November 5-9, 2026  |  $3900.00

Three Visions on Portraiture

Paris, France

Register 
What to Expect

This fall in Paris, join a rare and immersive portraiture experience with three global masters: Mathieu Bitton, Mark de Paola, and Mona Kuhn. Over five days, each artist brings a singular vision, sharing their distinct approaches to portraiture shaped over decades of practice. A unifying thread connects their work: a lifelong pursuit of authenticity in every encounter before the lens. The program encourages each participant to explore portraiture while breaking preconceived rules of composition, narrative, and formality in order to discover one’s singular artistic voice.

❋ Just Before Paris Photo 2026

This experience lines up in timing just before the Super Bowl of photography, the largest and most significant photography event of the year, Paris Photo, which will take place November 12-15, 2026. We highly encourage all participants to plan their time in Paris in order to attend Paris Photo and expand their photographic horizons with the hundreds of exhibitions, talks, book signings, gallery booths, and opening events. Between this experience and Paris Photo, you are sure to have an unbelievably enriching week immersed in the photographic medium. 

❋ Individualized and Collaborative

These artists’ three perspectives have reached a multitude of industries and each participant will have the unique opportunity to work in small groups with each artist during consecutive days in order to experience their distinctive visions first hand.

❋ What's Included

All artist instruction, production, staff, locations and shoot teams, 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.

❋ Schedule (10am-5pm each day)

Thursday, November 5

Instructor Introductions and Student Introductions

Friday, November 6

Morning - Instructor #1 Lecture, Afternoon - 3 x Small groups split to work with their first instructor

Saturday, November 7

Morning - Instructor #2 Lecture, Afternoon - 3 x Small groups split to work with their second instructor

Sunday, November 8

Morning - Instructor #3 Lecture, Afternoon - 3 x Small groups split to work with their third instructor

Monday, November 9

Morning - Panel, Afternoon - Group Portfolio Prep, Review, + Presentation

Afternoon Rotating Shooting Session Focus (November 6-9)

Mark de Paola

Participants will explore fashion editorial image making through the use of natural light, location, movement, and narrative. Working with professional talent, the session emphasizes creating emotionally resonant photographs that balance portraiture with cinematic storytelling.

Mona Kuhn

Working with natural light and the human figure, participants will explore portraiture through themes of intimacy, form, and abstraction. In keeping with Mona's artistic practice, this session may or may not include fine art nude figure studies.

Mathieu Bitton

Participants will join Mathieu for an intimate photographic walk through the streets of Paris, visiting the neighborhoods and formative locations that shaped his artistic vision. Through spontaneous portraiture, observation, and conversation, the session explores authentic image making rooted in memory, and human connection.

Small Groups For Shooting - For days 2, 3, and 4 of this program, the maximum 18 students will split into three groups of six in order to work with each instructor for their shooting experience, and rotate each day so as to have personal individualized time working with each instructor. 

Weather - November in Paris is crisp and cold as the weather begins to settle from Fall to Winter. If it rains, shooting sessions will still proceed. Bring a personal umbrella. Dress accordingly in layers and for warmth. 

Your Gear Recommendation - Please bring the amount of gear in your bag that is personally manageable for you to walk around Paris. 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 - For afternoon shooting sessions, expect to walk 2-3 miles and to be on your feet for the majority of the time. We recommend comfortable walking shoes. 

Base Location - The base location will be announced in the welcome email about two weeks prior to the experience start date.

Image Usage - Images captured by attendees during this experience may be used for personal use (website, social media, etc).

❋ Topics

- Developing a singular visual voice through portraiture

- Working with natural light as a shaping force

- Building narrative through collaboration with talent

- Integrating styling and team dynamics into portrait creation

- Utilizing focus and layering to transform the image

- Turning obstacles into visual poetry

- The role of memory in photographic work

- Expanding from a single image to a cohesive body of work

- Embracing individuality of process within an artist’s practice

Meet The Artists

A middle-aged man with glasses and a beard is wearing a New York Yankees cap, a leather jacket, and a scarf. He is smiling softly and holding a camera in his right hand, with his left hand gripping the collar of his jacket. The background is plain and gray.

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

A woman with blonde hair, wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, and white sneakers, sits on a modern chair in a brightly lit room with large windows and wooden accents. There is a black and white photograph on the wall and an abstract artwork partially visible on the left side. Outside the windows, tall cacti and green foliage can be seen.

Mona Kuhn

Mona Kuhn is an internationally acclaimed artist whose work has been exhibited in major museums across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Working across photography and immersive lens-based media, she explores the intersection of the physical and metaphysical through the human figure, creating images that balance intimacy with spatial and perceptual depth.

Over a career spanning more than two decades, Kuhn has developed a distinctive visual language that has positioned her among the most influential contemporary photographers. In parallel to her fine art practice, she has collaborated on editorial and campaign projects with leading fashion houses including Dior, Bottega Veneta, and Chanel, bringing her nuanced understanding of the body and light into a broader cultural context.

Born in São Paulo to German parents, Kuhn studied at the San Francisco Art Institute, and is an independent scholar at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. Her work has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions worldwide and is held in prominent public collections, including the J. Paul Getty Museum, LACMA, Pérez Art Museum Miami, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Kuhn is the author of multiple monographs published by Steidl, Stanley/Barker, and Thames & Hudson, including Works, a major retrospective of her practice. Her recent project Kings Road expands her exploration into immersive, multi-dimensional installations, reflecting an ongoing shift from still imagery toward spatial and experiential forms.

She is the recipient of the Stieglitz Award for her contribution to fine art photography and has taught at UCLA and ArtCenter College of Design. Kuhn lives and works in Los Angeles and is represented by galleries internationally.

https://www.monakuhn.com/

Instagram: @monakuhnstudio

A man with glasses and a beard holding a vintage camera up to his face, wearing rings and necklaces, with a black background.

Mathieu Bitton

Paris-born artist Mathieu Bitton is a prolific photographer, designer, art director, and producer. He has photographed some of the world’s most celebrated artists, including Quincy Jones, The Rolling Stones, Dave Chappelle, Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Mel Brooks, Sidney Poitier, Jay-Z, Eddie Murphy, Bruce Springsteen, Penelope Cruz, Snoop Dogg, Aretha Franklin, Billy Idol, RAYE, Jerry Seinfeld, Harry Belafonte, Jim Carrey, John Mayer, Morgan Freeman, David Letterman and Chris Rock. He has also designed and art directed an extensive catalog of albums, posters, books, and promotional materials for an illustrious range of films, musicians, and entertainers.  When not creating commissioned works, Mathieu finds inspiration shooting candid portraits, stolen moments, and spontaneous street scenes. A common thread, whatever the medium, is capturing the truth of a subject and a moment. 

Mathieu’s successful exhibitions have included Travelogue (Los Angeles, 2013), Ascension (Vienna, 2015 and Sofia, 2016), Darker Than Blue (Los Angeles, 2016; Boston; Miami, 2017; Frankfurt, Wetzlar, 2018), and most recently Paris Blues (Los Angeles, New York; 2024, Miami 2025; Chicago 2026), the inspiration and companion to his best-selling book (#1 on Amazon). Mathieu has been honored to serve as an ambassador for Leica Cameras and he has partnered with and participated in several of their ad campaigns and events. 

Among Mathieu’s numerous achievements are five Grammy® nominations — including three wins (as producer on Dave Chappelle’s comedy albums “The Closer,” “What’s In A Name?” and “The Dreamer”) — being awarded the medal of Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters, bestowed by the French Government, and receiving the Seal of the President of the United States from the White House for Paris Blues in 2024. 

https://www.mathieubittonphoto.com/

Instagram: @candytman

MATHIEU BITTON

MATHIEU BITTON

A black and white photo of a man with curly hair, smiling and wearing a velvet jacket over a button-up shirt, standing in front of a framed painting of trees and buildings.
Black and white photo of a man with a bald head, wearing a dark shirt, a patterned scarf, and various bracelets, making expressive hand gestures against a dark background.
Close-up black and white portrait of a middle-aged African American man with a shaved head, wearing a white shirt, looking directly into the camera with a serious expression.
Close-up black and white photo of a woman's face with eyes closed, soft lighting highlighting her features, with shadows creating a dramatic effect.
A woman with short, wavy hair, wearing earrings and a light-colored jacket, posing outdoors with a blurred leafy background. She has a calm expression and is looking directly at the camera.

MONA KUHN

MONA KUHN

A woman with short, wavy blonde hair and a serious expression, wearing a black lace top, standing by a window with her hand on the glass.
Close-up portrait of a young woman with fair skin, light brown hair, and wearing an earring, looking directly at the camera against a blurred background.
A young woman with short brown hair and blue eyes looking directly at the camera, wearing a cream-colored shirt with sunlight casting patterns on her face and shirt.
Black and white photo double exposure of a woman and a profile of her face with closed eyes, wavy hair, and a contemplative expression.
A man with short dark hair and stubble, wearing an unbuttoned white shirt, looking out from behind a glass door in a bedroom.

MARK DE PAOLA

MARK DE PAOLA

Close-up of a young person with dark skin and short curly hair, wearing a piece of floral fabric on their head and a denim jacket.
Close-up of a necklace with a star-shaped pendant and white stones on a blue background.
A woman standing in a dimly lit room near a wall with a warm light, wearing a dark patterned outfit and black boots, with a patterned carpet on the floor.
A black and white close-up photograph of a woman's face showing her eye, nose, and lips, with curly hair partially covering her face.
A woman with short black hair and bangs wearing a sleeveless black and white patterned dress standing in a room with traditional Asian paintings on the wall behind her. 
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.

  • Receive a welcome email from production with travel reminders and recommendations.

  • About 10-14 days before the start of the experience, receive a welcome letter with itinerary and prep material details.

  • Experience Three Visions on Portraiture for five incredible days in Paris.

  • 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.

Register

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.