July 8-11, 2027 | $2500.007 Participants
Big Sur Portraiture Without Signal
What to ExpectBig Sur and the Monterey Peninsula is inextricably embedded within photographic history, with ancient redwood canyons, coastal light that exists nowhere else on earth, and a landscape that has called artists inward for generations. Explore portrait and landscape coexisting through a different pace of artistic reflection.
Wide Open Art invites a small group of artists to join Mark de Paola for a 3.5-day retreat on a private artist’s compound nestled within one of these epic redwood canyons, entirely without cell service. When the electronics fall away and the noise of the outside world recedes, something else can arise from within: the internal artistic voice. The one that knows what it wants to say before the mind intervenes. Big Sur Portrait is designed to create the conditions for that voice to emerge.
Working intimately with Mark de Paola and the collaborating team over three and a half days, participants will move through the process of creating fine art portraits within the landscape, drawing on Mark’s two decades of work across Vogue, Gucci, Saint Laurent, and a fine art practice exhibited in Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, Milan, and beyond. This retreat is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and produce a series of fine art images that build a bridge between landscape and portrait that are imbued with an internal voice.
❋ What's Included All artist instruction, production, staff, locations and shoot teams, welcome dinner, lunch each day, and transfers between activities.
**Please note that all other trip expenses such as flights, accommodations, airport transfers, etc for those who are not local to Paris must be covered individually by each participant and are not included in the experience tuition.
❋ Topics CoveredClassical vs. Unconventional Composition
How a removal from being connected with every day electronics and distractions can shift our creative process cognitively.
The intersections between portraiture and landscape genres.
The process of collaboration with talent.
The focusing and refinement of your own fine art body of work.
❋ What's IncludedAll materials, talent fees, personalized instruction, production, locations and lectures
Group and private portfolio review with Mark de Paola
Lunch each day
Group dinner in Carmel
What to ExpectWeather - July in Big Sur is gorgeous summer weather. Expect the possibility for cool foggy mornings opening up into gorgeous sunny summer afternoons. If it rains, shooting sessions will still proceed. Bring a personal umbrella and wear rain boots for the mud. Dress accordingly in layers as needed.
Your Gear Recommendation - Please bring the amount of gear in your bag that is personally manageable for you to maneuver the redwoods. This may be different for each participant. In general, we recommend bringing two bodies and two lenses so as to focus in on your shooting and the experiences rather than changing out various bodies and lenses mid session.
Activity Level - Expect to be on your feet for the majority of the time. We recommend comfortable walking/hiking shoes with ample ankle support. Expect to walk up and down a hill in between each shooting round.
Base Location - The base location will be on a beautiful private redwoods canyon property south of Carmel that is a multi cabin artist-owned complex, a sanctuary for creation and creativity.
Image Usage - Images captured by attendees during this experience may be used for personal use (website, social media, etc).
Schedule Outline
As everyone arrives, we take time to settle in, get comfortable, and begin connecting with those around us. The journey starts here.
July 8Evening Welcome Dinner in Carmel
July 9Morning Lecture + Introductions, Afternoon Shoot
July 10Morning and Afternoon Shoot
July 11Morning Shoot, Afternoon Reviews, Closing Presentation
Meet The Artist
Mark de Paola
Mark de Paola is a New York City-based fine art and fashion photographer and director with many years of experience shooting campaign and fine art commissions for the likes of Vogue Spain, Vogue Mexico, Gucci, Oscar de la Renta, Prabal Gurung, Aveda, Estee Lauder, Brioni, David Koma, Roksanda, and Saint Laurent. De Paola has directed several hundred television spots in the fashion/beauty sector including those for Giorgio RED Perfume (Bergdorf Goodman windows and MoMA NY), Donna Karan, Ducati, Leica Camera, Sony, Neutrogena, and Ford Motorsports.
De Paola's fine art work is included in public collections such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Getty in Los Angeles, the San Diego Center of Photographic Arts, and the TOP Museum in Tokyo. His photography monographs Recent Work I (2018), Recent Work II (2019), and Five Years and Sixty Seconds (2020) can be found with Leica Camera retailers in major cities worldwide. De Paola's solo exhibitions have traveled around the world including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dali (China), Tokyo, Milan (Triennale Museum), and at home in New York City.
De Paola’s forthcoming feature film A Stab At Heaven stars Ema McKie in a powerful nonfiction narrative, and is currently in development on feature The Final Film and in pre production for feature and limited series betterthandead.
His newest publication A Stab At Heaven in collaboration with McKie is currently being released. De Paola's pictorialist work as a still and motion artist has been driven by his studies of the neurobiology and cognitive psychology of human vision.
https://www.depaolapictures.com/
Instagram: @depaolapictures @markdepaolastudio
MARK DE PAOLA
MARK DE PAOLA
How It Works-
Register now with Wide Open Art by clicking the “Register” button to our team. We will be in touch within 24-48 hours with your registration invoice.
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Receive a welcome email from production with travel reminders and recommendations.
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About 10-14 days before the start of the experience, receive a welcome letter with itinerary and prep material details.
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Experience and retreat for an unforgettable weekend in Big Sur.
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Receive a follow up email from production on how to stay in touch with the artists, and the Wide Open Art community as well as experience resources.
See differently.
The Fine Print
CANCELLATION POLICY
Wide Open Art experiences are intentionally limited in size to ensure meaningful creative exchange. Because each registration reserves a place within a small cohort and allows us to confirm artists, venues, and production commitments, participants are asked to review the following cancellation policy before registering.
Full tuition is due at the time of registration.
Participant Cancellations
More than 60 days before the experience: Full refund.
30–60 days before the experience: 50% refund.
Less than 30 days before the experience: No refund.
If a participant cancels and Wide Open Art is able to fill the space from the waitlist, Wide Open Art may, at its sole discretion, issue a credit toward a future Wide Open Art experience. Credits are valid only for experiences produced solely by Wide Open Art and may not be applied to partnership experiences.
Experience Cancellation
Should Wide Open Art cancel an experience due to force majeure, artist illness, insufficient enrollment, or other unforeseen circumstances beyond our reasonable control, participants will receive a full refund of all fees paid to Wide Open Art. Wide Open Art is not responsible for airfare, accommodations, travel insurance, or any other expenses incurred outside of the experience fee. Participants are strongly encouraged to purchase comprehensive travel insurance.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By registering for a Wide Open Art experience, participants acknowledge that they have read and agree to these Terms & Conditions.
Registration & Payment
Registration is confirmed upon receipt of full payment unless otherwise stated. Enrollment is limited and spaces are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
Participant Responsibility
Participants are responsible for ensuring they are physically able to participate in the experience and for arriving with the appropriate equipment, documentation, and travel arrangements.
Participants are expected to conduct themselves with professionalism, respect, and consideration for fellow participants, artists, hosts, staff, and local communities. Wide Open Art reserves the right to remove any participant whose conduct is disruptive, unsafe, or inappropriate. No refund will be issued in such cases.
Assumption of Risk
Participation may involve travel, walking, uneven terrain, changing weather conditions, and other activities inherent to cultural and photographic experiences. Participants voluntarily assume all risks associated with their participation.
Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Wide Open Art, its artists, employees, contractors, partners, hosts, and venues shall not be liable for any injury, illness, accident, theft, loss, damage to personal property, travel delays, cancellations, or other expenses arising from participation in an experience.
Travel
Participants are responsible for arranging and paying for all transportation, accommodations (unless expressly included), passports, visas, travel documentation, and travel insurance.
Experience Changes
Wide Open Art reserves the right to make reasonable changes to artists, schedules, locations, accommodations, or experience content when necessary to ensure the successful delivery of an experience.
Force Majeure
Wide Open Art shall not be responsible for delays, cancellations, or modifications resulting from events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, severe weather, governmental restrictions, strikes, pandemics, war, civil unrest, transportation disruptions, venue closures, or artist illness.
Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California.