Teen Academy - Portraiture in Focus: Painting with Light and Shadow

In this course for all levels, students use portraiture as an entry point for understanding the technical and aesthetic components of digital photography and for creating their own work. Through technical exercises, students learn the tools needed to control and manipulate natural and artificial light in order to achieve both practical and artistic effects. Students photograph themselves, each other, family members, and strangers—spontaneously in the neighborhood, staged at home, and more formally in the studio. The curriculum includes: digital lab time, visual presentations, photographic and writing assignments, discussions, critiques, a guest artist visit, and a field trip. By the end of the course, students develop a body of work and an accompanying artist’s statement. The course culminates in a final presentation for family and friends.

Need-based scholarships are available for all Teen Academy classes. To apply, please complete this form .

ICP’s Teen Academy program welcomes teenagers ages 14–19 from across the country and around the world to develop their skills as leaders and visual storytellers in a range of in-person and online classes. All curricula are youth-centered and include: photographic and writing assignments, open lab time, visual presentations, discussions, critiques, a guest artist visit, a field trip, and a culminating presentation for family and friends celebrating the students’ achievements.

Fee Breakdown