Creating Memorable Portraits

Creating memorable portraits is not only about capturing something unique about the subject but also about how the photographer chooses to portray the subject through the lens of their personal experience and point of view. In this hands-on workshop with professional portrait photographer, teacher, and San Miguel de Allende resident Christopher Fragapane, you explore how to create portraits with your own point of view and learn to develop your personal photographic style and incorporate that into your portraiture. 

Discover the richness of historic San Miguel de Allende, its gentle people, and their vibrant culture with Christopher offering his technical and creative guidance. You learn to understand, use, and modify the natural and existing light in a location and how to choose the best setting within a location to implement your vision. He also covers the topics of directing the subject, posing, and how to utilize texture, color and space to create a desired mood and tell the story of the subject. Christopher is available to answer any questions regarding the many logistical concerns and details that go into planning a portrait session.

This magical and challenging workshop week begins with Christopher reviewing images from each participant, then moving into a lecture and demonstration focused on the fundamentals of creating a successful portrait. Afterwards, students working in small groups engage with willing subjects on campus to practice their portrait-making skills. 

Each morning is devoted to reviewing and discussing, as a group, the images made by the students the previous day. Subsequent afternoons are spent working in small groups at pre-selected locations in and around San Miguel as well as in the town’s public parks and plazas working with models and locals as subjects. Here there is the opportunity to create portraits of a variety of subjects using the environment to compliment and tell “the story” of the subject. 

By the end of the week, students are rewarded with the skills and confidence necessary to approach people and guide them in a collaborative creative process to craft a memorable portrait.