The Art of Location Portraiture
© Paul Aresu
Location portraiture photography is a tricky endeavor. In order to produce a memorable image, the photographer must skillfully incorporate his subject with light, atmosphere and place. This workshop will concentrate on the approach and details of portraiture on location. Students will use available light as well as portable lighting to achieve the most dramatic effects. We will also explore and demonstrate how to effectively use a digital camera in order to capture the essence of a subject. Choices of lenses will also be covered. Furthermore, there will be discussions on the best ways to shoot digitally on location, including shooting to a compact flash card or shooting tethered to a laptop computer. The goal is to learn how to create simple yet effective lighting schemes which best incorporates the environment with our subject.
For shooting assignments, students will travel to locations in or around Venice Beach. Models and equipment will be provided. The focus will primarily be on shooting in color (film or digital). Digital projection will be used to critique each student’s digital images at the end of the day.
Paul Aresu (www.paularesu.com) is an accomplished photographer specializing in sports, lifestyle and portrait photography. Upon graduation from the School of Visual Arts, he immediately pursued apprenticeships with top photographers of the time including Pete Turner, Tom Arma, Denny Tillman and Klaus Lucka. Two decades later, he has lent his creative lens to companies from Nike to American Express, and his work has appeared in magazines spanning the globe, from Rolling Stone to Sports Illustrated. A Canon Explorer of Light, he is also an accomplished educator, serving as an adjunct professor at Parsons, the New School for Design. “I love talking to people about their lives,” says Aresu. “Photography, to me, is like having a driver’s license into peoples’ personal lives. It is about bringing out the essence of the person and/or place, and ultimately, creating a flow from the internal to the external. What cannot ordinarily be seen is suddenly accessible to the viewer.” A native New Yorker, Paul currently resides in Westchester, NY, with his wife and two sons.
