Artists have long worked with the human figure as a subject in every medium, and photography certainly has a rich history in that regard. Form, gesture, line, texture, light and shadow, and artistic intention all play a vital role in creating successful images. Placing the human figure into a unique landscape reveals countless opportunities to explore these themes, and we will spend time examining all of them in our workshops.
Certainly, developing a personal vision in this subject is important, and there is hands-on guidance throughout the shoot. We keep the ratio of participants to talent very low, so there is lots of shooting time. You’ll learn how to work with models in a professional manner that creates an environment of trust and collaboration, and how to establish a rhythm to the shoot that encourages artistic feedback and active participation by your model. Additionally, we will spend time critiquing the images the class produces afterwards, so you have positive feedback to carry you forward into the next shoot.
YOUR GUIDE
Allen Birnbach has worked both as a commercial and fine art photographer for over thirty years. His commercial assignments for advertising and corporate clients has taken him to over twenty countries around the world. His photographs have been recognized in The New York Art Director’s Club One Show, The ARC Annual Report competitions, Print Magazine, Communication Arts Magazine, Photo Design Magazine, Photomethods, and Photo District News.
His personal work has been exhibited in galleries internationally, and can be found in numerous individual and corporate collections in the U.S. and abroad. Most recently, one of his images was included in the book, “The World’s Greatest Black and White Photography.” You can see some of his work, a client list and an artist resume at BirnbachFigureworks.com, BirnbachImages.com and AllenBirnbach.com.
Over the last number of years, Allen has brought his passion for the medium to teaching photography. He is an instructor at the UCLA Extension, The Santa Fe Workshops, Focus on Nature (Iceland), Working with Artists, and The Anderson Ranch.