Introduction to Smartphone Photography
April 15 – May 6, 2025 | 1:30–4 p.m.
Location: High Museum of Art, Yellow Workshop, Greene Family Education Center
Registration Required
Not a member? Join today!
The registration fee includes all materials (excluding smartphones), weekly access to world-class art on view in the museum’s galleries and special exhibitions, hours of expert instruction, and additional access to a Friday afternoon Open Studio during the run of the class.
The registration fee includes all materials (excluding smartphones), weekly access to world-class art on view in the museum’s galleries and special exhibitions, hours of expert instruction, and additional access to a Friday afternoon Open Studio during the run of the class.
Transform your smartphone snapshots into striking photographs that are rich in narrative. Familiarize yourself with your smartphone cameras and built-in editing capabilities before learning how to create an engaging composition and leverage natural light. Enjoy opportunities to work with studio lighting equipment and professional models, and experiment with storytelling strategies. At the end of this class, we will present our bodies of work, which we will print and mat.
Participants must bring their own smartphones, but all other supplies will be provided. Please note that DSLRs and other kinds of cameras are welcome; however, this class is smartphone-oriented for ease of photo sharing.
Week 1: Begin with an introduction to your smartphone’s camera and editing capabilities. Then, focus on framing details as you take part in a series of exercises with fellow participants.
Week 2: Learn what makes a compelling photograph, and work with natural lighting to create a series of photos that demonstrate successful compositional structure.
Week 3: Experiment with studio lighting as you learn the most common techniques and work with a professional model to create a series of images that tell a story.
Week 4: Fine-tune your favorite photos and participate in a group critique once they have been printed and matted. Present your work and view your peers’ as we conclude with a reflection on all we learned.
About Studio Classes
Studio Classes enable you to expand your art-making skills through guided, step-by-step instruction with expert teaching artists. Over multiple weeks, you will learn alongside other creative adults and delve deeply into the artistic process, explore new techniques, and build your practice.
This is an introductory-level Studio Class; it is designed to accommodate all levels of skill and talent. If you have never taken a photography class before, this is a great place to start. You will learn new skills that you can carry forward and build on in your artistic practice.
The registration fee includes all materials, weekly access to world-class art on view in the museum’s galleries and special exhibitions, hours of expert instruction, and additional access to a Friday afternoon Open Studio during the run of the class.
About Your Instructor
Michelle Alba is a teaching artist at the High Museum of Art, where she works with children, families, adults, and older adults. She has taught arts-integrated curriculum involving photography, video, visual arts, music, and theater since 2001, both in Chicago and Atlanta. She holds a BA in art education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
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