Workshops & classes

2024 was a busy year with lots of classes and workshops taught and two trips to India, one in February for my workshop to Mumba and the beautiful southern state of Kerala and a shorter trip in October to photograph the major Hindu celebration of Dussehra. Besides a four-day Coney Island workshop that I taught with Margarita Mavromichalis in June featuring the dazzling Mermaid Parade, I continued to teach virtual classes for the International Center of Photography and the Los Angeles Center of Photography during 2024. I was asked to do several talks/lectures in 2024, including a discussion of why I love doing long term photo projects and where they can lead for the Suspect Photography blog.   Of course, I continued to photograph during the year, mostly in New York City and India. I continued to sell copies of my last five books and went through some of my archives, finding several possible book projects from past work. 

The good news is that I plan to teach several international workshops in 2025, starting with an Incredible India workshop this February (completely full) and Nepal in late September, early October, both with my travel partner, the incomparable Margarita. See below for descriptions of the workshops and classes planned so far through the spring of 2025 . It’s too early to know what I’ll teach in the fall besides the Nepal workshop. If you don’t see something that you are interested in, please contact me. More classes will be planned, particularly virtual classes for the International Center of Photography and the Los Angeles Center of Photography. If you have questions about any of the workshops or classes, please email me at hsteinfoto@aol.com. Many thanks.

2025 ONLINE classes

The Fundamentals of Portraiture (online)
International Center of Photography, New York
March 4–April 15, 2025, 1-4pm ET (Tuesdays)
One session per week for seven weeks, three-hours per session via Zoom
Register: online or call 212-857-0000

Portraiture — the visual interpretation of a person — is much more than merely recording a face. This online class provides the in-depth foundation necessary to achieve strongly felt, expressive, and interpretive portraits. Elements of portraiture such as lighting; environment and location; gesture, expression, and pose; composition; camera position and formats; and the relationship between subject and photographer will be explored and analyzed. Photographic assignments will be given and discussed during class. This course is limited to 12 students and is open to all skill levels ranging from beginner to experienced.

Publishing A Photography Book (online)
International Center of Photography, New York
April 2–May 14, 2025, 1-4pm ET (Wednesdays)
One session per week for seven weeks, three-hours per session via Zoom
Register: online or call 212-857-0000

Have you thought that you’d like to publish a photo book? Maybe you have a concept in mind. Or a body of work to support your concept. Or you have only a vague idea. Or a ‘someday’ wish to do a book but no real project yet. I will offer a way to shape your ideas, to conceive and explore your concept and to determine the approach that will make publisher’s take notice. This workshop is a nuts and bolts exploration of the steps necessary to successfully approach publishers. Topics include generating book ideas, writing the book proposal, identifying potential publishers, publisher’s criteria for evaluating proposals, what to present to publishers and in what form, using a book agent, ways of editing and sequencing the images, negotiating the contract, maximizing advances and royalties, working with printers and book distribution and sales.

Considerable time will be spent evaluating each participant’s book project in light of the information given during the class. This workshop is for those who are just beginning to think about arranging their images into book form to those who have completed their projects but not sure how to approach publishers. This course is limited to 12 students.

2025 IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS

Incredible India: Photographing Mumbai, Udaipur, and the Katch area of Gujarat
February 7–18, 2025
Register: hsteinfoto@aol.com
NOTE: AT THIS TIME THE WORKSHOP IS FULL. WE WILL DO ANOTHER TRAVEL WORKSHOP TO INDIA IN 2026 AROUND THE SAME TIME.

This workshop emphasizes the people and architecture of North India, the palette of India’s colors, from the riches of its palaces to the down-to-earth lives of its people.

New York City Neighborhood Workshop (four-day weekend)
May 2–4, 2025 (fourth day is an online session to critique photographs taken during the workshop)
Register: hsteinfoto@aol.com

The workshop is a tourist-free exploration of the many  interesting and unusual neighborhoods of New York City; it will be an enlightening and even challenging experience of one of the greatest cities of the world. 

We will photograph New York City Friday, Saturday and Sunday at such places as the Lower East Side, 9/11 Memorial, and Washington Square Park in Manhattan; Williamsburg, Bushwick, Sunset Park, Dumbo, the Brooklyn Bridge and Coney Island in Brooklyn; Flushing, Corona and Jackson Heights in Queens; and a parade or event.  Exact locations depend on the weather, class interests, and what events are occurring that weekend. 

We will discuss ways of approaching people (friends and strangers) and getting them to agree/cooperate, ways of directing strangers, capturing character and emotions, making meaningful as opposed to obvious images, knowing when our photos are successful,  developing a portfolio and longer-term photo projects (the conceiving, creating and marketing of our work). We will critique each day’s shoot on a fourth day to be determined, and look at personal approaches to photography.                                                                              

If there are any questions, please let me know via email at hsteinfoto@aol.com. Many thanks. This workshop is open to all levels of photographer who have a good working knowledge of their cameras.

Nepal Adventure
In planning stages
Contact if interested: hsteinfoto@aol.com

A 12-day photography workshop to this spectacular country of natural riches combined with a vibrant culture, friendly people and a strong sense of history  Nepal is located between India and China in South Asia. Our base will be in Kathmandu, the capital and largest city of Nepal. We will visit ancient temples, palaces, marketplaces, attractions and festivals where people gather.

This workshop is in the planning stages; please contact me if interested: hsteinfoto@aol.com.

And lots more to come in the Fall of 2025, including virtual classes at ICP and LACP and several planned lectures and talks online. Stay tuned. Have a great 2025.