Handcrafting Light for Portraiture, Interiors, and Still Life
© Nestor Pérez-Molière
ONLINE COURSE

Handcrafting Light for Portraiture, Interiors, and Still Life

Dates: Tuesdays, March 18–Apr 29, 2025
Time: 11am–1pm (ET)
Sessions: 6 (No class on April 15)
Limited enrollment: 8 students
Fee: $455
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This class looks closely at lighting for photography and how best to manipulate and handcraft it. Through demonstrations and weekly assignments, students will learn how to use ambient and artificial light to illuminate subjects. Understanding how light behaves will allow us to manipulate it through reflection, diffusion, and blocking as we use common household items as well as readily available professional equipment. Portraiture, self-portraiture, environmental portraiture, interiors, and still life photography will be considered in this course. We will look for inspiration at a variety of artists who are successful at sculpting light in their works. Supported by in-class critique, this is a good opportunity to work on a project that involves the handcrafting of light, or simply experiment with different techniques each week.

 
It has been such an inspiring process taking classes with Samantha and Néstor. They’re such dedicated and talented teachers — I owe you both a lot of gratitude.
—MG (Brooklyn)
Néstor’s Lightroom Classic course just ended and I can’t say enough about how much he taught us — through both the ease with which he walked us through the many aspects of the program but also his ability to listen and use our images and our questions to deepen and extend the learning. It’s a rare teacher who can include the students’ individual needs into their carefully planned agenda — and he does just that!
—Grace (New York City)


Néstor Pérez-Molière
Néstor Pérez-Molière

Néstor Pérez-Molière was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and currently resides in The Bronx. His practice takes place mainly in the realm of photography, but also incorporates performance, drawing, video, installation, and intaglio techniques. All of these are used in unison as he turns his camera on himself and delves into self-portraiture, exploring his relationship with his body, body image ideals, and food relationships as subject matter.

Nestor has an MFA from Hunter College and holds a BSc in botany. He was part of the Artist in the Marketplace and Creative Capital’s Taller mentorship programs, and was part of The Bronx Museum of the Art’s Fourth Biennial. He has exhibited at the Museo de las Américas, the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, Longwood Gallery, and the Liga de Artes de San Juan. He currently teaches digital and darkroom photography at the International Center of Photography and The Point CDC.

Néstor teaches lighting for still life and more for StrudelmediaLive.