Family Workshop: Photographic Portraiture
with Gus Bennett and Jennifer Zdon
Saturday, November 15, 2014
11:00am to 1:00pm
CAC & NOPA Members: $5 Ages 6-18 | $10 Adults
Non-members: $8 Ages 6-18 | $12 Adults
Register here
PhotoNOLA partners with the CAC to offer a family workshop that draws inspiration from photographers featured in Prospect.3.
This event begins with a guided tour of the P.3 exhibition and is followed by a hands-on workshop about the art of photographic portraiture. The workshop will be led by local photographers Gus Bennett and Jennifer Zdon.
Family members will learn camera techniques, studio lighting, composition, and posing in different settings, culminating in a shared learning experience that will produce lifelong family keepsakes.
Families are required to bring their personal cameras, and are also encouraged to bring props, and/or family memorabilia to pose with.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS
Gus Bennett has been a professional photographer for more than three decades. In that time, he has worked in the United States, the Republic of Kenya, the East African country of Dar-es Salam, Tanzania, Belgium and Mexico. He is a highly sought after fine art, fashion and entertainment photographer.
Gus’s work has appeared on the cover of ESSENCE magazine, and in the pages of numerous magazines like Ebony, Jet, UPSCALE, and TRIBE magazine of New Orleans. He has had work featured on the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority Bus line in ad campaigns urging an end to domestic violence among women and children. Most recently, his portraits of African American women, was used on the official poster ‘TRUE ROOTS” A Cultural Celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase and the impact of the Haitian Revolution on the Louisiana Purchase
Bennett’s personal project include “Speaking Walls,” a visual narrative of the individuals and communities that were affected by Hurricane Katrina; “Patty Cake,” a project that celebrates the beauty of magic of little black girls; “Saints and Sinners,” a visual observation about black spiritual identity; and “Rooms in My Mother’s House,” a project that explores the beauty and sanctity of the nude black female form.
Jennifer Zdon has more than two decades of experience as a professional photographer. She spots the fleeting moments, passing expressions and telling details that show the gravity of any occasion and the spirit of the people she photographs. As an accomplished photojournalist, she finds the visual poetry and subtle beauty in any setting, often working with natural light and available scenery. Jennifer combined those skills with her passion for vibrant images celebrating childhood, family life and love to create Twirl Photography, a modern photography studio dedicated to producing inspired images for private clients.
During a 14-year career at The Times- Picayune newspaper, Jennifer photographed music legends in their waning days, Elvis impersonators, children tap dancing for tips in the French Quarter, debutantes traversing the social season, homeowners striving to recover from disaster and countless other subjects. Her photography won several regional and national journalism honors. The newspaper nominated her for a Pulitzer Prize for one of her projects, and she was a member of a staff that received the Pulitzer for public service recognizing coverage of Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath.
Her work also appeared in the photography books “America 24/7,” “Louisiana 24/7” and “America at Home.” She self-published “New Orleans A to Z,” a children’s book using photography to introduce both the alphabet and one of America’s most distinctive cities. She co- published “Philadelphia A to Z,” applying the same approach to the nation’s original capital. She earned a degree in photojournalism from San Francisco State University.
Jennifer lives in New Orleans with her husband, her daughter, son and a 50-pound lap dog.
