Ex Crucible: The Passion of Incarcerated Artists. Photo © Peter Merts
Photo © Peter Merts

Advocacy in Photography 2024

Learn the skills to identify and engage with an organization, promoting their cause using photography. This ten session advanced workshop includes guided one-on-one sessions.
with Peter Merts

Learn new photographic concepts and skills while promoting the work of a favorite non-profit or service organization. This advanced workshop will include both group meetings and individual mentoring; the former will allow us to review concepts and definitions that are central to advocacy photography, whereas the latter will allow Peter to meet you where you are in terms of your photographic skill level.

During the course you will have the opportunity to identify and engage with an organization or cause whose work you want to promote. You will then begin making advocacy photos of that organization or cause.

 

Course Schedule

Day 1: Meet as a group and introduce the topic – advocacy photography. Discussing its benefits, particularly in long term projects that harbor continuous learning, earning trust, and community building. 

Day 2: Meet as a group and explore general preparations such as legal issues, scouting the shoot location, and managing assets. 

Day 3: Meet as a group, students will choose an organization or service to work with on their first project. Review image deliverables such as image formats, resolution, and copyrights. 

Day 4: Students will begin shooting for their organizations, practice new skills, and start one-on-one mentoring with Peter. 

Day 5: Individually shooting for organizations, practicing new skills, and one-on-one mentoring with Peter. 

Day 6: Individually shooting for organizations, practicing new skills, and one-on-one mentoring with Peter. 

Day 7: Individually shooting for organizations, practicing new skills, and one-on-one mentoring with Peter. 

Day 8: Individually shooting for organizations, practicing new skills, and one-on-one mentoring with Peter. 

Day 9: Individually shooting for organizations, practicing new skills, and one-on-one mentoring with Peter. 

Day 10: Meet as a group to show and review images made for their non-profit or service organizations. 

 

Workshop presented by The Image Flow Photography Center, providing photography classes, custom printing services, and fine art reproduction.

 

Instructor Bio

Peter Merts

Peter Merts has been a photographer for 40 years, focusing on documentary, portrait, and fine art projects. His work has been published by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, The Huffington Post, Newsweek Online, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others.

For the past 15 years, Peter has documented California’s Arts in Corrections program, visiting over 120 art classes in all 36 of California’s adult state prisons. He co-published, with Dr. Larry Brewster, the book Paths of Discovery: Art Practice and Its Impact in California Prisons (now in its 2nd edition).

Peter’s recent photography awards include the 2020 Critical Mass Top 50, and the 2021 CENTER Social Award.

Tuesdays
February 27th – April 30th, 2024
2–4:00 PM (10 sessions)

$425

Add to cart

Requirements

  • DSLR or other full-featured camera
  • Basic (or better) understanding of Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom
  • A cause or movement you would like to advocate for
  • If you do not have advocacy in mind at the start of class, Peter can help connect you with one.

 

Who Should Take This Workshop

  • Photographers with advanced technical skills, seeking to use their photography as a tool for a cause.

Pertinent Details

  • The class meets on Tuesdays
  • Maximum (5) participants
  • Ages 18+

Workshop Fee Includes

  • 3 guest speakers
  • 3 one-hour individual check-in sessions to discuss progress, concerns, and challenges as you work

 

In-Person

The Image Flow Photography Center
328 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo, CA
415-388-3569
Located in Marin County CA, just north of San Francisco.

Optional offsite locations possible.

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