Join photographer Jon Tonks for a two-day practical workshop on photographic portraiture and image workflow, set against the backdrop of the current MPF exhibition, A Fish Called Julie.

Develop your skills in composing group and individual shots, build confidence in approaching people you want to photograph and learn Jon’s photographic process. Louis Little, head of production at Martin Parr Foundation, will also be on hand to assist throughout the workshop. Jon has been selected three times for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition.

From Empire © Jon Tonks

After a morning of reviewing each others’ work and a talk from Jon, participants will make their own portraits on the streets of Bristol. We’ll work on processing the images on the following day and by the end of the workshop you will have a printed portrait to take away with you.

Limited to 12 places.

Dinner will be provided on the evening of 16 JUN. Coffee, tea and lunch will be provided on both days.

DAY 1 / PORTFOLIO REVIEWS AND SHOOTING
The first day will begin at the Foundation with tea and coffee for a group session to review participants’ projects, in which Jon and your fellow photographers will provide feedback on your project. After lunch in the MPF gallery, Jon will give a short talk about his creative practice, including his tips for making individual and group portraits. Participants will then go to Bristol city centre for a full afternoon of shooting, working to complete a portrait focused brief set by Jon. After photographing, participants will meet for a takeaway and beers in the MPF gallery in the evening. Teas, coffees, lunch and dinner included.

Jon Tonks on press at Taylor Brothers for the printing of the A Fish Called Julie exhibition publication,
produced by Martin Parr Foundation, 2025.

DAY 2 / IMAGE SELECTION AND PROCESSING
Participants will meet at the Foundation to download and go through their images from the previous day, selecting the top 5 images for processing. Jon will guide you on selecting the best portraits and share his photographic workflow to develop a final high quality portrait that works well both on screen and in print. Your top portrait will then be printed and after lunch (included) in the MPF gallery, participants will share with their 5 images digitally, alongside their final printed portrait.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED
– a portfolio of 20 to 30 images from one of your projects for the group review session
– a digital camera with enough batteries and memory for a full afternoon of shooting
– a laptop
– weather appropriate clothing

David, at Newlyn Harbour after fishing for cuttlefish. From A Fish Called Julie © Jon Tonks

This workshop has been programmed to coincide with the current MPF exhibition A Fish Called Julie, On display in the MPF gallery from 03 APR to 22 JUN 2025. For this new work Jon Tonks has spent a year and a half with those trying to fish sustainably in waters off Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for We Feed The UK.

Will, showing off his Pollack, Land’s End. From A Fish Called Julie © Jon Tonks

Francisca, Eva & Lyn, Million Dollar Point, Espiritu Santo © Jon Tonks