Under the guidance of Stella Johnson, capture the spirit of Maine's hidden gems as you discover the art of forming a profound connection with your subject and cultivating your unique personal style.

There are no available registration dates at this time.

Seagull stealing a piece of food from a child's hand
Image credit: Stella Johnson

Compelling storytelling demands a photographer’s strong connection with his or her subject. In this course, Stella Johnson teaches students how to make that connection and develop a personal style of photography. She works individually with photographers to help them determine and define their interests and ideas.

Students research local story ideas and learn new technical and visual skills essential to telling that story. There will be hands-on instruction with Stella.

Shirtless man holding a bucket on a wharf in Maine
Image credit: Rebecca Moseman

You will collaborate with your subjects and return to the same locations each day. You will start photographing a project- perhaps on a farm, a ferry boat, a schooner, at the beach, local ponds, or the drive-in, depending on one’s interests. Light, composition, image selection, and sequencing are equally important to the story-telling.

Each day is spent photographing an area, segment of culture, or person. Stella meets on-location and in class each day to review images. She shares her professional experiences working on stories and what it takes to develop both the strong relationships and the strong imagery necessary to work on long-term projects.

Person working in a greenhouse
Image credit: Maddie Pagano

Personal transportation is highly recommended for this workshop. Students will need to bring their own laptop computers and an external hard drive.

Past student work

Seeing Maine, photography workshops - By Libby Edelman
Image credit: Libby Edelman
Photo by Irna Jay
Image credit: Irna Jay
Seeing Maine - child running and jumping off rock into a lake
Image credit: Abby Flanagan
Crate full of Maine lobster bait. Photo by Charlotte Phillips.
Image credit: Charlotte Phillips.

Header image by Amy Drucker.

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Instructor: Stella Johnson

Stella Johnson is a photographer and educator known for her passionate and honest documentary projects. She received a Core Fulbright Scholar Grant to photograph in Mexico in 2003-2004, and Fulbright Specialist grants to teach in Mexico in 2006 and in Colombia in 2018. The University of Maine Press published her monograph, Al Sol: Photographs from Mexico, Cameroon and Nicaragua in 2008. Wild Greek Press published her second monograph, ZOI, in 2018. Johnson’s photographs have been widely exhibited in the United States and internationally. 

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