Workshops

Workshops seem to be everywhere these days - it seems everyone is leading a “workshop” in some exotic country or other, from your friendly neighbourhood photographer to National Geographic and everyone in-between. It is a very exciting time to be a photographer with so much choice on offer and so many options - as long as you have the money, there is seemingly nowhere you cannot visit and nothing you cannot do. So, why are our workshops different? Why should you choose one of these workshops over the others? Well, as it turns out, there are many reasons!

1. Actual learning workshops, not photo tours!

Our workshops will be designed to teach participants, not just take them to a country, set up shots for them, bully the locals into posing for them and then leave - which is what most of the photo tours sold these days do. This is not what we’re doing. We are going to attempt to elevate the participants’ skills and take them into the next level.

During each trip (depending on the focus of the workshop):

participants shoot in realistic assignment-like conditions, against carefully designed stories and briefs, in exactly the same way large publications operate
assignments are specifically designed to push the participants’ technical knowledge and other skills to the limit. From moving subjects to changing lighting conditions to managing crowds, everything is pushed, worked on, practiced and improved
participants are challenged to focus on their story-telling skills by planning, executing and then curating small sets of images to illustrate and narrate each story, with the group and the instructors acting as audience and client, discussing, offering views and suggestions for upcoming shoots

There are no set up shots for the group to shoot and no preparation for winning this or that competition. Participants are expected to carefully plan and execute their shots with the advice, support and assistance of our instructors

2. High-end but not high cost!

A high-end workshop is not defined by the luxuriousness of the hotels or the size of the transport 4x4s or how luxuriously they allow the instructors to fly. Sure, they can be all that, but this usually means very high prices for not a corresponding workshop value. This is fine for photo walks designed to enrich the participants’ portfolios, but this is not what our workshops are. Instead of over-the-top luxury, we offer:

good, solid, business type hotels chosen for their teaching support facilities (meeting rooms with projectors and other display equipment, etc.)
detailed briefing and planning sessions before and post-shooting debriefing and reviews after each day’s shooting
intense, fast-paced and demanding shooting days interspersed wind-down and relaxing days
each shooting day carefully planned, tested, prepared and facilitated by carefully chosen local fixers supporting each participant
friendly “competition” among participants with prizes for each day’s efforts and an overall grand workshop prize
a published, hard-cover book at the end of the workshop with the best shots for each participant

3. Giving back, being part of the world we visit, improving the image of photographers around the world!

Our workshops are designed and intended to work within the communities we visit in a spirit of absolute respect, collaboration and harmony. We are not sneaky snipers nor are we “ask for forgiveness not permission” photographers. During our workshops we work with our subjects so when our stories come out, that connection and relationship comes through to our images - our shoots are, and always will be, collaborative efforts with the local communities, which is why part of our workshops include:

present to our subjects printed versions of their portraits
appropriate donations to the local charities and other initiatives to promote self growth and development
spread the world about these local communities, their lives and stories through our blog, social media and any other way possible

Travel with Light - Kenya & Tanzania

This workshop is about light - natural but, more importantly, artificial. It’s about taking away the mystery of using strobes on the field, in normal travel conditions and of teaching you how easy, natural and amazing it can be to incorporate strobes in your travel images. We will teach you about nature and quality of light, about working with your subjects, about revisualisation and planning and together we’ll capture amazing shots with the Samburu, Maasai, Kikuyu, Datoga and Hadzabe tribes.

Storytelling in Bangladesh

This is your chance to experience working as an assignment photographer, against deadlines and real, professionally written briefs. You’ll learn how to adapt, think on your feet and tell a story against changing and challenging conditions. Bangladesh offers incredible photographic opportunities, wonderful people and, in many ways, brings you back to an era of discovery and original story-telling.