Crafting the Editorial Portrait in Natural Light

with Katie McCurdy

Online registration for this program has closed. To check availability, find out about future dates, or if you would like further information, please call 505-983-1400 ext. 111. Also, get the SFW E-Newsletter for updates!

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Course Description

Delve into the heart of portraiture as an art form. Learn to establish authentic connections with your subjects and capture their essence through composition, natural lighting, and storytelling. Engage in hands-on sessions where we work together to create portraits on location using natural light and models, mastering the art of posing, framing, and narrative within each image.

In this five-day workshop in Santa Fe, photographer Katie McCurdy shares how to harness the power of natural light to elevate your portraits. Discover how to leverage light and shadow to sculpt and enhance your subjects. Explore outdoor settings, adapting to changing light conditions while transforming ordinary scenes into captivating portraits.

Gain invaluable insights into editorial and commercial photography from Katie’s guidance and experience. Understand the principles of crafting impactful images for editorial spreads, advertising campaigns, and beyond. Explore client relations, the collaborative nature of professional shoots and how to navigate the complexities of the photography industry as a working professional.

Additional Information

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

This workshop is for Advanced Amateur and Professional photographers with natural light portrait experience.

What You Should Know:

Proficient in digital workflow and custom functions on your digital SLR or mirrorless camera, and be able to download and select images using software for class sessions.

Participants also need to have a laptop with post-processing software installed (ie. Adobe Lightroom, or Photoshop).

This workshop is not for beginning photographers; participants need to have portrait experience.

Portfolio Required:

Please see the Portfolio Section of Registration Information for guidelines on your submission of recent portraits pertinent to this class.

Activity Level:

To get the most from your workshop experience, participants should be in good physical (mobility, stamina) and mental health. Come prepared for the high elevation of Santa Fe, long days, and seasonal weather including high temperatures. You must be able to carry your own photographic and personal gear at all times, both on campus and on location. You are responsible for being open and honest about your physical fitness, and we reserve the right to remove you from the workshop if we find your fitness to be less than that which you have described.

Participants should be able to engage in moderate outdoor exercise for up to an hour or more at a time including off-trail walking on uneven terrain including sand, dirt, and loose rock. Location work is likely to include early morning and/or late evening shoots.

Policies:

View Payment, Refund, Withdrawal, and Transfer Policies for domestic workshops.

Accommodations:

Participants are responsible for making their own housing arrangements in Santa Fe. On-campus accommodations are not currently available.

Meals:

Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner at the Friday evening Image Presentations, and daily beverage service are included.

about

Katie McCurdy

Photographer and director Katie McCurdy divides her time between New York City and Upstate New York, where she creates vibrant and expressive images that are both playful and earnest. Katie uses her pared-back approach to cultivate an immediate rapport with her subjects, to capture authentic intimate images. Through her sensitive, yet strong, portraiture, Katie erases the distance between subject and viewer—presenting both celebrities and strangers in an immediately intimate way. This ability is most evident in her recent client work with Selena Gomez x Puma, W Magazine, WSJ, Vogue, Polo Ralph Lauren,Clinique and META. When not shooting commercially, Katie continues with her personal projects including photographing milestone moments, like prom, of the teenage youth in her hometown in Pennsylvania.

Website: katie-mccurdy.com