The Photographic Process
Register by October 22nd and receive your very own hardcover copy of Brassaï: Paris by Night ($75 value), complimentary with your registration!
The Photographic Process explores photography not simply as image making, but as a complete artistic process. Together, we'll examine how photographs made on the street and throughout everyday life evolve from fleeting moments into finished works of fine art experienced in galleries and physical space. From observation and exposure to editing, sequencing, printing, framing, and exhibition, we'll explore every stage of the photographic journey.
In this third edition of The Photographic Process, we'll explore the life, work, and photographic philosophy of Brassaï, one of the most influential figures in early twentieth-century European photography. Working in Paris during the 1930s, Brassaï transformed the city's streets, cafés, architecture, and nocturnal life into photographs filled with atmosphere, mystery, and poetic observation. His landmark 1933 book, Paris de Nuit (Paris by Night), helped redefine the artistic possibilities of photographing the city after dark.
As Vancouver moves into the darker months of late autumn, we'll explore the photographic possibilities of evening and nighttime. Rain, fog, wet pavement, artificial light, and deep shadows will become part of our visual exploration. Throughout five weeks, we'll study the historical and artistic movements that influenced Brassaï, his contribution to modern European photography, and what his photographs can teach us about our own way of seeing. While black-and-white photography will be a central influence, participants are welcome to work in colour, using either film or digital cameras.
Rather than attempting to imitate Brassaï's photographs, we'll use his work as a point of departure for developing our own visual language. Through seminars, guided evening photowalks, photographic assignments, group critiques, editing, sequencing, archival printing, and exhibition preparation, each participant will create a thoughtful and cohesive body of work while experiencing the complete photographic process, from first exposure to finished exhibition print.
Workshop Schedule
Five weeks of photographic exploration, combining classroom seminars, evening photowalks, group critiques, editing, and sequencing. The workshop concludes with two professionally framed fine art photographs and a curated public showcase.
Week 01 November 4–6
WED · NOV 04 Opening Seminar
6:00–9:00 PM · Classroom
Brassaï & the History of European Photography
The workshop begins with an in-depth seminar exploring the life, work, and photographic philosophy of Brassaï. We'll examine Paris between the two world wars, his landmark 1933 book Paris de Nuit, and the artistic movements that influenced his photography.
We'll also introduce the central philosophy of The Photographic Process, exploring the journey from observation and exposure through editing, sequencing, printing, framing, and exhibition.
FRI · NOV 06 Photowalk 1 — Gastown
6:00–9:00 PM · Guided Evening Photography
Atmosphere & the City After Dark
Our first guided evening photowalk explores Gastown, drawing inspiration from Brassaï's nocturnal photographs of Paris. We'll examine artificial illumination, deep shadows, reflections, wet pavement, and the atmospheric qualities of the city after dark.
Participants will receive their first photographic assignment, encouraging careful observation and the exploration of light and darkness as expressive photographic elements.
Week 02 November 11–13
WED · NOV 11 Group Critique 1
6:00–9:00 PM · Classroom
Light, Shadow & Photographic Expression
Our first group critique examines photographs produced during the opening week. Through discussion and constructive critique, we'll explore tonal relationships, atmosphere, photographic intention, and the beginnings of a personal visual language.
The session introduces the next photographic assignment and encourages participants to begin identifying recurring ideas within their work.
FRI · NOV 13 Photowalk 2 — Vancouver Art Gallery & Robson Street
6:00–9:00 PM · Guided Evening Photography
Human Presence After Dark
Exploring the streets surrounding the Vancouver Art Gallery and Robson Street after dark, we'll examine the relationship between people and the urban environment through illuminated storefronts, architecture, shadows, and the movement of the city at night.
Inspired by Brassaï's observations of Parisian nightlife, we'll investigate gesture, solitude, atmosphere, and the relationship between people and their surroundings.
Week 03 November 18–20
WED · NOV 18 Group Critique 2
6:00–9:00 PM · Classroom
Visual Language & Portfolio Development
Building upon the previous critique, we'll examine recurring themes, visual consistency, sequencing, and the development of a cohesive body of work.
Participants will identify their strongest photographic directions and consider what subjects or ideas should be explored during the final guided photowalk.
FRI · NOV 20 Photowalk 3 — David Lam Park
6:00–9:00 PM · Guided Evening Photography
The Surreal & Unexpected
Our final guided evening photowalk explores David Lam Park and the seawall, encouraging participants to photograph with greater intention while searching for the mysterious and unexpected qualities of the ordinary city.
Week 04 November 25–27
WED · NOV 25 Group Critique 3
6:00–9:00 PM · Classroom
Final Editing: Twenty Photographs Down to Ten
Each participant presents twenty photographs for their final group critique. Together, we'll examine visual relationships, recurring themes, and the strength of individual photographs.
Through collaborative editing, we'll refine each collection to ten photographs that will be produced as archival working prints for our final sequencing session.
FRI · NOV 27 Slide Night & Social
6:00–9:00 PM · Studio Gathering
Photography, Conversation & Community
An informal evening of photography, books, conversation, and group discussion. Participants are invited to share photographs, discuss ideas, and spend time together before our final editing and sequencing session.
Pizza and non-alcoholic refreshments will be provided.
Week 05 December 2
WED · DEC 02 Final Sequencing & Print Selection
6:00–9:00 PM · Classroom
Ten Working Prints & Two Final Photographs
Working with ten archival prints from each participant, we'll edit, sequence, and refine each body of work through collaborative discussion and critique.
Each photographer will select their two strongest photographs for final exhibition production. Together, we'll also consider how these images communicate within a collective group sequence.
Our concluding seminar explores fine art printing, conservation framing, archival materials, custom matting, glazing, and the presentation of finished photographic work.
Final Presentation December 7–18
DEC 07–08 Final Print Signing
By Appointment · Legere Fine Art Studio
Monday & Tuesday, December 7–8
Each participant will visit the studio to hand sign and date their two final exhibition photographs. Appointments will take approximately five minutes.
Following signing, the photographs will be professionally matted and custom framed using conservation materials and anti-reflective art glass.
FRI · DEC 18 Final Group Showcase
Time & Location To Be Announced
A Collective Photographic Exhibition
The workshop concludes with a public presentation of the finished work created throughout the program. Two photographs from each participant will form a carefully curated group sequence, bringing together up to sixteen original fine art photographs.
Following the showcase, participants will receive their two professionally printed and custom-framed photographs: one to give and one to keep.
What You Will Explore
Through seminars, evening photowalks, photographic assignments, group critiques, and exhibition preparation, participants will explore:
Brassaï & European Photography
His life, philosophy, Paris de Nuit, early twentieth-century photography, Modernism, and Surrealism.
Light, Shadow & Atmosphere
Evening and nighttime photography, artificial light, reflections, rain, fog, and the expressive qualities of black and white or colour.
Observation & Photographic Expression
Finding meaningful photographs within everyday life, urban environments, architecture, and human activity.
Personal Visual Language
Photographic intention, individual style, and developing a thoughtful, cohesive body of work.
Editing & Sequencing
Refining twenty photographs into ten archival working prints, exploring visual relationships, rhythm, and narrative.
Printing & Exhibition
Selecting two final photographs, archival printing, conservation framing, and presenting finished photographic work in a public showcase.
The Exhibition
Rather than concluding with a final critique, The Photographic Process culminates in a unique, two-to-three-hour public showcase celebrating the participants' finished photographs.
Each showcase is developed throughout the workshop, shaped by the photographers, their work, and the ideas that emerge along the way. These presentations are not necessarily held in traditional art galleries. Our first edition took place in a public plaza accompanied by a live violinist, while the second is currently in its final planning stages.
The goal is to bring photography into the physical world, creating an opportunity to share finished work with friends, family, and the wider community.
Final Public Showcase — Friday, December 18, 2026 Time, location, and presentation details will be announced during the workshop.
Your Finished Exhibition Photographs
One to Give. One to Keep.
With the holidays approaching, this third edition offers something special: two original, professionally framed fine art photographs, one to keep and one to give as a meaningful, one-of-a-kind holiday gift.
Throughout the workshop, each participant will develop a cohesive body of work, refined into a final portfolio of ten photographs produced as archival working prints. Two photographs will then be selected for final exhibition printing and presentation.
Each photograph will be presented in a custom 11 × 14-inch gallery frame, featuring a museum-cut archival mat and premium anti-reflective art glass. Both will be professionally printed and framed using museum-quality materials and conservation methods by Legere Fine Art Services.
Participants will personally sign and date both exhibition prints before framing. The finished photographs will be available to take home following the December 18 public showcase, just in time for the holidays.
Example presentation only. Participants will receive two professionally printed and framed photographs created from their own work produced during the workshop.
(Parade of Lost Souls, by Andrew Legere, 11×14)
Registration
Enrolment limited to eight photographers
5% discount for payment by e-transfer ($712.50 CAD)
Register by October 22nd and receive your very own hardcover copy of Brassaï: Paris by Night ($75 value), complimentary with your registration!
Open to photographers of all experience levels using either film or digital cameras.
Registration reserves one of only eight places in this five-week workshop and includes all seminars, three guided evening photowalks, photographic assignments, group critiques, archival working prints, two professionally framed exhibition photographs, workshop materials, and participation in the final public showcase.
Please note: Evening photowalks will involve challenging low-light conditions. Participants should have a basic understanding of their camera, but guidance and assistance with exposure, camera settings, and working with available light will be provided throughout the workshop. Tripods may be used when appropriate. These challenges are part of the learning experience, and we'll explore how to use them creatively in our photography.
Your Registration Includes
Seminars & Photographic Education
- Introductory seminar exploring Brassaï, his photographic philosophy, and early twentieth-century European photography
- Workshop handbook and photographic reference materials
- Classroom discussions exploring photographic history, Modernism, Surrealism, and artistic expression
- Two photographic assignments designed to encourage observation and personal visual development
- Three group critiques examining photographic intention, visual language, and portfolio development
- Snacks and refreshments during classroom sessions
Guided Evening Photography
- Three guided Vancouver evening photowalks exploring Gastown, the Vancouver Art Gallery & Robson Street, and the Vancouver Seawall around David Lam Park
- Exploring artificial illumination, reflections, rain, fog, shadows, atmosphere, and human presence in the city after dark
- Opportunities to photograph in either black and white or colour using film or digital cameras
Editing, Sequencing & Print Production
- Final group critique refining twenty photographs into a selection of ten
- Ten professionally produced archival working prints for editing, sequencing, print evaluation, and critique
- Collaborative sequencing and portfolio development session
- Selection of two final exhibition photographs from each participant's body of work
- Concluding seminar exploring archival fine art printing, conservation framing, material selection, and display
Your Finished Exhibition Photographs
- Two professionally printed archival fine art photographs created from your own work
- Two custom 11 × 14-inch gallery frames with museum-cut archival matting
- Premium anti-reflective art glass and conservation-quality framing materials
- Personal hand signing and dating of both finished prints before custom framing
- One to Give. One to Keep. Two finished works of art to take home for the holidays
Community & Public Showcase
- Brassaï-inspired slide night and social gathering, with pizza and non-alcoholic refreshments provided
- Collaborative development of a final group exhibition sequence
- A professionally curated workshop portfolio featuring one archival print from each participant
- Participation in a unique two-to-three-hour public showcase on Friday, December 18, 2026
- Opportunities to share your work with fellow photographers, friends, family, and the wider photographic community
- 20% off future photography workshops offered by Legere Fine Art Services
A Note From Andrew
Photography has always been more than a collection of photographs. It is a conversation carried from one generation of photographers to the next through books, mentorship, criticism, shared experience, and the photographs themselves.
One of the reasons I created The Photographic Process was to create a place where that conversation could continue in person. To bring photographers together to study important bodies of work, ask questions, share ideas, challenge one another, and learn through making photographs together.
Brassaï was among the most influential figures in early twentieth-century European photography. Working in Paris during the 1930s, he revealed an extraordinary world through his observations of ordinary streets, architecture, nightlife, and the people who inhabited them. His photographs transformed darkness, light, and atmosphere into powerful elements of photographic expression, demonstrating that even the most familiar surroundings could become mysterious and poetic.
As we move into Vancouver's darker autumn evenings, I see a wonderful opportunity to explore these same ideas through our own photographs. We'll study Brassaï's work and photographic philosophy, not to imitate what he created nearly a century ago, but to understand the artistic decisions behind his photographs and consider how those lessons might influence our own way of seeing.
Every great photographer builds upon those who came before them, and I believe there is no better place to begin than by carefully studying the work of a master.
Frequently Asked
Questions
What level of photography experience is required?
The workshop is open to photographers of all experience levels. Participants should have a basic understanding of how to operate their camera and an interest in exploring photography as an artistic practice.
Guidance will be provided throughout the workshop, including assistance with camera settings, exposure, composition, editing, and photographic development. A willingness to experiment, share ideas, and participate in group critiques is more important than technical experience.
Where are the workshops and photowalks held?
Classroom seminars and group critiques are held in Vancouver, hosted by Legere Fine Art Services. Guided evening photowalks take place in various downtown neighbourhoods, including Gastown, the Vancouver Art Gallery and Robson Street, and the seawall near David Lam Park.
Exact meeting locations and additional details will be provided to registered participants.
What kind of camera should I bring?
Both digital and film cameras are welcome. A camera that allows manual control of exposure settings is recommended, particularly for photography in low-light conditions.
Evening photography can be technically challenging, but instruction and assistance will be available. You do not need professional camera equipment to participate.
Will we be using tripods?
Tripods are welcome and may be useful for longer exposures, nighttime architecture, and working with limited available light.
They are not required. We will also explore handheld evening photography and creative approaches to movement, exposure, and artificial illumination.
Can I photograph in colour or use film?
Absolutely. While Brassaï's black-and-white photographs will be an important influence, participants are encouraged to develop their own photographic approach, whether working in black and white or colour.
Film photographers are welcome, provided their photographs can be developed and scanned in time for the scheduled critiques and printing deadlines. Film processing and scanning are the participant's responsibility.
What happens if it rains?
We hope to photograph in a variety of weather conditions. Rain, fog, wet pavement, and atmospheric light are particularly relevant to the photographic ideas explored in this workshop.
Participants should dress appropriately and protect their equipment. In the event of dangerous or severe weather, alternative arrangements may be considered.
How much walking is involved?
Each guided photowalk lasts approximately three hours and involves walking through Vancouver's urban neighbourhoods, with frequent opportunities to stop, observe, and photograph.
These are photographic explorations rather than fitness walks. The pace is generally relaxed, allowing time to work with individual subjects and scenes.
What if I cannot attend every session?
Participants are encouraged to attend all seminars, critiques, and photowalks, as each session contributes to the development of their final body of work.
If you anticipate missing a session, please contact Andrew in advance. Every effort will be made to help you stay on track, although missed group sessions cannot necessarily be repeated individually. Zoom live streams are availible for all in class sessions.
What photographs and prints will I receive?
Each participant will receive ten archival working prints for editing and sequencing, followed by two professionally printed exhibition photographs, each presented in a custom 11 × 14-inch frame with archival matting and premium anti-reflective art glass.
Participants will also receive a professionally curated workshop portfolio featuring one archival print from each photographer.
When will I receive my finished photographs?
Participants will personally sign their two final photographs on December 7 or 8, by appointment, before they are custom matted and framed.
Both finished photographs will be available to take home following the final public showcase on Friday, December 18, 2026, just in time for the holidays.
Where will the final public showcase take place?
The final showcase takes place on Friday, December 18, 2026. The venue and presentation are developed collaboratively throughout the workshop, taking inspiration from the photographs and creative ideas of the group.
These showcases are not necessarily held in traditional galleries. Our first edition took place in a public plaza accompanied by a live violinist. The final presentation is intended to be a unique two-to-three-hour public celebration of the group's work.
Why is enrolment limited to eight photographers?
A small group allows for meaningful discussion, individual guidance, thoughtful critiques, and the opportunity to closely examine each participant's developing body of work.
Limiting enrolment also allows us to give proper attention to the editing, printing, framing, and presentation of each participant's finished photographs.
What is the workshop fee and how do I register?
The workshop fee is $750 CAD, including taxes. A 5% discount is available when paying by e-transfer, reducing the fee to $712.50 CAD.
Registration is limited to eight photographers. You can reserve your place through the workshop registration page .