I don't know about you, but I find those "Master Class" advertisements pretty moving all on their own. People with real authority in their fields offering to let you in on their secrets and tell you what they know. I mean really, Herbie Hancock teaching jazz and Helen Mirren teaching acting? Kinda gets me verklempt. I enjoy the ads and always watch new ones to the end.
I'm not recommending this per se, because I don't know anything about the organization or the classes...haven't taken one, haven't looked into it. But none other than Annie Leibovitz is teaching an online class in portraiture, and, well, wow. I don't know, but I think I'd pay $90 for that. I did quite enjoy her book At Work (now out of print and getting expensive...I hope you bought it when I told you to.)
Gotta think about it. Maybe after Christmas.
Mike
Original contents copyright 2017 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.
B&H Photo • Amazon US • Amazon UK
Amazon Germany • Amazon Canada • Adorama
(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:
Marco Maroccolo: "These courses are very well done—I tried some. From a technical point of view, shooting, location, and lighting are exemplary. The importance of the teachers who teach speak for themselves; I would like to recommend one of the first courses that they did, the one taught by Werner Herzog; in all probability it is not for everyone, but considering the duration and the number of pearls of wisdom profused by the director there is absolutely no proportion to the cost of the course. I think it is also of great interest to photography enthusiasts because it mainly talks about how to tell a story through images."
Will she be teaching photography, or rather how to tell a crowd of assistants what to do and then come in at the last moment to press the shutter release button?
[end snark]
Sorry Mike, but I am not a Leibovitz fan.
Also in the series is Ron Howard teaching how to direct a movie. Now that I would pay for, despite not having any interest in directing movies, but his always seem well shot, from a photographic standpoint, so I suspect I'd have a lot to learn.
I'd also pay to hear Helen Mirren talk for however long the class lasts. I might not learn a thing, but that wouldn't bother me that much.
Posted by: Miserere | Tuesday, 19 December 2017 at 03:22 PM
If I was trying to sell a portraiture class I would start with a more flattering portrait of Annie. Probably using this printer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RElgiE8_Y0Y
Posted by: Clayton | Wednesday, 20 December 2017 at 08:43 AM
Clicked on the FAQ section, what you get for your money is a set of pre-recorded videos and feedback from other participants.
Not so hot then.
Posted by: R | Wednesday, 20 December 2017 at 08:59 AM
She's desperate for money.
[Geez, Gene, that's not a very charitable thing to say. Would you say that of Ron Howard or Dustin Hoffman too? They also teacher Master Class courses. --Mike]
Posted by: Gene Lowinger | Wednesday, 20 December 2017 at 10:41 AM
The class doesn’t interest me - I don’t do portraits, and if I did I’d probably look for someone with a different style to learn from. But...
My wife and I and a friend if hers went to hear Annie speak at the Nourse auditorium in San Francisco last week and she was delightful. For someone at her level of fame and notoriety she seemed very modest and self-deprecating on stage. I was pleasantly surprised.
Posted by: Gordon Reynolds | Wednesday, 20 December 2017 at 12:45 PM
One person’s detailed review of the Annie Leibovitz class is posted here.
Yes, these classes sound interesting. But the magic these people wield isn’t teachable. Like Annie, it’s often the result of a lifelong collage of opportunities, skills / talents, and, sometimes most importantly, personal traits and determination. So I’d watch these classes mostly for entertainment value. You’re not going to learn immediately useful “secrets”.
Posted by: Ken Tanaka | Thursday, 21 December 2017 at 08:43 AM