An artistic practice can become difficult to read from the inside. You might have a strong body of work but feel unsure about what to focus on next, which opportunities are worth pursuing, how to present yourself, or how to build a clearer path around the work you are already making. This programme is a month of one-to-one conversations for image-based artists who want to look at their practice more broadly. We work across the artistic and professional parts of your practice, from projects and editing to applications, websites, visibility, exhibitions, publishing, and the relationships that help work move into the world.
What we will work through
The programme starts with where you are now. You might want to develop an ongoing project, rethink your website, understand why applications are not working, identify the right festivals or grants, prepare for an exhibition, approach publishers or curators, improve your portfolio, or work out how to make your practice more visible without applying to everything. You may also be at a point where several things are happening at once, and you need help deciding what deserves your attention. The sessions are shaped around your situation. We identify the areas that need work and use the month to make practical decisions around them.
What we might focus on
Depending on your practice, we may work on: project development, editing and sequencing, artist statements and project texts, portfolio structure, website structure and presentation, open calls, festivals, grants, awards, and residencies, application strategy, exhibitions and publishing, how to approach curators, editors, publishers, and institutions, building professional relationships, visibility and positioning and deciding what to focus on next.
Who this is for
The programme is for students and recent graduates, emerging artists, photographers developing a professional practice, and artists who already have a body of work but feel uncertain about how to move it forward. It can also be useful if you feel stuck between several directions, are applying for opportunities without much response, are unsure how your website or portfolio is being read, or want a clearer sense of where your work might sit within the wider photography and art field.
What you take away
By the end of the month, you should have a clearer sense of where your practice stands, what needs your attention, and what your next steps are. Depending on what we work on, this might mean a stronger website or portfolio, a more focused application strategy, a clearer project direction, better written material, a shortlist of relevant opportunities, or a plan for approaching people and institutions. The aim is to leave with decisions you can act on, rather than a long list of general advice.
Format
Four sixty-minute one-to-one sessions over one month. Sessions are held online. Before the first session, you will be asked to send your portfolio or website, CV, artist statement, if available, and a short note about what you would like to work on. The programme is adapted to your practice and current needs.
Booking and Fee
To enquire, email aminyousephi@gmail.com with a short note about your work, where you currently are in your practice, and what you would like to focus on during the month. I take a limited number of artists each month. The fee for the full programme is £360.
Most portfolios don’t fail because of weak images. They mostly fail because the work isn’t clear, edited, or pushed far enough. I offer sixty-minute one-to-one sessions for image-based artists who want to step back, look again, and understand what their work is actually doing.
Why I started this
The strongest conversations around work were never rushed. They were the ones where we could stay with the images long enough to question them properly. At the same time, I keep seeing the same issues repeat: work that stays at a superficial level, projects that are not edited with enough care, sequencing treated as an afterthought, statements that feel detached or generic. This is not only about taste or knowledge. It affects whether the work can hold attention, communicate something, and move forward.
What we will work through
We will look at where the work feels unresolved, what can be removed, and what needs to be pushed further. We’ll consider how sequencing shapes meaning, where repetition weakens the project, and how your statement or proposal aligns with the work. From there, we’ll identify clear next steps, whether that means developing, editing, or repositioning the project.
Who this is for
Students and recent graduates, emerging artists developing a body of work, artists preparing for open calls, residencies, or further study, and anyone who feels their work is not yet fully resolved or clearly articulated.
How I read a portfolio
I usually begin with a PDF portfolio. I look at how images move, how they sit next to each other, where the rhythm holds and where it breaks. I pay attention to what is repeated unnecessarily and what is missing. Text comes after. It should not explain the work, but extend it. When it works, it opens space. When it doesn’t, it flattens the images or tries to compensate for what’s missing. Whether the work is personal, political, or somewhere in between, what matters is this: can the work hold someone, allow them to stay with it, and help them think through it?
Format
Sixty minutes (not 15!). Held online. Before the session, you’ll be asked to send a PDF portfolio or a selection of images, a short text (if available), and anything specific you’d like to focus on.
What this session is
This is not a fast portfolio review. It’s a moment to pause and look carefully at what you’ve made. To understand how your project became what it is, and what it could become next.
What you take away
You will leave with a clearer sense of what your work is doing, concrete decisions about editing and sequencing, and a more grounded relationship between your images and your text. More than anything, you’ll develop a way of thinking with your work, not just about it.
Booking and Fee
To book a session, email aminyousephi@gmail.com with a short note about your work and what you’d like to focus on. I take a limited number of sessions each month. The fee per session is £100.