San Juan Islands Museum of Art offers photography workshop

Submitted by Ray Pfortner

Ray Pfortner, Vashon Island educator and photographer, is teaching a workshop, “Photography for All Visual Artists” from 1-5 p.m., Sunday, July 29 at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art.

The workshop is for all visual artists, 2D and 3D, working in all mediums from ceramics to acrylics. Tuition is $75 and $65 for museum members. This workshop is for non-photographer visual artists and is about the hows and the whys of using photography in their art.

“We are in now a digital age when anyone wishing to make even a little more of a business of their art can and must go beyond just the original. That is where the opportunities lie – in reproductions, merchandising and licensing – and the potential is enormous,” he said.

Learn aspects of photography including lenses, tripods and lighting, plus handling and settings. Understand how to do it yourself, or what to ask of a photographer hired to do it for you to get exactly what you need.

Explore the ways photographs can be used in all mediums for:

1. Artist reference in creating the original.

2. Submissions for galleries, shows, contests and auctions.

3. Online for websites, social media and selling sites.

4. Making and selling reproductions and other merchandise.

5. Licensing, or renting, to third parties like greeting card companies and magazines.

All ages using any digital camera and with any skill set are welcome. Bring five samples of art as originals or on a flash drive, plus five samples of merchandise made with original art.

Pfortner teaches around the Northwest, including for the University of Washington and Bellevue College, Pacific Northwest Art School, Vashon Center for the Arts and Daniel Smith Artist Supply.

He will offer another workshop on Aug. 26 on “Art Transfers onto Beeswax.” Pfortner is also the curator of San Juan Community Theatre gallery’s “Viva Cuba!” running through Aug. 27.