Capturing a powerful portrait goes well beyond the press of a button. In this workshop, Rania will explore all aspects of portraiture and delve into the process of working with people. Participants will learn attention to detail, postures and expressions, approaching potential subjects, establishing trust and developing a relationship. She will discuss working through the entire process and all of the details of creating a great portrait and working with people. Other topics include how to frame your image, how to observe moments in between moments, body language, expressions, relationship to the environment: light, texture, location, background, and the importance of the gaze. The group will also look at iconic portraits and the work of well-known artists and discuss the relationship of the photographer to the subject throughout the entire process.
Limited to 18. Participants should bring 15-20 images to share.
Born in Lebanon, Rania Matar moved to the U.S. in 1984. Her work focuses on women and girls in the U.S and the Middle East, with an emphasis on identity and universality. She teaches at Massachusetts College of Art. Matar’s work has been widely published and exhibited, including at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Carnegie Museum of Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Howard Greenberg Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, London. In 2018, a mid-career retrospective of her work will be exhibited at the Amon Carter Museum, in a solo exhibition In Her Image.
She received several grants and awards including a 2017 Mellon artist-in-residency grant at Kenyon College, 2011 Legacy Award at Griffin Museum of Photography, 2011 and 2007 Massachusetts Cultural Council artist fellowships, first place at New England Photographers’ Biennial and Women in Photography International. In 2008 she was the Foster Prize finalist at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, with a solo exhibition. She was recently selected by ArtNet one of “10 Remarkable Photographers to Discover at This Year’s AIPAD”. Matar’s images are in permanent collections of museums, institutions and private collections worldwide. She published three books: L’Enfant-Femme, 2016; A Girl and Her Room, 2012; Ordinary Lives, 2009.