PRISM Workshop Series:
Portraiture as Reciprocal Seeing
Sundays, 2pm–430pm
October 12 – November 16
Instructor: Carolyne Loreé Teston
Location: 16 Waverly Ave, Studio 401 Brooklyn, NY 11205 (three flights of stairs, no elevator)
Cost: $500 per person (Two sliding scale spots are available, and SWs participate for no cost. Email Carolyne at c@carolyne.studio if this feels relevant.)
Workshop Description: Portraiture as Reciprocal Seeing is a 6-week, small group analog photography workshop exploring portraiture through light, communication, and performances of self for the camera. Centered on slowness and presence, the workshop emphasizes process over perfection and invites students to reflect on the act of seeing and being seen. Our work will enable a conversation around the ethics of looking and power dynamics of gaze.
Weekly exercises will focus on light as evocation, communication between subject and photographer, and the construction of self through image. Participants will use 35mm or 120mm film cameras to build a portrait practice. We'll spend time polishing technical skills (exposure, framing, working with available light), looking at both contemporary and historical photographic portraiture, sharing works in progress, and engaging in group dialogue. Each week’s focus will be framed with a short reading. There is an option to have film processed, scanned, and test prints made weekly for in-class review. The course culminates in a small portrait series shared in a final group critique.
Objectives: Artists will gain a deeper understanding of portraiture as a relational and technical practice. They will learn to observe and use natural light intentionally—working with its mood, direction, and texture to shape meaning. Through weekly projects, they’ll develop confidence in directing and collaborating with subjects while also responding intuitively to their environment. Artists will have opportunities to explore how identity is performed and constructed in front of the camera, including in their own self-portraiture. Technically, they’ll sharpen their analog photography skills—exposure, composition, and timing on 35mm or 120mm film. Ultimately, they’ll leave with a small body of process-driven portraits and a stronger understanding of light, in-camera possibilities and reciprocity between subject and photographer.
Required Materials:
● 35mm or 120mm analog camera.
● Basic understanding of the main elements of photography: aperture, shutter speed, film speed / iso.
● 10 rolls (minimum) of black-and-white or color film (400 speed recommended).
● Notebook or sketchbook for notes, reflections, and planning.
● Light meter or light meter app.
● Optional: access to a processing lab and printer. Alternatively, there is an option to drop your film with Carolyne for weekly processing and test prints at an extra cost.
Please email Carolyne at c@carolyne.studio with any additional questions.
"This class helped shift my relationship with portraiture from a purely technical exercise to a more relational and intuitive practice. I now understand the importance of making my subject feel comfortable and safe, which allows for more honest and vulnerable portraits."
- A.S.
"My art practice as a creative director + designer is richer now that I have a better idea of lighting + the relationship between the subject and myself as the photographer and vice versa. It was huge self-directing myself as the subject to see what it’s like to be on the other side of the camera and that will greatly inform how I direct others in the future :) Such a great class! Carolyne is such a treat and a really encouraging + warm teacher."
- P.H.
"I took away an amazing summer, new connections and a new form of self expression. I started from 0 with no camera knowledge and ended the workshop with an understanding of aperture, focus, framing, and shutter speed. My art practice has expanded immensely. I’m having an incredible time taking photos of everything and everyone. Im excited to see where my journey leads me. Film is fantastic! I’m so glad I took this workshop with Carolyne, she makes learning a dream."
- Y.M.
