Wedding Photojournalism with Franck Boutonnet

Wedding photography : a documentary approach

GOAL

To acquire the key skills needed to bring out the creative potential in the documentary photography approach for weddings. To learn to seize intense real life moments which happen on the wedding day. To learn to use photography as a visual narrative tool of the wedding rather than simply dramatizing real life, as traditionally is the case with wedding photography practiced today.

Biography

Franck has been a documentary photographer for 14 years. He divides his time between his family, his personal long-term projects, his wedding photo-reportages, and “item”, the photography agency he co-founded in 2001, dedicated to concerned documentary photography. Over the years, he joined international structures such as WPJA, ISPWP, BOWP or Fearless.

Until now his work has been regularly awarded (more than 100 awards) and recognized at an international level through contests organized by these organizations or others like Junebug Weddings. In 2009, he received the WPJA Photographer of the Year 2008 award. In 2010, the Italian magazine Just Married put him in the top 5 best photographers of the year worldwide. In 2011 and 2012, he was ranked in the top 15 Fearless photographers.

Program

«During a wedding, the photos that I want to take and those that I have to take are a priori two completely different things. Nevertheless, I am able to take the photos that I want within the framework the photos expected of me. For example, the image that one expects is the photo of the wedding ring ceremony, the wedding vows, and certain wedding preparations: the wedding dress, the entrance into the room. These scenes can lead to capturing a more personal photo than what I am looking for.

What I am looking for in my images is a timeless quality and my proclaimed complete subjectivity. I like to capture images with the feeling that they aren’t necessarily taken in the context of a wedding, and with a documentary aspect whilst attaching much importance to the aesthetic and lyrical dimension.» Franck Boutonnet (Radio program Regardez voir de Brigitte Patient, France Inter)

This is a practical workshop that includes photo-shooting sessions, daily group exchanges and editing sessions.

You will have to immerse yourself completely, take risks and go beyond your limits in order to progress to a higher level in your photography practice.

Day 1:

Photo Projections Master class
Franck Boutonnet will talk about his work and about the different projects that have punctuated his career. He will share his photographic inspirations with the group and talk about his professional journey from photojournalism to wedding photography.

Equally, he will present the concept of wedding photojournalism, how the practice has emerged and what it is today in France and abroad. He will talk to us about his different photography experiences and weddings he has photographed, the reactions of the bride, groom and their guests and how he was able to convince people of the this new and innovative aesthetic vision.

Finally, he will broach the key concepts in order on the one hand to bring to life images that fall within the realm of photojournalism and on the other hand, to learn how to recognise the strongest narratives. This will allow the photographer to learn how to construct a real narrative thread and to engage with their personal style.

Day 2:

Portfolio reviews and speaking about the approach of each person for the workshop
Participants will be given an in-depth critique of their work, which in turn will stimulate discussion around the wedding photo-shoot the following day. Franck Boutonnet will help to guide each of the participants, coaching them through indepth exploration of their individual work. The participants will have one to one sessions with him and group sessions to discuss their points of view.

Later on, certain key areas will be covered based on the desires of the participants (for example, setting prices, the final presentation to the client, use of natural light, post-production, marketing…).

Day 3:

Photo shooting sessions
Prior to this day, Eyes in Progress will have made contact with 4 couples who are going to get married on this day (Saturday 28th March) in Paris. A maximum of 8 of the participants will leave in pairs to shoot their subject and Franck Boutonnet will punctually meet them in order to supervise the photo shoots and to give his advice for improvement.

An agreement will be made with the couple that a series of photos will be given to them in exchange to leave us to take pictures of their wedding. Look out! This will absolutely not be about replacing this couple’s official wedding photographer. The couples will be clearly informed that the photo shoot, in the context of this course, is purely an exercise and that they won't be able to ask for a great result. That will allow for each person to have a calm approach towards the photo-shoot and to have a positive attitude towards the realisation of this task.

Eyes in Progress will choose weddings of all different faiths. The onsite team is at the disposal of the students to help them with directions, contacts and translations in Paris.

Day 4 & 5:

Editing, post-production and final portfolio sequence
Through a selection of and discussion about the best images from the wedding day, the participants will work in order to refine their own photographic style and, ideally, improve their overall approach towards the wedding subject. Each participant will complete a substantial piece of editing work from the day that they will present to Franck Boutonnet.

Once the images have been edited, the post-production work will begin under the supervision and guidance of the teacher.

The photographs will then be printed and spread out on the table (10 x 15 format or contact sheet) and the work on the final portfolio sequence will happen during a one-to-one session with Franck Boutonnet, a session that the other participants are also invited to.

Once the final selection is complete, the participants must write a short text on their approach and around their subject. The portfolio and the text will then be sent to one of the reviewers. Each participant will also be able to print one or several of their chosen photos (A4, A3).

Final photo projections

Teaching language: English and french depending on the audience.

Hours: 9h30 to 18h30.

Previous Workshops

Wedding of Jeroen Rutten and Michele Noten in Tuscany © Franck Boutonnet

2022

2021

Franck-Boutonnet-Photography-Podcast_003

2019

wedding of Jane Kuno and James Four Seasons Hotel Geneva

2018

Mar 26 - Mar 30, 2015
5 days in Paris - 1300 €

DONE

PARTICIPANTS’
WORKS

Conditions

- Only 9 students will be admitted for each session. Students will be granted admission to the workshop based on a review of a selection of 10 of their photographs.

- The 950€ fee does not include transport, accommodation nor on the ground expenses. For participants coming from outside the European Union, please be aware that there is a bank fee when making the payments via bank transfer.

- In order to confirm your application, an advance payment of €100 is advised. Once the application is completed, we will send an email via PayPal to the participant in order to settle the payment. If the candidate is accepted, this amount will be deducted from the overall cost of the workshop.

- In case the participation is not confirmed, he will get a full pay back of the 100€ fee.

- If accepted, the participant will receive a course contract confirming the success of his application by email.

- To confirm registration, the participant must return this contract to us, signed, within ten days, along with payment of 30% of the cost of the workshop.

- The rest of the fee must be paid by the first day of the workshop at the latest. The participant will then receive a receipt.

- A dossier in order to get prepared for the workshop will be sent to the participant at least two weeks before the course begins.

- If you're willing to participate in more than one workshop, we do offer a 10% discount on the following workshops' price.

Pre-requisite

- Successful candidates will be expected to arrive comfortable with their equipment and ready to photograph.

- Participants working digitally should bring their own laptops, and everything needed for digital editing.

- Participants working on film can use external laboratories services to develop their films but at their own expense and within the given time. Eyes in Progress will provide a list of laboratories and prices and the workshop team will be able, whenever possible, to bring the films to the lab and back once they're developed.

- Participants are required to find their own accommodation in Paris. However Eyes in Progress will provide you with a list of affordable places.

Education material

- Photo books

- Projector and screen

- 1 MAC with photo editing software

- Professional A3 printer

- Negative scanner

- Photo paper

A technical assistant will be present during the workshop.

After the workshop

- The portfolios produced by each participant will be published on the site of Eyes in Progress.

- An evaluation committee comprised of professional photo editors, journalists, creative directors and gallery curators will then critique these portfolios. It will be published on the student's page on Eyes in Progress.

- In case the participant does not want a portfolio review after the workshop, the workshop price will be reduced of 70€.

- Video interviews in which the students discuss their work, their motivation as photographers, as well as what they learned during the masterclass will also be posted on the site. In case the participant is not willing to have his video online, we won't publish it, however, we do encourage to record the video anyways as a practical exercise on how to orally express himself as a photographer.

- Social media modules will be available in order to share the page with friends and contacts.

- Each participant will be awarded a certificate of completion of the course.

- The participants will be required to evaluate the course when it has been completed, to show their level of overall satisfaction and the extent of their acquisition of new skills. These evaluations will help us to improve our courses.

- If the participant is not willing to have his profile online (portfolio, review, video), we will of course respect his decision and will not publish it.

Deadlines

- There will be two rounds of applications review

It is possible that the workshop is completed with the first round of applications, in that case, the second round of applications will not be processed.

- In case the participant comes from far away and needs to make early travel arrangements regarding the workshop's date, we will study his request to review his application ahead of the official deadlines.

- Eyes in Progress reserves the right to cancel groups with less than 7 participants. Students will be given either a full refund or offered a place with an alternative photographer. In the event of a cancellation, students will be given at least 3 weeks advance notice. Eyes in Progress reserves the right to change or alter the program advertised.

- If a participant decides to cancel for whatever reason, this must be confirmed in writing:

. Eyes in Progress will reimburse all the registration costs except for the €100 administrative fee, if the participant informs Eyes in Progress of cancellation at least 3 weeks before the first day of the workshop. Beyond this time limit, Eyes in Progress will charge the following:

. 50% of the cost if cancelled between 6 and 20 days before the workshop commences.

. 100% of the cost if cancelled less than 5 days before the workshop commences.

. All workshops that are commenced but not completed through the fault of the participant need to be paid in full.

- Eyes in Progress is not responsible for reimbursement of travel expenses in case a workshop is cancelled. We recommend that you buy refundable air tickets and/or travel insurance.

SPECIAL NEED ACCESS

Eyes in Progress is committed to using all possible means to enable beneficiaries with disabilities to participate in the workshops. For this, the director of Eyes in Progress will assess all required adaptations and implement them.