WORKSHOP:
The Creative Portrait
with Ragne K. Sigmond
DATES:
Oct 29 - Nov 3
LOCATION:
Saga - Inderøy - Norway
“There can be no light without shadow: or rather no shadow unless there is also light” (Margaret Atwood)
This is a workshop that will ignite your creativity and expand your portrait skills, in combinations with your light-painting techniques.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
It’s said that creativity is about being able to imagine and describe something that does not yet exist and then work towards it. The creative portrait-workshop is a good opportunity to use your imagination and be inventive and artistic in new ways under the guidance of Ragne K Sigmond and her 25 years of experience in doing so.
This is a workshop especially designed for SAGA. With this course you will be able to challenge yourself with Ragne’s “thinking out of the box”-exercises, that will train you to see shapes and forms in new ways, and realise you do not need a lot of props to make unique portraits, it is all about your vision, and creative instinct.
Storytelling and how to utilise props you have at hand, together with good lighting, composition and knowledge of colour theory, are important tools in composing creative portraits. These are all aspects we will encounter during the days at SAGA.
We will also explore the wonders of light, study how a face can be transformed depending on different light angles and heights and furthermore how light painting can transform ordinary surroundings into something magic. The light studies during the workshop will help you to understand light in all its variety in everyday life: From day light to studio photography with strobes.
Ragne is an expert in light painting technique, a technique she uses in a lot of her portrait work. Lessons in this technique will be offered those participants who want to learn the art of creating evocative images with affordable equipment that takes up little or no space. With the brush strokes from an ordinary handheld flash light/torch in combination with a camera attached to a tripod set on a long exposure time, you can make wonders with even the cheapest flash light. Light painting is equal to “slow photography”. A picture takes from 10 seconds to several minutes to make and with the knowledge on how to move the flash light, you can transform ordinary surroundings into something magic. Because light painting itself adds a lot of mystique and atmosphere to the photography, most often very little has to be added in post production.
For almost 20 years Ragne has been teaching photography, and light in particular. She shares generously her experience, and knowledge on this workshop, and you will see how she likes to work, and why it is important to not over complicate a photoshoot. Simple concepts and how to create an atmosphere for spontaneous on-the-spot ideas, and to “let go” is an important part of a light painting session, as well as taking chances and explore. If your mind is open, it might very well lead to new and innovative work!
You should have basic understanding of light to join this class. And if you previously have been part of Ragne’s light painting online courses or workshops, this class will help you excel further in light painting techniques, as well as the art of creating portraits out of the ordinary.
TESTEMONIALS:
A big thank you to Ragne, Elisabeth and NORDphotography for a brilliant workshop! With Saga as the stage, the workshop was a perfect mix of professional input and contagious enthusiasm. I would love to come again! - Ansgar Valbø
WORKSHOP TUITION:
NOK 14.000,- (deposit NOK 4.000,-). This does not include travel costs, accommodations or meals.
Shortly after registration for your workshop you will receive an invoice via e-mail for the deposit (to be paid within two weeks). You will also receive an invoice for the rest of the tuition at the same time as the deposit. This invoice is to be paid no later than one month before the workshop starts. All fees are to be paid in Norwegian Kroner.
International students: You can pay us via PayPal or transfer your payment directly to our account. Please let us know when registration for a workshop your preferred method of payment. For PayPal payments there is a handling fee of 6 % of the amount paid that will be added to the invoice. For bank transfer there is usually a transaction fee. Check with your bank for the amount, and make sure this fee is not subtracted from the tuition fee payment.
For Norwegian invoices, which is sent to your e-mail, there will be an invoice fee added to the invoice of NOK 8,-. If you want the invoice sent via EFH the fee is: NOK 11,-. For regular post: NOK 32,-.
ACCOMMODATION:
The workshop takes place at our creative center SAGA in Norway.
Saga is a creative retreat center, with large spacious rooms, a homely atmosphere, an outdoor sauna, swimming dock and beautiful nature right outside the door. The stress of day to day life is left behind when you enter our center, so you can focus all your energy on expanding your creative talent and adopting new skills.
SAGA has a hotel section, which offers accommodation for participants during the workshop. If SAGA is fully booked we will organise alternative accommodation nearby in the same price range.
There are single beds in all of SAGA’s hotel rooms. We hope that most participants are open to share hotel rooms with one other participant (of the same gender) during your stay at SAGA. This way we can house the whole class at our hotel.
If you are a group traveling together, or you have a preference when sharing a room, please make a note when registration for the workshop. If you prefer a single room, let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate you. If we have no other person of your gender who opted for shared accommodation, we will offer you a single room.
MEALS:
Saga is known for it's fresh homemade food. We will start each day with a healthy breakfast, before heading to class, or out shooting. We serve warm lunch at SAGA every day. Breakfast and varm lunch, coffee/ tea and fruit throughout your stay is included in the accommodation fee.
If you are not staying at our hotel you can still be part of the meal plan.
Meal Plan: breakfast, varm lunch, coffee/ tea and fruit pr day: Nok 660,-.
If you have any food allergies please let us know when you register for your class and we will try to accommodate your needs.
For dinner: the options will be discussed with the group on arrival. There are one restaurant in walking distance to SAGA, and several in driving distance. Dinner is not included. Saga has a full liquor license.
PRICE ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS:
Shared double-room: NOK 1.460,- per person pr night.
The price includes:
- shared double room
- healthy breakfast
- warm home-cocked lunch
- coffee/ tea and fruit throughout your stay
- a session in Saga Sauna.
To get a shared double room requires that we have another participant of your gender, that can share. If we do not, you will get a private room - see price below.
Private room: NOK 1.760,- per night.
The price includes:
- a private room
- healthy breakfast
- warm home-cocked lunch
- coffee/ tea and fruit throughout your stay
- a session in Saga Sauna.
Payment for accommodations and meals is done directly to SAGA, before you depart. SAGA accept Visa and MasterCard.
GETTING TO SAGA:
By Plane:
The closest airport to SAGA is Trondheim International Airport. From the airport, take the northbound train (towards Steinkjer), which stops at the airport terminal about every two hours. You will disembark the train at Røra Station (about 1 hour and 10 minutes) where NORDphotography’s van will be to greet you and transport you to SAGA. Estimated travel time to SAGA from (Time include direct flight to Trondheim Airport + train to SAGA): Oslo: 2 hours / Bodø: 2 hours / Copenhagen: 3 hours / Stockholm: 3 hours / New York: 12 hours (NYC+Oslo+Trondheim)
By Train:
You disembark the train at Røra Station and NORDphotography’s van will be to greet you and take you to SAGA. Estimated travel time to Røra by train from: Oslo: 9 hours / Trondheim: 2 hours / Bodø: 9.5 hours / Storlien (Sweden): 3.5 hours. For the local train schedule see: www.nsb.no/rutetabell
By Car:
Follow E6 to Røra, then RV 755 to Straumen.
Travel expenses are each participant's own responsibility.
RESULT from previous workshops with Ragne K Sigmond:
WORKSHOP TUITION:
NOK 14.000,-
Deposit: NOK 4.000,-
Se payment details in the workshop description.
REGISTRATION ON OUR WORKSHOPS ARE BINDING.
We ask that you do not book your ticket until we have confirmed that the minimum number of participants have signed on. The confirmation will happen no later than a month before the workshop start.
We recommend everyone who travels to have travel insurance.
For our cancelation rules and withdrawal and refund policy, scroll to the end of the description and read the info in the blue banners.
WHEN TO ARRIVE:
The workshop starts on October 29ST at 19:00 (7PM).
WHEN TO DEPART:
The workshop wraps on November 3RD at 13:00 (1PM)
WHAT TO BRING:
Camera: Personally Ragne prefers to use her Olympus camera which has the very specific feature “Live composite” that allows her to follow every light stroke during the exposure on the display. But any camera can be used as long as it manually can be set on long exposure times together with the combination of a chosen aperture.
Flash light: with dimming possibiities, or bring more then one with different strengths
You will also need a tripod, and your own laptop, and camera equipent.
Students are expected to bring a small portfolio (max 10 images) of their work (print or digital) to the class.
ABOUT
RAGNE K. SIGMOND:
Ragne Kristine Sigmond is a Norwegian photographer, currently teaching photography at Media College Denmark, where teaching of lighting is one of her favourite subjects.
She received her education in photography at the very same school, graduating in 2003.
Working on fine art photography in her spare time has been an important factor for developing her photographic style. She has been invited to present her work at art fairs, to give lectures and hold workshops, to judge competitions or to exhibit in countries like Norway, Denmark, Italy, Belgium, Poland and Australia.
She was the main contributor of photographs to the 500-page book about composition “Se her!” (LOOK!), written by Rudi Hass, released in the Scandinavian market in 2013.
In 2017 she received the Photography award in Norway, a prize created to honour photographers who have especially contributed to enhancing the position of photography in cultural life.
Withdrawal and refund policy:
We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance.
Enrolment is limited in our workshops, so once you have registered for a class – we are counting on you to attend. The registration is binding. We do however understand that sometimes plans fall trough and offer the following cancellation policies: Withdraw more than 60 days before the start of class and we will refund all monies paid, minus an administration fee of NOK 1500,-. Withdraw 60 days or less before the start of class and we will charge you with the full workshop tuition. NORDphotography is not responsible for cancellations due to medical emergencies.
Cancelation Rules:
We ask that you do not book your ticket until we have confirmed that the minimum number of participants have signed up.
For workshops to run we need a minimum of five participants, unless otherwise noted in the workshop description. If we for some reason are not able to reach our minimum number, the workshop will be canceled and you will receive a full refund. NORDphotography is not responsible for reimbursement of non-refundable airline / train tickets in the event of a program cancellation. Our line of liability is to return all monies paid to the workshops. Please check on your workshop status before making travel arrangements. There will be a maximum of 10 students in each workshop, unless otherwise noted in the workshop description.
Instructor Replacement:
.
It is the nature of our business that occasionally a listed instructor cannot participate because of unexpected events. If we are forced to replace an instructor we will do so with someone with equal or similar credentials. When time permits we will inform everyone who has registered.