Vibrant cities and the people who inhabit them are the main subject matter for street photographers. It is one of the most exciting and popular photographic genres around right now, and the Guardian is now offering a six-week course where students get to learn photography from Stephen McLaren and Matt Stuart, two of the most renowned street photographers in the UK.

They will teach students how to improve their camera skills and discover great street photo set-ups on the streets of London. There is an in-class component where students learn the history of the genre, understand legal rights, and learn how to edit their pictures. Then there is the street portion which is very hands-on. Students visit a number of London locations where they can work on improving their technique.

The Outwin Boochever Portrait competition, one of the most coveted competitions for contemporary portrait artists will get underway in September in the new online assessment format. The competition, held once every three years by the National Portrait Gallery, will start accepting entries from September 1st. This juried competition will accept entries in the form of portraits or any visual art medium made after January 1, 2010. Entries can be uploaded on the website portraitcompetition.si.edu and the last date for submission is Oct. 31. The entry fee for the Outwin Boochever Portrait competition is a mere $35, and the winners will be declared after assessing all the entries in person. A grand prize winner will be chosen from among the finalists, who will be awarded $25,000 and also a chance to outline a separate commission of a notable living American for the National Portrait Galley's exquisite collection.

The Wedding & Portrait Photographers International will have their annual educational event for wedding and portrait photography on August 8th from Long Beach, CA. The 2011 Road Trip will feature many professionals who have excelled in various fields like portrait photography.
The road trip will cover 8 major cities in the U.S. between August and September this year. With almost 30 professional speakers lined up this could be the best edition of the three year old event. According to George Varankis, Show Director at WPPI, the speakers comprise of the best in the field of wedding and portrait photography.
Many professionals or aspiring professionals can attend the educational event for portrait photography without disturbing their professional lives by attending the event in the day and can use their lessons the same day in their own studios.
The speakers include Justin and Mary Marantz, Becker, Jamie Schultz, Kevin Kubota, Sal Cincotta and many others who will provide lectures on wedding and portrait photography. For more details visit the site: http://www.wppionline.com/storage/2011/roadtrip/home.html