The Environmental Portrait

Class Description

In this five-week class, you will learn the fundamentals of executing an effective environmental portrait that will tell the story of your subject in just one frame. An environmental portrait is a photograph taken of a person in their usual surroundings, which illustrates aspects of the subject’s life story.

Classes will consist of interactive lecture on a variety of environmental portrait styles, equipment review, as well as weekly portrait assignments. Emphasis will be placed on individual portrait work, with Tom facilitating each student in accomplishing their personal vision.

Materials needed: DSLR, lenses, strobe(s), ability to print up to an 8x10 and contact sheet for assignment review (Tom will explain what you need to know), curiosity, the desire to learn something new in a fun and interactive environment.

Week one: Introductory presentation and discussion of the environmental portrait, where the photojournalist’s approach is discussed. Shooting angles, interacting with your subject or subjects, simple yet effective lighting techniques, caption writing, and creating intimacy discussed.

Week two: Presentation and discussion of environmental portraiture of a business owner or executive. Discover how to find the subject’s story by asking questions (what types of questions discussed) and how to convey their story in a visual sense through a single photograph. Hands-on demo on lighting with strobes given in the studio.

Week three: Presentation and discussion of sports environmental portraiture. Further discussion on lighting, post-production for dramatic effect, as well as creating a narrative in your image.

Week four: Presentation and discussion of agricultural environmental portraiture. Focus on why should you care about your subject, and why the viewer should care about them and their story.

Week five: Interactive lecture on building your portfolio, as well as review of concepts presented throughout the course.

Class Requirements

Digital SLR with camera modes

Memory Card

Card Reader (a must)

Class Schedule

Date	Start Time	End Time	Location
Wednesday, December 31st, 1969	6:00 PM	8:30 PM	Digital Learning Center
Monday, September 1st, 2014	6:30 PM	9:00 PM	Digital Learning Center
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014	6:30 PM	9:00 PM	Digital Learning Center
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014	6:30 PM	9:00 PM	Digital Learning Center
Thursday, September 4th, 2014	6:30 PM	9:00 PM	Digital Learning Center

About the Instructor

Tom Baker: Tom Baker graduated in 2004 from the University of Montana School of Journalism with a BA in photojournalism.

He believes in the aesthetics of life, and that is what Tom seeks to convey in his work. Tom feels life can be found anywhere in the world and photographed, but more importantly the stories of life are what need to be told. Whether the story is about a person or persons, a place, a culture, or a struggle, he sees the camera as a tool that must be utilized to record, document, and create all at the same time. By way of the camera he cannot only tell people a story, but can tell people about himself. Tom’s career as a photojournalist has taken him from the Havre Daily News in Havre, MT, The Dalles Chronicle in Dalles, OR, and the Portland Tribune in Portland, OR.

He moved back to Minnesota from Oregon in 2006 and has for the last 10 years worked as a freelance photographer for numerous clients and publications.