Candid Capture: Mastering the Art of Photojournalism with Tara Pixley (Hybrid Learning – Six Sessions)

About

Hybrid Learning (In-Person and Online)

“Reality is inevitably more interesting, more strange, than anything created purely by the imagination.” — Peter van Agtmael

In this six-session hybrid class, students will dive into the art of photojournalism, focusing on candid photography and its ethical and methodological foundations. Unlike the conceptual approach, which is controlled and constructed by the photographer, the photojournalistic style allows reality to dictate the narrative. While candid photography is often misunderstood or oversimplified, mastering its principles can set your work apart in a crowded marketplace.

Throughout the course, students will explore key elements of photojournalism, such as approaching subjects, capturing moments with authenticity, and understanding the responsibilities of photographing people. The class will also address how to compose compelling images, choose the right lenses, and maintain an unbiased perspective.

By the end of the course, students will be equipped to incorporate photojournalistic techniques into their own projects—whether in weddings, editorial work, or documentary photography—developing a distinct style and voice. Four online sessions will include lecture and critiques, while two in-person field trips (likely to Echo Park and Santa Monica Pier for reportage and environmental portraits) will offer hands-on experience. 

Tara Pixley, Ph.D. is a queer, Jamaican-American photographer, filmmaker, and professor based in Los Angeles. Her photography and films reimagine race, gender, climate futures, LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities through a liberation lens. Her work as a photojournalist has taken her from the ships of eco-pirates to the U.S. presidential campaign trail and her writing and photography have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Newsweek, The Atlantic, Allure, People, HuffPost, Nieman Reports, and ESPN, among many others. She has been named a Reynolds Journalism Fellow, Pulitzer Center Grantee, World Press Photo Solutions Visual Journalism grantee and a Knight Fellow at Harvard’s Nieman Foundation. Tara is on the Boards of the National Press Photographers Association and Stocksy. She is a co-Founder and current Director of Authority Collective — an organization dedicated to establishing equity for women of color in visual media — and she is currently photographing the environmental justice crisis of Southern California oil production. 

View Instructor Profile Here.

Details

• Six Sessions
• Dates: (4) Virtual Classes: Wednesdays, April 2, April 9, April 30, May 14, 11 am – 1 pm PST; (2) Field Trips: Wednesday, April 16, 3:30 – 5:30 pm PST + Saturday, May 10, 5 pm – 7 pm PST
• Enrollment Limit: 15 students
• Skill/Experience Level: Open to all levels
• Tuition: $645  (Become a Member today and received up to 20% off!)
• Location: Hybrid.  Online sessions will take place via the Zoom application/software.  In-person shoots will take place in the Los Angeles area, likely to Echo Park and Santa Monica Pier.

A details email complete with the Zoom link will be sent to the attendees prior to the start date. If you have additional questions please email info@lacphoto.org.

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