Master Class with Susan Burnstine: Defining the Personal Narrative

Houston Center for Photography (HCP) presents a Master Class with Susan Burnstine: Defining the Personal Narrative.

This two-day workshop focuses on exploring and realizing individual narratives through the power of the still image. Using metaphor, symbolism and personal stories participants will learn to articulate and refine their vision in any genre of the medium, whether that be landscapes, portraits, still life, nature, abstract, photojournalism, self-portrait or documentary.

As photographers, our images are deeply rooted in personal emotion despite being self-created or found scenarios. The aim of this workshop is to guide photographers to become emotionally connected to each image they create, and to convey their vision in a meaningful, honest and consistent manner.

Participants will explore their own personal narratives, aesthetics and psychology in image making. Through practical demonstrations, creative exercises, group discussions, shooting assignments and portfolio reviews, photographers will leave the workshop encouraged and inspired to grow to the next level of their creative potential. Additional topics will include, long term project development, techniques, editing portfolios, marketing, publishing and exhibitions.

Join Susan for a rich exploration of the self, as we harness the power of photography to realize individual narratives.

What to bring:

A DSLR and laptop computer to process shooting exercises.

Participants should have their portfolios (approximately 20-35 images) prepared in digital form. If you would like to consider more than one body of work during our discussion, please edit your images to be no more than 15 per multiple bodies of work, with no more than two bodies of work. For those that have written a statement about your work, please bring it along.

Additionally, bring two jpegs of images by other artists that most inspire you most and one jpeg of your work that you feel best defines you. Place these jpegs in separate files. You will receive a detailed letter specifying how to prepare your files after sign up.

The class fee includes a boxed lunch.

About Susan Burnstine

Susan Burnstine is an award-winning fine art and commercial photographer originally from Chicago now based in Los Angeles. Susan is represented in galleries across the world, widely published, teaches workshops internationally, curates exhibitions, frequently reviews portfolios at numerous festivals and has also written for several photography magazines, including a monthly column for Black & White Photography Magazine (UK). Damiani Editore will publish Susan’s second book,Absence of Being, this fall. Her web site is www.susanburnstine.com