(September 28, 2022) A New York-based photographer for Shutterstock, Stephen Lovekin recently hosted a two-day workshop in which the Project Based Learning (PBL) seniors considered, “What is a portrait?” 
 
The workshop is part of a semester-long design seminar, which includes sessions with various guest artists and designers. In the design seminar, students are creating original work in multiple mediums and honing their design and visual communication skills. 
 
During the workshop, students examined and discussed the work of renowned portrait photographers such as Richard Avedon and Phillipe Halsman, explored the use of light to create mood, and participated in a Q&A  session in which they heard tales of Lovekin’s storied career photographing celebrities and history-making events. As students took turns behind the lens, Lovekin encouraged them to bring their unique perspective to whatever they created. 
 
“I realize I’m not going to turn these students into professional photographers in two 90-minute sessions,” he said, “but if I can do anything, my hope is to help them look at things a little more closely, pay attention to things they might have otherwise overlooked, and to collaborate and connect with others in ways they might not have done before the class.” 
 
“I really appreciate that Stephen pushed us to think outside of the box,” shared PBL veteran Derick Jones. 
 
Another PBL veteran, Zachai Edmonds, reflected, “(Stephen) explains things really well. And he is extremely talented.”
 
Lovekin gifted the PBL seniors with their portraits for use in LinkedIn profiles, digital portfolios, and other professional communications. To see more of Lovekin’s work, visit his instagram page @slovekinpics.