I’ve been waiting over a year to take Lynne Rigby’s workshop, Style and Voice. Being a team member at The Photographer Within means that I get an inside track on when the workshops run and I was super stoked to get into her first run at TPW. I had to submit a portfolio just like everyone else and was thrilled to get a spot. This is a 4-week photography workshop that is super intense… and very, very introspective. Right up my alley!
At the beginning of class, I thought I had a style and I thought maybe I had a voice, but I wasn’t confident at all in what I was portraying in my images nor in what I was saying. As I worked through the exercises, I began to realize something very profound about my favorite images and how my work tied to my childhood. It was truly an epiphany!
I was a latchkey kid. From kindergarten on, my mom had to work. It was just the two of us, so I walked myself home and let myself in with a key that hung from a string around my neck. I lost that key too many times to count but eventually I got the hang of it. Mom always said I was a very mature little girl and refused to let her pick out my clothes from age 3 on. I was alone a lot. And I liked it. I still like it. There is a peace that comes from within when I am alone. Being Anna’s mom has also taught me to notice the beauty in the details. I can feel these things in my photography.
I created a Style and Voice board on Pinterest. I studied my closet, my house, my favorite things. I studied a master photographer whose work resonated with me. My peers reviewed my portfolio. Then I tied it all together.
Singularity/alone, polished/pure, contemplative/Zen.
I have found my style and voice.
Here are a few of my favorite images from the whole workshop:
And each week’s images, week by week…
Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Workshop Schedule
Week One
- Personal Style Overview
Week Two
- Shooting Style and Master Study
Break Week
Week Three
- Processing Style
Week Four
- Cohesivity, Branding, Genres and Portfolio Development
Once you feel you’ve mastered the technical aspects of photography and are ready to grow yourself artistically, I highly recommend taking Style and Voice over at The Photographer Within. It’s an intimate class, just 20 participants, and you’re broken into small groups of 4 or 5. You will review your peers’ portfolios and learn a lot about yourself in the process. You must be able to commit a lot of time, attention, and energy to this workshop… and it’s totally worth every minute. I can honestly say that I’m MUCH more confident in my voice now and what I want to shoot and why.
Thank you, Lynne! And thanks for looking. 🙂
