Parks and Pictures: Paths to New Ways of Seeing
© James Prochnik
ONLINE COURSE

Parks and Pictures: Paths to New Ways of Seeing

Interested in this class? Email us and we'll notify you next time it runs.

Parks and green spaces are places of singular importance — they offer refuge and relaxation, a stage for social interaction, and are an effective antidote to the stresses of work and screens. Most importantly, they can be teachers, guiding us to insights about ourselves, nature, and our place in this complex world. They are also fantastic places to photograph. In this class, we'll use our cameras to explore with a sense of wonder the many dimensions of local parks and green spaces, from the smallest details to large public gatherings. For inspiration, we’ll examine numerous great photographers who have made essential bodies of work in parks. You'll learn strategies to create new work and avoid cliches, and by the end, you'll leave class with some great photos, a new appreciation for your local parks, and the start of a project if you want to keep going.

 

 
I want to thank you [James] for such an inspiring class. You are a wonderful teacher! You brought to the forefront for me just how essential light is in a taking good photos. You also encouraged me to be experimental and I have got to know my camera better as a result. Best wishes for your upcoming photography projects. I hope you’ll be teaching again before too long.
—Anna (California)
Just a quick note to say that James Prochnik’s “Poems and Pictures” class was fantastic — he is a gifted teacher and image maker. My work experienced a much needed shift during his class and my fellow classmates were equally committed to making new and exciting work. Not only did he introduce us to largely unknown photographers, he was in the trenches with us. His thoughtful critiques are what I imagine MFA students receive at Yale. This class was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. James embodies what StrudelmediaLive is all about: pushing limits to break creative barriers.
—Kirsten (Canada)


James Prochnik
James Prochnik

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.