Category: Higher-Level Photography Program

Second-year students from the Higher Vocational Training Cycle in Photography at IDarte, the Public Higher School of Art and Design of the Basque Country, have developed an artistic and educational project in collaboration with second-year students from the Higher Vocational Training Cycle in Styling and Hairdressing Management and the Intermediate Vocational Training Cycle in Aesthetics and Beauty at Mendizabala LHII.

The aim of the project was to document and showcase the hairdressing and characterisation work carried out by Mendizabala students through a professional photo shoot. To this end, students from both schools worked together throughout every stage of the creative and production process.

The initiative was developed over two main working days. On the first day, IDarte’s photography students travelled to Mendizabala to document the hairdressing and make-up process during the first trial session, taking photographs and recording video footage. The second session took place in IDarte’s studios, where a professional photo shoot was carried out with six models prepared by Mendizabala students.

During the session, students explored different types of studio portraiture, working on lighting as well as the technical and aesthetic aspects of the image. Afterwards, they selected and edited the photographs in order to prepare the final material.

“This project gives students the opportunity to experience the real dynamics of a professional commission, working collaboratively with students from other disciplines and managing the entire creative process,” explained one of the teachers coordinating the project.

According to the teaching staff at Mendizabala, the artistic perspective of the photography students made it possible to present the hairdressing and make-up work in a creative and professional way, highlighting its details and aesthetic dimension.

The students who took part in the project were: Jone Carbajosa (Photography), Lucía Flores (Photography), Ane Machicote (Photography), Garoa Zubikarai (Photography), Aintzane Cabezas (Hairdressing), Leire García (Hairdressing), Ana Belén Guerrero (Hairdressing), Giuliana Nahir Gutierrez (Hairdressing), Iradi Serrano (Hairdressing), Isabela Thomas (Hairdressing), Luzia Angulo (Aesthetics), Ainize Arrondo (Aesthetics), Eylin Ciprian (Aesthetics), Keira Fuentes (Aesthetics), Maider Jimenez (Aesthetics), Aiara Martinez de Santos (Aesthetics), Nerea Mateo (Aesthetics), Marta Otero (Aesthetics), Angela Oyaga (Aesthetics), Nerea Quincoces (Aesthetics), Andrea Santiago (Aesthetics), Leire Valdecantos (Aesthetics) and Lucia Valladolid (Aesthetics).

In addition, students from IDarte’s Higher Vocational Training Cycle in Animation, Estefanía Quilchano and Sofía Velasco, recorded the process of the photo shoot held at IDarte in order to create a making-of style video documenting the work carried out during the project:

The project was coordinated by IDarte teachers Amaia Garate, David Zabala and Laida Beristain, in collaboration with Mendizabala LHII teachers José Miguel Heredia and Leire Fernández.

This initiative strengthens the collaboration between the two schools and opens up new avenues for dialogue between disciplines linked to image, design and visual creation.

IDarte (Public Higher School of Art and Design of the Basque Country) and the José Uruñuela Dance Conservatory have worked together on an artistic project that combines dance and photography.

Second-year students from IDarte’s photography programme and sixth-year students from the Conservatory have developed a creative initiative exploring the visual expression of dance and the body. This is the third consecutive year of collaboration between the two institutions, a partnership that continues to strengthen the relationship between IDarte and Uruñuela, while promoting students’ professional training and interdisciplinary work.

The aim of the initiative was to provide dance students with professional-quality visual materials — a personal portfolio to present to dance companies.

The photoshoots took place over two days. The first session was held in IDarte’s studio to focus on lighting and controlled portrait techniques. The second session was at the José Uruñuela Dance Conservatory, where movement and stage presence were captured.

In the following days, photography students carried out the postproduction and editing of the images and video. The final output included a series of professional portraits and a short “making-of” style video that summarises the process and the experience of collaboration.
You can watch the video here:

“This project has given our students the chance to immerse themselves in a real professional assignment, while understanding the importance of communication and collaboration across disciplines,” explained Laida Beristain, IDarte lecturer and project coordinator.
The photographs reflect each dancer’s personality, movement, and expressiveness, through a carefully considered technical and aesthetic approach.

According to Conservatory faculty, “the photographers’ artistic perspective has allowed our students to work on their personal image in a creative and professional way, maintaining the expressiveness of dance.”

The project was led by IDarte lecturers Laida Beristain, Amaia Garate and David Zabala, with students Jone Carbajosa, Ane Matxikote, Lucia Flores and Garoa Zubikarai.
From the Conservatory, the participating team included Elvira Illana, Arantzazu Susunaga, Ana Carmen Ruiz, Alejandro Alcain, Aiala Razkin, Iradi Salazar, Eider Espina, Alain Campón, Lucia Da Costa and Carla Pascual.

This initiative has further strengthened the relationship between IDarte and the José Uruñuela Dance Conservatory, opening up new paths for dialogue and exchange between visual and performing arts.