The Art and Business of Conceptual Portraiture

Lesson Info
Commissioned Work vs. Fine Art
Conceptual portraiture is where art and photography meet. In this class, Jennifer Thoreson will explore the intersection of fine art and photography and discuss the practice, process, and business of bringing conceptual portraits to life.
Jennifer is a visual artist, speaker, and lecturer whose photographic work has been widely published internationally in print and online journals. In this class she’ll reveal the process for developing commissioned and exhibition work. You’ll learn how to:
- Create unique, imaginative props
- Secure the right type of model
- Price your work
- Approach galleries, museums, and publications
Jennifer will help you define your personal style and show you how to put together a conceptual series. You’ll get the inside scoop on what it takes to make a living through fine art photography and also get Jennifer’s tips on managing the business side.
If you want to expand into the expressive and exciting genre of conceptual photography, The Art and Business of Conceptual Portraiture with Jennifer Thoreson is the perfect place to begin your journey.
Lessons
Conceptual Meaning and InspirationHow to Get Started
Breaking Down Your Own Experiences
Experimenting with Homemade Materials and Spaces
Testament Series
Conceptualizing a Body of Work
Concept Origin
Thinking in Layers
Writing an Artist Statement
Commissioned Work vs. Fine Art
Creating a Visual Vocabulary
Preparing a Conceptual Beauty Shoot
Preparing the Model
Shooting a Conceptual Beauty Shoot
Shooting a Conceptual Beauty Shoot Part 2
Conceptual Beauty Shoot Questions
Conceptual Domestic Shoot Prep
Conceptual Domestic Shoot Part 1
Conceptual Domestic Shoot Part 2
Conceptual Domestic Shoot Part 3
Submitting Work to Galleries
Submitting Work to Publications
How to Submit Work
Writing a CV or a Bio
Writing a Grant Proposal
Artist Residencies
Portfolio Reviews
Pricing, Edition and Signing your Work
Printing Your Editions
Working with Galleries
Building an Audience
Preparing for an Exhibition and Final Thoughts
Making a Living
Conceptual Shoot with Family
Conceptual Shoot with Male Model
Post-Processing Conceptual Shoots
Reviews
- "Thinking about art is not making art." In this inspiring and informative workshop, Jennifer helps you put thought into action - through meaningful self-reflection, exploration and by taking her through her own processes. Through exercises and examples, she explains how to pull out a thread of an idea and develop it into a conceptual project that is informed and invigorated by personal experience, preference, interests, and so much more. Her workshop not only feeds the creative soul, but offers earnest information on taking first steps toward publishing and showing fine-art. Jen so beautifully shares her talent and her love of teaching - I first "met" her on Creative Live and have had the joy of being mentored by her in-person as well. This workshop is a very close second to spending time with her one-on-one. Thank you, CL, for bringing her back!
- I love Jennifer, she's one of my cL favorites! She is such a soulful photographer and her art just resonates with me in so many ways. While she was creating her conceptual piece with the mother and child, my eyes welled up because it was such a profound experience to witness. I appreciate that she has a graduate degree in art and is able to refer to others in the field who are leading the way. She is so genuine and I'm grateful for her willingness to bare her soul to us through her art and process. I've learned so much by watching how she interacts with models and communicates efficiently and gently to get AMAZING poses. Definitely worth the buy if you're looking for inspiration from an artist who creates images which evoke emotion and communicate a message, not just trying to make "great photos." I can't wait to learn about the business side of it all!
- It was great to hear her comments on achieving the requisite print quality for the art market. As Jennifer commented, there was no time to go into detail of master printing but I would love to see a future course dedicated to the technical side of fine art printing.