imboden.

Robust critiques and lectures are designed to form deeper discussions about your creative process and what you are trying to accomplish. In one of the final class sessions, each individual will have a short opportunity for one-on-one dialogue with the instructor.

The critique is a vital part of your growth as an artist, and this course will use the group critique process to guide you through the profound possibilities of your creative self, and how to avoid the perpetual pitfalls that can make you feel stuck on your journey.

Course Requirements and Student Expectations:

  • Students must have basic image processing skills and feel comfortable preparing their images digitally. Time in this course is not spent on image processing skills (like Lightroom or Photoshop) but rather the themes, content, edit, and goals of the work.
  • Students are expected to continue to make work between class sessions. This time allows opportunities for students to digest the previous/recent feedback and make adjustments based on that feedback. This process will allow for the refinement and understanding of the work.

This class is best for students who have some prior experience with critique, but it is not required. The foundational elements and guidelines of critique will be discussed in the first class session. Students should be open-minded and embrace the process.

All images copyright Connie Imboden.

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Instructor: Connie Imboden

Connie Imboden’s photographs are represented in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,  National Museum of American Art, Washington D.C., Philadelphia Museum of Art, Baltimore Museum of Art, Corcoran Museum, Washington D.C., Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, France, Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Germany and many other public and private collections in Europe and the Americas. Her work has been exhibited in an extensive range of group and solo shows at galleries and museums in England, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain, Costa Rica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile and the United States.

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