Tuition: $1499.99
Limited to 7 participants
Walking the streets of New York City, one can easily recognize broad washes of soft light or a block drenched in hard summer sun. But the true work begins beneath that surface—learning how to see the quieter, more fleeting moments that most pass by unnoticed.
Over the course of his career, Mark de Paola has developed a distinctive sensitivity to natural light—an ability not only to observe it, but to anticipate it, shape it, and respond to its most ephemeral qualities across both urban and natural environments. His images are defined not by spectacle, but by nuance: a subtle shift in tone, a moment of stillness, a gesture illuminated just enough.
Central to Mark’s practice is a disciplined and increasingly rare philosophy: the image is completed in-camera. His portraiture relies on little to no post-production manipulation, placing full emphasis on perception, timing, and intention at the moment of capture. Rather than “finding” the image later, his approach is to preconceive it—to see the photograph fully before the shutter is released.
This summer, Mark invites a select group of participants into an intimate, two-day intensive set in downtown Manhattan. Together, you will move through the city as both observer and participant, learning to recognize and work with the kinds of light that are often overlooked.
The program centers on developing a heightened visual awareness—training the eye to detect the micro-language of natural light:
the quiet bounce of illumination off a passing window,
a narrow slash of light revealed only as a revolving door turns,
the soft dappling that shifts with the movement of trees overhead,
reflected light traveling unexpectedly across a street corner,
or the sculpting effect of negative fill created by the dark facade of a nearby building.
Participants will learn how to see these conditions before they fully reveal themselves, to anticipate how light will fall, move, and disappear—and to position both subject and camera accordingly. The goal is not reaction, but intention.
Attendees will photograph through all conditions—rain or shine (with rain, as Mark often notes, being especially welcome). Wet pavement, diffused skies, and low-light environments become opportunities to explore depth, reflection, and atmosphere—while refining exposure choices without reliance on correction in post.
Throughout the two days, Mark will guide participants through his complete process: how he approaches a location, how he reads and pre-visualizes light, and how he directs subjects with restraint to create presence rather than performance. The emphasis is not on equipment or technical excess, but on refining perception and committing to decisions in the moment.
By the end of the program, participants will leave not only with a body of work created across New York City, but with a fundamental shift in approach—one rooted in seeing before shooting, deciding before capturing, and trusting the image as it is made, not altered afterward.
SCHEDULE
Saturday
10AM-5PM
10AM-11:30AM
Lecture + Student Introductions
11:30AM-1:00PM
Shoot in Meatpacking
1:00PM-2:00PM
Lunch
2:00PM-5:00PM
Shoot in Washington Square Park
Sunday
9AM-5PM
9AM-11:30AM
Soho Morning Light
11:30-12:00PM
Transfer to Leica Meatpacking
12:00PM-1:00PM
Group Lunch
1:00PM-4:00PM
One on One Reviews
4:00PM-5:00PM
Group Presentation + Wrap Up Discussion