ONLINE COURSE
A Photographer’s Guide to the Expressive Richness of Light
Light is foundational to photography and one of the medium’s most playful forces — somber in some moments and joyful in others. We’ll learn to notice the way light moves through space, time, and weather — and observe its hide-and-seek dance with darkness. We’ll follow the subtle grace of light as it moves through the leaves of a forest canopy or bounces off the glass windows of skyscrapers. Wherever we find light, we’ll study its transformative impact — forces that we’ll harness to strengthen our photographic compositions, color, and craft. Most importantly, we’ll learn to use light to find and express our artistic voice.
Over five weeks, we’ll study how great masters of photography activated the powers and mysteries of light, and learn practical techniques for working with light, both natural and artificial, that can make the difference between average and exceptional photographs. Weekly assignments and reviews will sharpen your potential as light explorers.
James Prochnik is a Brooklyn-based photographer who uses photography as a means to explore the world outside, focusing on people, place, memory and the poetry of the everyday. His photographs have been published in The New York Times, Vice Media, Lenscratch, USA Today, and Shots Magazine and have been exhibited in galleries around the country. In 2019, James launched NYC Photo Community — a weekly newsletter listing photography events, workshops, exhibitions, and opportunities for photographers everywhere. James has been a regular guest lecturer on ethics and aesthetics in street photography at the University of Vermont.
James teaches street photography, poems and pictures, richness of light, and more for StrudelmediaLive.