SPECIALIZED PHOTOGR APHY
Environmental Storytelling with Peter Bennett
Exploring the Nocturnal Landscape with Peter Bennett
© Peter Bennett
© Peter Bennett
There is no bigger story than that of our planet: the challenges and the changes it and we are experiencing. Yet within that greater story are smaller ones that tell interesting and often dramatic tales, like the effects climate change and weather are having on our water and oceans, the air we breathe and the food we eat. Stories of community heroes and organizations fighting for environmental justice in their cities and towns, and of innovators seeking solutions for a sustainable future.
When the sun sets and the street lights slowly start to glow, a whole world of light, shadow, color and mystery awakens. When others pack up their gear and go home, the more adventurous know this a time to explore, to seek images that are not so evident, not so visible, but there to be captured and made into beautiful and dramatic photographs. Critical to successful night shooting is training the eye to see in an environment it is not used to photographing in, and learning what conditions will make for a successful photo and what will not. Utilizing tools and techniques such as long time exposures, balancing ambient light with artificial light sources, working with low and high ISOs and bracketing will be covered as well as post production techniques to bring your images to their full potential.
This course is designed for those who would like their work to make a difference, and to improve their visual storytelling skills in the process. Born in Queens, New York, and growing up in Greenwich Village, Peter Bennett (www.citizenoftheplanet.com) picked up his first camera and took his first darkroom class at the age of twelve. Peter has spent his career primarily as an editorial photographer, in recent years focusing his camera on a variety of environmental subjects and stories. He has been photographing the Los Angeles River since 2008 which can be seen in his latest book: The Los Angeles River – Photographs by Peter Bennett, published in late 2021. Peter has also been documenting local wetlands since 2018, as well as covering environmental justice stories in Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley. From 19982014 he owned and ran his own photo agency, Ambient Images, which specialized in travel images of New York and California. Peter has worked with a number of organizations including the Sierra Club, Greenpeace and Friends of the LA River. His prints hang in the California State Capitol, California Science Center’s permanent Ecosystem exhibit, and many other museums, private institutions, and collector’s homes.
This is a seven-session workshop that is designed to help students get started exploring and photographing this extraordinary nocturnal landscape. The three Saturday night sessions will be hands on shooting workshops in different Los Angeles locations and will be a time to explore, experiment and push the limits of the students’ work. The Monday classroom sessions will be for discussing the tools and equipment we will be utilizing, as well reviewing the previous Saturdays work. Critique and breaking down the components of students’ images and will be a big part of the class and an opportunity to learn from each other. Seven Sessions
Three Sessions
Date: Wednesdays, November 9-December 7, 7-10 pm (no mtg. 11/23) + Sundays, November 13-December 4, 4-7 pm (no mtg. 11/27)
Date: Wednesdays, October 12-26, 10 am-12 pm PST
Enrollment limit: 15 students
Enrollment limit: 15 students
Skill/Experience level: Students should have a working knowledge of their camera and the ability to shoot in manual mode. A tripod and cable release are required for this class.
Skill/Experience level: Open to all levels Tuition: $155 Location: Online
Tuition: $610 Location: Thymele Arts Building, 5481 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029 40
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