Whether you have an idea for a project that is intended for the book form or are already working on one, this intensive and comprehensive program is designed to guide you through every step of the process of making a photobook. The objective is to have a physical maquette or artist book ready to present to publishers or to self-publish, upon completion of the course.

The program combines online seminars, critiques with guest artists, and one-on-one sessions, as well as optional in-person and online workshops. Working with one main, and two additional instructors throughout the program, while also receiving additional assignments and feedback from guest critics, participants will have both continuity and variety of support. The learning process will be based on continual production of maquettes, which will lead participants to deepen their understanding of the book form and allow them to continue redefining it for themselves. Reading and writing assignments, as well as individualized exercises throughout the year will develop the skills and knowledge necessary for creating a successful photobook.

Jenia Fridlyand

Jenia Fridlyand (Moscow, 1975) is a photographer and educator based in New York City and the Hudson Valley. Her photographs and books have been exhibited in the United States and abroad. The self-published edition of Fridlyand’s book Entrance to Our Valley was shortlisted for the Paris Photo - Aperture First Photobook Award 2017, and a trade edition was published by TIS Books in September 2019. Her current long-term project is based in Cuba. She is represented by Gallery Wouter van Leuween.

Fridlyand is a co-founder of Image Threads Collective, a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring together artists, educators, and bookmakers in communities around the world for a mutual exchange of ideas and experiences. She organized and taught workshops and long-term courses in Ukraine, Georgia, Iceland, Canada, and Cuba, and has been teaching photobook courses at Penumbra Foundation since 2018. Fridlyand studied photography at Centre Iris and Université Paris VIII, and holds an MFA from the University of Hartford’s International Limited-Residency program.

jenia.net

Previous & Current Instructors, Guest Artists, & Critics

Tim Carpenter, Alan Huck, Kevin Kunstadt, Adam Meeks, Raymond Meeks, Emma Phillips, Irina Rozovsky, Mariela Sancari, Mike Slack