Religious iconography is rich with symbolism, drama, and history—making it a compelling and often powerful photographic subject. On this trip, you’ll have a chance to explore two beautiful Portland churches with photographer Laura Valenti Jelen as your guide.

You’ll learn how to embrace low-lighting situations to make images infused with mood and a sense of the sacred. You’ll also learn tips and tricks for photographing architectural spaces and details. The second class will be a group sharing and critique of work created during the trip.

Students should bring cameras and may shoot with film or digitally.

Laura Valenti Jelen is the Program Director of Newspace Center for Photography. She also teaches traditional black and white darkroom classes and leads Portlanders on photography field trips. Laura co-curates the gallery for Newspace, and juries widely for photography competitions and exhibitions. She also serves regularly as a portfolio reviewer at review events such as Photolucida and Review Santa Fe. Her own work is in the collection at the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Outside of photography, Laura is also a half-marathon running mentor for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program. Her degree is from Reed College.

www.valentiphotography.com