Portrait Photography Workshop Ticket

The Art of the Portrait With Martin

Martin Ryan on Saturday, October 17 at the Newbridge Schoolhouse, 9am-4:30pm. 

Martin is an experienced portrait and street photographer and an excellent teacher, with a particular talent for capturing the personality, character and individuality of his subjects. His portraits often incorporate the surrounding environment, using background, light and detail to reveal more of the subject’s story.

Martin’s interest in photography began unexpectedly in 1980, when he picked up an old Olympus camera while working at a newspaper.

“I honestly had no knowledge of cameras or photography, but even then I knew I could see a good composition. I went a few miles out of town to photograph an old man sitting on a bed in a very dark room. A more experienced photographer may not have taken the shot given the difficult light, but I did. I have taken little since that has surpassed that one photograph.”

This practical, full-day workshop explores the question at the heart of portrait photography: what makes a good portrait?

Participants will learn how to move beyond simply photographing a face to create portraits that capture something of the person themselves — their character, personality and story.

The workshop will cover:

• Understanding and working with natural light
• Using reflected and bounced light to shape a portrait
• How the direction of light changes a face
• Camera angles and how they affect the finished image
• Choosing lenses for portrait photography
• Using camera height and perspective creatively
• Working with and directing a subject
• Posing without making a portrait feel overly posed
• Building rapport and helping your subject feel comfortable
• Capturing natural expression and personality
• Using backgrounds and surroundings to add to a subject’s story
• Incorporating natural or artificial props without distracting from the portrait
• Understanding what separates a photograph of a person from a compelling portrait

Throughout the day, participants will alternate between short demonstrations, practical shooting sessions and group reviews.

The morning will focus on the technical foundations of light, angle and lens choice, with participants photographing the same subject while changing one element at a time to see how each decision affects the portrait.

In the afternoon, the focus shifts to connecting with the person in front of the camera. Martin will demonstrate how conversation, direction, posing and rapport can help reveal personality and create a more meaningful image.

The day culminates in The Essence Portrait, where participants will bring everything together to create one portrait they believe genuinely captures the essence of their subject.

As Martin puts it:

“A portrait is a lifetime captured in a moment.”

The workshop concludes with a relaxed group review and a return to the question posed at the beginning of the day: what makes a good portrait?