Making Pictures: Portfolio Development for Teen Photographers
with THOMAS HOLTON
February 11, 18, 24, March 4, 11, 2023
SATURDAYS, 11AM - 1PM ET
ONLINE
LEVEL: AGES 14-18
LIMITED TO 10 STUDENTS
CLASS FEE: $275
ABOUT THE CLASS
Teenagers today are busier than ever. Balancing academics, extracurricular activities, busy social lives, and more, puts young people under tremendous pressure. For many teens, this culminates in the anxiety-provoking college application process, which presents the challenge of distinguishing themselves from everyone else.
One sure-fire way to reduce teenagers’ stress is to engage in a creative outlet, such as photography, where they can channel their opinions, emotions, and ideas without ever having to say a word. Photography can cut through the noise, serving as a meditative reflection on something that is important to the photographer. And, as a byproduct, it can result in a beautiful portfolio of images that will wow any admissions committee.
In this 5-week online workshop, instructor Thomas Holton will share his life-long love of photography and vast experience teaching young people as he takes students on a deep dive into the language of photography. Participants will learn how to take better photos, investigate their ideas and emotions to figure out what they want to say with their work, and begin to develop a cohesive and compelling portfolio that will help them stand out from the crowd.
Class time will include looking at and analyzing great photography, discussing different photographic genres, and critique of student work. Fun and thought-provoking photography challenges will be assigned weekly.
Who should take this workshop
This course is perfect for high school students, ages 14-8, who love photography and would like to learn more about the medium and how to express themselves through photographs.
CLASS NOTES
- Students are welcome to use smartphone cameras in this course.
- The first class will include basic tutorials on Lightroom CC, used for organizing and editing photos, and Padlet, which students will use to share their photos with the class.
Thomas Holton is a photographer and educator based in New York City. He received a BA in cultural anthropology from Kenyon College and his MFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts. His ongoing project, The Lams of Ludlow Street, has documented the life of a single Chinese-American family living in Manhattan’s Chinatown over the last 20 years. The project was published as a book in 2016 by Kehrer Verlag and has been shown in the United States and abroad at venues including The Museum of the City of New York, the New York Public Library, and the China-Lishui International Photography Festival. The Lams of Ludlow Street will be featured in an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2022. The work has also been published by the New York Times, Aperture, The Guardian and many others periodicals. Holton has taught at the International Center of Photography and was co-founder of the VisuaLife photography program, working with at-risk teenagers in collaboration with the Children’s Aid Society in New York City. He is currently the photography instructor at the Trinity School in New York City.