Learn to translate first impressions and hone your intuition to create expressive portraits.

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Experienced photographers continue to develop ways of working with their subjects to create a sense of personal style in their work. This course investigates historical and contemporary fine art as well as editorial portraiture with an emphasis on interpretation and creating a sense of personal vision. During the class meetings participants discuss the use of narrative, aesthetics and psychological approaches as well as the emotional aspects of the portrait.

Andrea leads students from “first impressions” to translating their initial responses into a creative expression. She covers topics such as approaching subjects, establishing a rapport, and forming a collaboration between subject and photographer that is both intuitive and spontaneous. 

The course will begin on Monday with Andrea sharing her work and creative practice in addition to reviewing each student’s work with everyone participating.  An assignment will be given for the week. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will begin with daily group critiques and afternoons will be devoted to photographing. Friday will begin with one – on – one reviews with Andrea in the morning, and a final group critique in the afternoon.  During the week, she also discusses topics relating to the use of portraits in publications and exhibits.  She also addresses legal and ethical issues through a series of slideshows and suggested readings, with plenty of time for great discussions!

All image credit ©Andrea Modica

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Instructor: Andrea Modica

Andrea Modica works as a photographer and teaches at Drexel University. She is a Guggenheim Fellow, a Fulbright Scholar and the recipient of a Knight Award. Her photographs have been featured in many magazines, including the New York Times Magazine, the New Yorker, Newsweek and American Photo. Her photographs are part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the International Museum of Photography and Film at the George Eastman House, and the Bibliotheque Nationale.

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