Masterclass Studio Jiminy: My first photo project with Valérie Semensatis

In photography, once the technique is learned, we often arrive at a threshold that prevents us from moving forward.It’s a difficult course to pass, that of giving meaning to your images.We photograph above all to get a message across, tell a story.

In this new masterclass of studio Jiminy, professional photographer Valérie Semensatis explains how to carry out her first photo project by creating a narrative series.

This masterclass, always composed around the practice and the gaze posed by the photographer, is placed in the extension of the masterclass the basics of the photo: after having approached the material and the technique, we approach the meaning of the image, inintegrating it into a photographic project.

My first photo project includes 2 hours of video lessons and follows Valérie Semensatis on a photo project from A to Z to help you think about your shooting as part of a series.

In the presentation, we discover the approach of this portraitist photographer, the starting point of the series that will be made in the Masterclass as well as a selection of photos composing his personal work.Valérie Semensatis is a portrait painter and produces "corporate" portraits as well as for the books of actors.For her personal projects, she likes to tell stories of women inspired by American cinema from the 50s and 60s;These mysterious and elegant women, always with a glamorous touch.

In this masterclass, we approach the narration around portraits, but it is also available if you carry out landscape photography, street, night photography, report, etc.

This masterclass leaves the technique aside - it is for the masterclass on the basics of the photo - by focusing on the narration and the creation of a story.For her projects, Valérie Semensatis does not cling to a lot of equipment since she takes with her a Nikon D750 (with a comfortable strap) with two objectives, a 35mm Sigma HSM Art F /4 and a Nikkor50mm f/1.4 AF-S G, without forgetting an essential accessory: a brush pen to clean your optics.

Focus on the narrative series

In the Focus part of the Masterclass, Valérie explains to us in 6 videos how she seeks and finds inspiration, how she prepares her sessions - she only uses natural light - her relationships with her models and the preparation of the place.A set of constraints that forces her to be creative.

A little advice given by the photographer to start: do not try to create too complex stories, some tracks and main lines will allow you to refine the story once there.On this subject, Valérie never moves without her notebook in which she notes all the photo plans she wishes to make and a checklist of the accessories to use, so as not to forget anything.

4 workshops for a narrative story

Once the "theory" has been explained, we go to practice by following Valérie Semensatis on four workshops that represent so many moments that will compose the story of a young woman played by the actress and model Jennifer Gaudu.

The first workshop aims to bring out the sweetness of a scene taken upon waking.The "1950s" atmosphere must be installed very quickly to serve as a basis for the story that will take place.

For the second workshop, the model is seated in front of a typewriter, writing a letter.The portraits made on this workshop must reflect the inner state of the model.Valérie tries several angles of shooting, guides her model on the attitude to have and plays with the variant ambient light to obtain the images of the suite of this series.

The third workshop takes place in the street, outdoors, always in daylight.This is the wait.Jennifer is waiting for someone who will not come.Here, the goal is to restore this state of waiting and exasperation while composing with the urban environment, cars, pedestrians, etc.

Finally, for the last workshop, Valérie wishes to finish the story in a photo of a departure, the last look of this woman whose course of the day did not go as planned.

Review, Post Production and the Final Photo Series

Each of the Masterclass Studio Jiminy who follows a photographer takes up at the end of the day a moment of review of the photos taken and the selected images, then the transition to the postproduction and the presentation of the final series.

Valérie Semensatis reviews all of her photos, comments on them and only selects those that have a narrative interest in the history being created.The atmosphere of this series being in black and white, the photographer uses Lightroom and goes directly to the preview of the RAW files in black and white to have a better idea of the final result.

Retouching is addressed in a single photo in this series, to understand Valérie's workflow.We would have liked to spend a little more time in the company of the portrait painter to discover the postproduction of other photos, but this masterclass is above all oriented on the narration and the creation of a story in the photo.For the development of your photos, Studio Jiminy has a masterclass dedicated to Lightroom.

To conclude this masterclass, we discover the final series made up of 19 photos that constitute the complete history.

Our opinion on the Masterclass “My first photo project” with Valérie Semensatis

Composing a coherent photo series, from writing to the final selection through shooting and postproduction is a task that may seem complex for someone who begins.With this masterclass, Studio Jiminy is taking us for a day in the world of photographer Valérie Semensatis.Sensitive and attentive to the details, the photographer gives us the keys to photographic narration.All that remains is to define its own subject and build it step by step, while leaving room for the unexpected.

We come out of this masterclass with a sudden desire to take your pen (and not your case) to think about a story and a photo series to make.

This masterclass is once again expanding the Masterclass catalog of Studio Jiminy.Two formulas exist: a quarterly subscription at € 15/month or an annual subscription at € 9.99/month.These two subscriptions make it possible to benefit from all the Masterclass already released as well as the masterclass to come in the subscription period.

For information, Phototrend is a studio partner Jiminy and throughout the year we will suggest that you follow the project with preview content, magazines from different episodes, interviews with photographers and much more ...