“Part of being a photographer is noticing surface details and how they represent something larger; it’s like being a detective or psychologist.” —from Todd Hido on Landscapes, Interiors, and the Nude (Aperture, 2014)
Cinematic structure, suburbia, Raymond Carver novels, ink-jet printers, Kodak film, and Lightroom: these are just a few of the dozens of topics photographer Todd Hido discussed throughout his two-day workshop, during which he presented personal influences, shared knowledge concerning photography as both fine art and a career, and explained his evolution as an artist. After presenting his work, he led participants in group conversations surrounding their photographs, offering generous, individualized critiques and valuable advice for the development and direction of their portfolios. Hido addressed the importance of following one’s own innate wisdom, explaining, “Work that is rooted in our own personal experience never disappoints.”
“The workshop exceeded my expectations. I received valuable information from both the discussion of Todd’s work and the critiques of the participants.”
“Getting feedback on my portfolio was helpful, but it was also valuable to hear about Todd Hido’s process; the way that he trusted his gut and developed his own unique style, and the ways that he built a career out of creating a particular mood.”
“Todd was open and super generous—answering all questions, taking a lot of time to go through our own work.”
“Todd was a great instructor. For me, it was good to know that everyone faces the same struggles when making and looking for images to photograph.”
—Workshop participants
Todd Hido (born in Kent, Ohio, 1968) is a San Francisco Bay Area–based artist whose work has been featured in Artforum, the New York Times Magazine, Eyemazing, Metropolis, the Face, i-D, and Vanity Fair. His photographs are in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among other institutions. He has published more than a dozen books, including Excerpts from Silver Meadows (2013). Hido earned a BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, Boston, and an MFA from the California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, California, and is an adjunct professor at the California College of Art, San Francisco.
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