Leica Akademie – workshop “Portraits with a Soul” Madrid
Portrait workshop at Leica Akademie – Soulful portraits
Portraits with a Soul: A Portrait Photography Workshop with Emilia Brandão at Leica Akademie Madrid
Technique can make a portrait sharp. Connection makes it true. That is the idea behind Retratos con Alma (“Portraits with Soul”), a hands-on workshop led by photographer Emilia Brandão at Leica Akademie Madrid, designed for anyone who wants to capture the essence of a person in an image.
Authentic portraits start with connection
The workshop begins with a simple premise: something authentic can only be captured when there is a real connection between the photographer and the model. It is open to photographers of different levels, and it works whatever photographic style you develop. The goal is not to teach a look, but a way of relating to the person in front of your lens.
How the workshop works
The session is organized in three moments.
1. Theory: portraits and human emotions. The workshop opens with a talk on portraiture and emotions. Emilia explains, from a psychological perspective, how to connect better with people through empathy, vulnerability, trust and collaboration.
2. Practice: being the model and the photographer. Participants then move to a prepared set with continuous lights, working with Leica cameras under Emilia’s supervision. Everyone plays both roles. Standing in front of the camera helps you understand what it feels like to be photographed, and only then do you apply the connection method as the photographer.
3. Review: looking at the work together. To close the workshop, the group talks about the experience and looks at the participants’ photographs, pinpointing where each person can improve their practice.
What you take home
- High-quality studio portraits produced during the session, available to all participants.
- A diploma of attendance from Leica Akademie Madrid.
- The chance to try Leica’s latest camera models and work with them during the shoot.
Who is it for?
This workshop is a good fit if you:
- photograph people and want your portraits to feel less posed and more honest;
- feel shy or unsure when directing someone on set;
- want to learn through practice, not only theory;
- are curious about shooting with Leica cameras.
About the instructor
Emilia Brandão is a portrait photographer born in São Paulo and based in Madrid, who has collaborated with Vogue, GQ, Elle and Glamour. She was named an official LEICA ambassador in 2020, and her exhibition Time to Heal was shown at Leica Gallery Madrid. Her work is built on connecting with people, and this workshop distills that approach into a practical session. If you want to go deeper afterward, she also teaches the online course Directing People for Portrait Photography on Domestika.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CL9RofOD23o/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/COIc_bPAODb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==