i always pride myself in being kind of a "specialist" at having my camera in my right hand and a cold beer in the left, and gliding around the dance floor shooting….after all , it makes no sense to look like you are "working" when you are working….my theory has always been that to get spontaneity you must be spontaneous… and get "inside" the subject…
but all photographers work in different ways and have their own philosophies on how they do what they do….for those of you who are interested in getting "inside" the heads of various Magnum photographers in a workshop or seminar setting, i am now your "go to" person….somehow at the Magnum biz meeting last weekend, i was officially "elected" or actually "drafted" to organize our new education program…Magnum’s first "minister of education" as someone joked….
my goal is to produce quality international workshops etc. to fit the needs of those of you who so desire such a program…it will take some time to do this….but, within the next two months i should be able to have a schedule for you….and, of course, now is the perfect time for you to express what you want and need….
i personally prefer week long workshops where the emerging photographers pick a subject of their choosing, shoot intensely, and receive equally intense daily critique’s resulting in a final group slide show and exhibition…but, in some cases, a one or two day portfolio review or seminar approach could work best…the First Impressions portfolio review we just did here in new york worked extremely well by all accounts, so we may use that model in other cities ….
please let me know what you would like best….week long workshop with one Magnum photographer or seminar and portfolio reviews with several of us…i may also try to tie in these programs with the existing photo festivals in perpignan, arles, and charlottesville…right now the door is wide open for suggestions, so please let me know…
in the meantime, my loft workshop in new york ("at home with dah") is rushing at me like a freight train…we are scheduled for the last week in september and are reviewing portfolios now…there will be a 10 student limit …. this workshop is for advanced photographers only who want to take a serious "next step"…
you may contact my coordinator marie arago (mariearago@mac.com) for details….and check out lance rosenfield’s piece on "Digital Journalist" to get some idea of what happened last year…i will have a link to the slide show we produced soonest…and , given my new job, i will try to attach a multi-photog Magnum component to this existing workshop….perhaps a one day seminar inserted into this program for photographers who do not have a whole week to spend shooting, but would like to get their "feet wet"…
my whole philosophy is to work very very hard and have a good time doing it….join me if you feel the same…dancing techniques to be discussed…..
Hey David, the workshop program(s) you wrote about sound great. Since you solicited ideas here’s mine. Offer an online workshop. Many universities in the US offer the opportunity to earn a degree online why not have an online workshop? Of course the downside is the lack of personal contact, the ability to look someone in the eye and discuss the photography of the student but the upside is geographic location becomes irrelavant. I’ll use my self as an example, I’m currently spending an extended amount of time in Brazil. Attending a workshop hosted by you or another Magnum photographer is an attractive idea but flying all the way to the US for a workshop is not with in my budget or schedule at the moment. Besides, I want to shoot in Brazil right now. The downside of traveling to NY for a week long workshop is finding a subject in NY to shoot for the workshop with only a week. While this presents some very useful real world challenges, I think there’s also a benefit to a workshop that would allow photographers to focus on projects currently being worked on. Or even to come up with a new project for the workshop but in an area that we are already in or interested in going to. This opens up the workshop experience to many others around the world.
I think the format of the workshop would have to change somewhat though. Rather than being a concentrated week or some other period of time perhaps the format would be more loose to accommodate different time zones etc. I can envision a format in which the students would initially meet via an online forum to discuss the details of the workshop and then each student has a private blog to post pictures and converse with the workshop host to get feedback. Since these conversations aren’t happening in real time perhaps a week long workshop isn’t appropriate but rather a longer workshop in terms of days but requiring a relatively equal amount of time for the workshop host. In other words you as the workshop host would be spending about the same amount of time with each participant in quantity of hours but that time would be spread over more than a week. This also allows the student to get into their project with more depth. Obviously there are details to be ironed out but I think there’s potential in this. From a technology point of view it wouldn’t be that difficult to set up and online workshop in the manner i’ve (briefly) described. Anyway that’s my two cents.
Hi David, I personally think a workshop focused on critique, intense discussion between one ‘student’ and one or more mentors is the best way.
Years ago I took a shooting workshop with Maggie Steber in Maine. The shooting part was fairly worthless (at least for me), as there’s not a ton to shoot around there. I was trying to make the transition to more ‘authorship’ at the time, the most valuable aspect was her discussion, critique of past work, getting my head screwed on in a new way. The mental part is often the hardest thing, breaking through the bubble of self-denial and one’s attachment to their work. I’d almost call the shooting a time-consuming distraction.
With that said, around the same time I took another shooting workshop at a now-defunct photo school in Prague. That time I got some shots that I still stand on (location, location, location I suppose ;). Still, even there the best part was what I learned from under-known but amazing local photogs like Viktor Kolar, Vojta Dukat, others who made guest visits… For someone like me at the time, trying to learn to put my sensibility into my images, I would say that looking at their work, talking frankly (sometimes brutally) with them in that environment, opened up whole new worlds. It was life-changing.
hi david
congrats on the new ministerial position. i attended a workshop in cadiz with alex majoli about three years ago. it was a fantastic experience. i think the week long approach with a single photog is best. just being in an environment where photography is the at the centre for a period of time allows a student to really absorb information.
i think shorter say a two day intensive courses could also work though. they would have to be based less on shooting with a limited number of students and a few photogs featuring perhaps intensive portfolio reviews and then seminars on key features: different ways to development of a project, getting work seen; book publishing and curating exhibitions etc. it would be great if say they were linked to each magnum office i.e. workshops and seminar weekends in london, ny, paris and tokyo as well as the photog festivals.
hows the down time going?
Jason
seth…
your idea is so good, that we have already thought of it!!! an online workshop is in the works….stay tuned…this will happen very soon…
the intention of the other workshops was not to have them in new york anyway…but all over the world…one of my personal workshop is in new york, but the others would be spread around…already i do workshops in mexico, spain, italy etc etc….
various cities in south america would be very clearly on our workshop map..
thanks for thinking….we will do our best to accommodate….
you make me remember this photos i made http://www.nelsondaires.net/index/soundslide_dizme_o_teu_pl.html while i was dancing also with lot of good feelings, and the people around me felt that and didn’t strange the camera, everyone where doing part of it
(ops, hope my english can be read. and, the link isn’t spam or a search for massive easy publicity. it’s just sharing feelings and music!!)
you make me remember this photos i made http://www.nelsondaires.net/index/soundslide_dizme_o_teu_pl.html while i was dancing also with lot of good feelings, and the people around me felt that and didn’t strange the camera, everyone where doing part of it
(ops, hope my english can be read. and, the link isn’t spam or a search for massive easy publicity. it’s just sharing feelings and music!!)
you make me remember this photos i made http://www.nelsondaires.net/index/soundslide_dizme_o_teu_pl.html while i was dancing also with lot of good feelings, and the people around me felt that and didn’t strange the camera, everyone where doing part of it
(ops, hope my english can be read. and, the link isn’t spam or a search for massive easy publicity. it’s just sharing feelings and music!!)
you make me remember this photos i made http://www.nelsondaires.net/index/soundslide_dizme_o_teu_pl.html while i was dancing also with lot of good feelings, and the people around me felt that and didn’t strange the camera, everyone where doing part of it
(ops, hope my english can be read. and, the link isn’t spam or a search for massive easy publicity. it’s just sharing feelings and music!!)
jason…
yes, that was exactly what we did last year from my loft..i had david griffin from natgeo,maryanne golan from time , brian storm from “mediastorm” etc come over as well as james nachtwey, gene richards, brenda ann kennealy, chris anderson, come over and jam with us…that is why the new york loft scene is so so good…and alex majoli lives here in the same building, so if he is around he will come up too..
yes, we could do the same thing based around the magnum offices worldwide…
i left another note for you under “family/friends”
kewl david, glad to know my thinking is in line with the minds of magnum :) I’m aware of your international workshops and i’ve read about the experiences on your blog and someday I hope to attend one. I’m looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with for the online workshops.
Personally I would prefer a week long workshop with one photographer to guide everyone along. I think that the majority of us emerging photographers are pretty passionate about what we do, on my own behalf I might even use the word “obsessive”, and consequently there is something appealing about the intensity of a week long gig. I think that developing as a photographer and raising your work to a new level is an evolution that can build up over many months. It’s like a wave building and building in the ocean. What the intensity of a workshop like this offers is an opportunity for that wave to finally break, and when you leave, you are on a new plateau, and everything that you do from that point on is built upon this foundation that you have fortified.
hi david,from mi point a long week workshop it’s better because you have enought time to get involve with the proyect you want to work, with the people who are with you and with the context in which you’re in.
For me, the most problematic thing with workshop is that in general they’re very expensive.
Most of the people who attend workshops use to be young and “underpaid” and paid between 1500$-3000$ it’s too much.
so please think in all this poor photographers with many things to say and a lower economy.
lourdes…
you are absolutely right…my whole goal really is to get the price down as far as possible in places where the economy just does not support an expensive workshop program…this will require extensive sponsorship which we are working on…
the magnum workshops are intended for young emerging photographers, so we totally understand your request…i do not think any magnum photographer would expect to make money teaching….but just to cover the expenses of travel, hotels, renting workshop space etc. is very expensive…so we must be very creative in how we put this all together…
but rest assured that we will get the price down as low as possible and still provide a truly quality workshop…
by the way, i have your print ready to go…i hope you left your telephone number in my email, because we need this for fedex…
david i sent to you my phone number yesterday, don’t you have it yet????. I will send you again this afternoon (local hour in spain).
Maybe you know the al-liquindoi workshops here in Cádiz because many magnum photogs come here. they are cheap and have a high level, one week of hard work and fun.
here you have the link to the website:
http://www.al-liquindoi.com
maybe it could be of your interest
Hello David –
The workshops sound great! My ideal workshop would be a week long, small class – 12 students or less, and a working-teaching mentorship within the workshop. It seems that when you are learning photography, at least in my experience, whether its in school at a newspaper or elsewhere the standard seems to be to meet, talk, go out and shoot, critique, and repeat…which is great but many times I’ve felt something missing in this approach as most of us are more than likely visual learners by nature it would be great to be “on assignment” with the instructor at the workshop. By “on assignment” I mean it would be great to see how the polished professional creates images…photography, especially photojournalism, is much like a dance with the subject – the physical dance to be in the right place at the right time, the emotional dance that creates an opportunity to catch the moment, a visual dance of editing the images you see in your head, and a technical dance of button pushing and focus/zoom-ring twisting. This I have never been able to do in a workshop or in college…sure I have been on assignment where I have been able to watch the top-dog from the local metro paper but that just becomes more stressful than anything cause you know that you are now “in competition” with them as your editor is going to want to see what you came up with as compared to the top-do…so the only learning you end up doing is this situation is sort of out of the corner of your eye. Anyhow, that is the first thing I would love to see in a workshop. Second is a portfolio review that explores the faults in existing photos or perhaps the ways in which existing photo within the portfolio could be better. For example, I have had many portfolio reviews that were helpful for me to understand which images a particular photographer or editor liked but none that really examined why…maybe I did not ask the right questions and need to look into my part of the portfolio review a bit…but what I would like to understand is a concise descriptive of what could make a certain image better (mine or others images) and the possible logistics, technicalities, etc, that could make it better, what the reviewer views as strengths and weaknesses within the portfolio, and a directive as to what to concentrate on when leaving the workshop…perhaps there could be a 6th month follow up to the workshop over email and a digital lightroom? Heck that may not be such a bad idea itself – What about a workshop over the internet? A mentor relationship that consist of a portfolio review, assignment, suggestions, and portfolio re-review over the internet? There could be a 3 day workshop with portfolio review, and shooting with the instructor, an assignment to be completed at home and a follow up 3 day workshop a month or two or six later to go over progress, another portfolio review, etcc…That would be cool. Hope this helps…I know I have much more in my head, that I have thought of while on assignment or out shooting for myself, where I ask, How would (enter favorite photographers name here) handle this situation? and will think of it later and wish I had suggested it too…that will have to wait for later.
– Chris
Yes, the idea of an online workshop sounds great. Of course if you schedule a couple of workshops in south america, even better.
It´s important to avoid geographical limitations. Until now most of the workshop map is based on USA or Europe, something that really limits the participation of people from south america, asia and africa.
Please take that into acount, or at least consider the online workshop.
Thanks
Jorge
Hello David,
I wonder: if you are going to give workshops around the world… what kind of facilities do you need to work?… how do you do now in your Italian workshops for example?… do you talk with local schools?…
One+ week is the best, and a group of 10-20 with lot of energy. Working 24/7, sessions with speaches and a lot of shooting and picture feedback.
The place dont need to be the nicest in the world. If you have to try hard to find something to shoot or somebody that let you take their pictures, it could end up in better images because you have to push yourself more.
. 2 days seminar also good. Internett great but are we are loosing the unique workshop energy? But the way Chris (above) suggest it could work out very good.
hi david, don’t know if you’ve heard of ben lifson, but he runs online one-on-one photography courses:
http://www.benlifson.com/studying.htm
http://www.benlifson.com/approach.htm
i don’t know how manageable this is in terms of the number of students one person can handle, but maybe it’s an approach that could encompass multiple instructors from magnum?
regarding mode of workshop, i much prefer the week-long workshop. but i’ve also seen that in the week-long workshop there can be limited time for intensive portfolio review as the focus is on shooting and daily review. maybe your proposed workshop structure could encompass a more detailed portfolio review section?
lastly, claudia from tpw told me about stanley greene’s workshop in tuscany last year where the class did virtually no shooting – they focused on group discussions all around the theme of photography, from inspiring photographers, to analysis of pictures, to discussions of career and personal motivation. perhaps some of this could be included in your structure.
cheers,
nick
I like your style! I was just ceilidh dancing last friday in a huge sweating circle of people frantically clinging onto my camera strap so it would’nt bounce while we kicked in time to the Pretenders. Good times. Liked the pictures too.
I think both options work for different things.
Week long workshops drop away the distractions and concentrate the mind (I’ve not been on one but thats the point right?) which should improve the photographers abilities and open their eyes. Its a commitment in terms of time money and soul.
Portfolio reviews are the reality check that tells you where you are, they are affordable and relatively fast. You come out knowing where your next hurdle is and what you might be missing.
I’ve had neither so the above is guesswork and hearsay. I want both.
I’m glad you’re going to spread the workshops around the world. Generally I can go to another continent OR do a photo workshop, rarely both.
Hope to get into that loft someday. In the meantime do you have any time in London?
First of all congratulations to your new role. As a past participant of one of your workshops, I am sure you’ll be able to fill these shoes quite easily.
I would prefer one-week workshops with ideally two tutors (for variety and an additional/alternate point of view). It has to be a weeklong workshop, anything shorter than that would be too rushed. I would also suggest having some ideas of projects in mind to suggest to participating students. Most students will arrive at the workshop in a city/place they have never been before (and some of them will not work in photography, i.e. are taking time out of their usual jobs to do these workshops) and will therefore have only a vague idea of what is possible to do in one week. Obviously you should encourage students to come with project proposals and encourage them to do some background research before but there is a limit of what you can do without being there.
Good luck with your new role,
Uwe
One week workshop with one on one attention with a great photographer sounds the best to me too. Just to get the feedback from the students and teacher themselves is so valueble alone. And it makes you feed of eachother, take in the energy from eachone and drives you to be better.
Cost is usually a big problem for a lot of people. To get to a place, arrange accomodation,then pay tuition for the course and on top of that the daily expenses of food etc, can make this some expensive week. So keeping costs to a minimum and getting sponsorship is a good idea.
Maby you could sponsor some local photographer in each workshop organised in countries like for instance India, Mexico and Brasil. They earn less compared to most western countries and couldn’t afford it even if the costs are kept as low as possilble. Giving a young, talented kid the chance to develop and get the experience it otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford?
Just a suggestion.
Wendy
wendy…
yes, yes…this is the thing i want to work on most really…sponsoring free workshops in developing countries…i will do everything i possibly can to make this happen…
there are two ways to do this…
one, is to have a workshop in a developing country with full sponsorship and then be free for deserving photographers…
two, is to have a full tuition workshop in a developing country and give out scholarships to one or two local photographers…
this second idea is being done all the time in various workshops…for example , when i did a workshop in cuba, the attendees were mostly americans and europeans who could afford the trip etc….but, we allowed 4 cuban photographers to take the class for free….in other words, the more financially solvent americans and europeans sort of subsidized the cubans…this seemed to work very well…
http://www.kids-with-cameras.org
robert…
thanks for this link….i am well aware of all of the programs for kids with cameras…there are so so many and go back to “shooting back” with jim hubbard in washingon d.c. …there is great value to this…
and for kids to have photography as another language and document their world is just so terrific..
the Magnum programs will be intended for emerging photographers who actually plan to make photography their life…
naturally, a school age youngster could become one of these too, and so i totally support all of the city programs and school programs and have participated several times myself in these projects…
thanks for thinking….
neil…
i might have some time in london….you may want to check on my whereabouts in london thru the magnum office….44 207 490 1771
i will be in london monday and tuesday….
nick….
i have never seen a portfolio from a student starting in a workshop that was better than what they ended up shooting during the week…including yours!!!
it is also true that some students seem to want their portfolios reviewed more than they want to go out and shoot…personally, i recommend that all of us put our past work in the “closet” temporarily and just go do more new work..
at some point, when a photog is really really ready , then of course a good review of all work done must be reckoned with….when the work all adds up to a book or show or whatever…
the particular class you were in was a heavy shooting class because it was “event driven”….most classes are a bit more of a combination of talking and thinking and shooting…
the “perfect class” would be one on one…one student, one photographer….because each student needs something slightly different from the others….
however, i have gone back to flickr several times to see the work you did..you are a very fine photographer….all you need is the right project that you can combine with your “day job”….
stay in touch with me nick, and i will help you in every way i can….any chance you will be in arles or perpignan??? that would be a good time to meet….
cheers, david
lourdes…
your print is on the way…..
carlos….
go to tpw.it ….this is how it is done in italy..
chris….
what you describe is essentially what i do in my workshops…the 6 month follow up is not “official”, but my “ex-students” are never “ex-students”…..i follow them all along if they stay in touch…
chris…
sorry, i missed your internet suggestion….look at one of my comments above….we already have the internet workshop as a plan and will implemented soonest…
lourdes…
yes, i am aware of the program jessica runs in cadiz….and i am supposed to do that next year…and maybe that would be a good place for an all magnum seminar….
Hi David — I’ve been reading your blog for some time, however, I haven’t posted a comment until now. This is concerning your mentioning of getting “inside” the subject matter. In order to get “inside” your subject, do you either find it easy to shoot first and then approach your subject, or do you approach your subject and then shoot. Someone once told me that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission. What is your take on this?
Any plans of having a workshop in the Richmond or Hampton Roads, Virginia area?
David
I know TPW tried to do workshops at Perpignan, don’t think they worked though?
Personally I belive a short-burst 2/3 day workshop either before or after PROweek would be great, hey most of you are there anyway, so you could run several concurrently [with diffrent mentors] ,with joint evening meetings for everyone [a la TPW]
I’ll see you in September anyway…….
Did you see my post on Ireland?
Clive
http://www.clive-evans.com
wow.. thats cool David,congratulation!!… so we know the person whom to be contacted and he is so close to us… I personally feel that the online workshop would be good for people like us who are very very far away from the central location… however,the interaction between the students and mentors needs to be more closer… nevertheless,whatever we get from the masters would be great and a guiding path for the newbies … I wish i could take that up someday…
Regards, Sandip
david…
interesting question….
i have done it both ways….but, if i shoot first and then ask later, i always sense an “implied permission”…i can “feel” if it is ok to make a photograph….obviously, in some spontaneous street situations, if you ask “permission” first, you will ruin the moment…
eye contact and body language are a good way to communicate without saying anything…i try to be very “non-threatening” in any case…moving slowly…often shooting while sitting down…..working with only one camera….casual looking…
if i do shoot first like this, then i always immediately thank the person or persons and tell them i really appreciate the picture opportunity… and with digi, i show them the picture…i am pretty good about sending or bringing the pictures to people i photograph…nothing works better than this…
however, in my truly in-depth projects like hip hop, i spend quite a bit of time making a relationship with my subjects before shooting the first picture..
common sense and being generally respectful and humble are the keys to making good “inside” photographs…
David,
I really found the first part of your post interesting, concerning the way photographers behave and move when shooting pictures. It can be, in itself, some kind of dance… or transe, remember “transe witness revels” ?
I really liked it when, in an interview, French photographer Bernard Plossu compared the photographer to a dancer…
Concerning workshops, I’m glad that Magnum takes interest in building an educational program. I did an internship at the Paris office a couple of years ago and learned quite a bit from having a look at the photographers’ contact sheets. But being given personal advice by a phtographer might be much better !
So, although I have never attended a workshop, I also think the Al-liquindoi formula is great in that it apparentely offers good workshops at affordable prices (I’m 23 and a student so this really is important).
Also, something in France would be great but that’s selfish so don’t pay attention :)
By the way, I think I’ve heard that you would be in Arles next week… it would be nice if we could meet… I wish I were in NY when you invited your blog readers but it’s so far…
Thanks for writing this blog
pierre…
i look forward to meeting you in arles next week and we will have time to talk….
Hi David,
Many hearty congratulations for your new ministerial position at Magnum! It’s perfect! I hope that you can do workshops abroad in interesting places where travel isn’t as financially accessible to people… but places where unique stories can be told and shared widely on the internet or otherwise.
The week long workshop certainly provides a forum for complete immersion. It is so much more than just taking photographs and taking stories–diverse people with the same passion/occupation can talk, swap tips, see different ways others work, hear their own and others’ work being edited, simply maximize their exposure to many nuances that go into this creative endeavor. It would be cool to have some sort of follow-up six to nine months after the workshop. Maybe workshoppers would be able to post photos online in that workshop’s group spot for those they spent time with over the week to peer-edit their evolving work and discuss it in a blog format. Then six-nine months later, you could revisit and comment on a cohesive project they’d developed after the workshop. It was really cool to see Mike, for example, present his awesome Blues Alley after your workshop… Random thoughts… I think it’s brilliant that you’ll be working to educate more photographers.
I also want to congratulate you on an incredible show and opening earlier this month. The energy and buzz in that spectacular open space was simply electrifying. The large prints in the middle of the room were jaw-dropping. It is an amazing body of work that evoked a powerful response when presented together in that space. The whole thing was wonderful. Thanks for inviting us. The kibbutz was also fun afterwards.
Sorry we didn’t connect in NYC. I did try to reach you. I figured you might be either zapped from the 60th activities or exhausted from the celebration for the your project. I visited a handful of Magnum exhibits around the city during my stay. Ah, heavenly days of looking at photography. Sigh.
Please do let me know if I can help out in any way at all with logistics or anything. Congratulations on both significant milestones! Thanks also for writing this blog. I visit it religiously.
– Alysia
alysia….
how did i miss you in new york???
i am still counting on you as per our original conversation….pls. send me a note via normal e-mail…
is there any possibility that you will visit my country,bangladesh,say in 5 years time?
sorry aobut the previous post…it was intended for “YOUR” previous post,not this one…
Cheers David. I’m meeting someone monday or tuesday in Edinburgh so I’m probably not gonna make it. Thankyou for replying anyways. Have fun! See you sometime.
Hi David !
Where in Arles will you be next week ? Magnum exhibitions and talks, I would suspect…
But it must be quite tall a festival. Actually I’ve never been there, I live in Bretagne (Brittany) and it’s not very close ie about 2 days hitch-hiking from my home.
So please, if you have time, tell me where we could meet !
A très bientôt !!
Hello. I am agree with seth. The people of low budget and in the end of the world have no choices to do some workshops. I would like to meet you here in Buenos Aires David. Recently you post that some photographers need to travel to do some pix. I want do make some picture in this zone. But I would like to ear some experience of David. I have no money to get a plane. So I think there would be fine some web workshop. Some colleages done some week of work workshops but they said some times is too shor time because you need no rain and the weather is opposite or something like this. Maybe is better to do the selection of porfolios and then fix the issue to cover. In a month or something review with the master the work. Only one idea. Saludos
shafqat and hernan…
i so so feel your frustration….you are far away from all of these photo cultural centers and have no money to get there…
this is a serious problem that we at magnum wish to address, but even we have very limited resources…
first of all, we are only 40 photographers….and out of the 40, maybe only 10 of us are inclined to teach…not all great photographers are great teachers…
then the schedule of each photog must be respected…so, while my intent and the intent of the magnum photographers is to do as many free workshops as possible, we can only do so so much…
but surely, one of our big “target areas” for doing just this would be in somewhere in India perhaps Calcutta or New Dehli and somewhere in South America…perhaps Argentina, Chile, or Brazil…i am working on it now, so please be patient….
shaqfat, how many serious photogs do you think are in Bangladesh??? i honestly have no idea…please help me with this one…and could you or would you travel to Calcutta or example or is this beyond your means or desire???
please all of you help me with this problem…
best, david
Hello David,
Reacting to your appointment as Magnum education csar, I’ve got a somewhat weird suggestion. I’d like to see a workshop in a boring place, one that really challenges the photography skills of the workshop members (and hopefully of the educator as well).
Workshops are typically held in places that already have an allure, are very photogenic and are by now used to groups of photographers trampling through town. But when I don’t travel, I find myself in Nicosia, Cyprus, or previously in Westchester County, NY, not exactly hotbeds of colour or extrovert people.
Of course, I do realize the fact that a workshop has to appeal to a participant to lay out quite a bit of money and an almost 100% garantee of excellent images that can be produced during that one week.
So, if you pass, I understand. Good luck with your efforts.
“All of you help me with this problem”. Here in Argentine there are a lot of photographers but i don´t know how to call or not serious. You can found different flavors. Some of the best are in another countries because they can do work for bigger agencies or clients. There are very much of young people but i don´t know the porfolios. I guess some 30 to 40 years people people maybe want to know your experience too. For argentine people is expensive fly to Brazil or Chile and the problems with some aeroplane companies and some airports made it a pain in the ass. The money exchange for argentinians made all expensive in neighbor countries except Paraguay and Bolivia. If you need some more data tell me. Saludos
john…
pretty interesting concept…and i would agree too….i mean, a great photographer should be able to shoot anywhere…..
but, you know the funny thing…i do workshops in italy…in tuscany….charming towns that most americans think are just wonderful…the italians in my class are invariably bored…i have to work hard to get them psyched up…so boring is relative!!!
hernan….
well, argentina could be a logical place for a workshop….but, if we go there, will the brazilians complain??? we cannot be everywhere!!! seriously, we will do our best …..
Yeah, I know,I suppose yes. With brazilian people we have the rivalry thing with the soccer (futbol) and other more. Thanks anyway. All the best
I am trying to make up for the lost time when i was out of your blog.. and i found that topic today…
Regarding to your question – I definately will preffer to have long workshop with one photographer than seminar with many photographers… the personal contact is much more important in my opinion…
I am really courious about your (and Magnum’s) workshops
david…
sorry i was away for some days…
i wont say we have a lot of serious photgraphers here. but we dont have that less too…photographers’ dreams die here in most cases for there family.i guess as you know in this part of the world family and social pressure sets the path of ones career…still if these people gets inspired by your presence or by your words the situation may change…and yes it has already started to change a little…
about going abroad-
going to kolkata shouldn’t be a great problem.if you come and if i get the chance to attend (i mean there are fees and qualifications all those stuffs) i will travel to kolkata for sure.
thanks a lot for your reply.
and onece again i apologise for being late.
just because you replied i was so exceited that i forgot to mention…
yes i understand that coming to bangladesh for a workshop wuold be bit less feasible than coming to india…but there will be some who would participate for sure…and
just in case if you come, i can volunteer with the organizing thing.and we have a very good workforce here who would work too.this workforce organizes the second largest photography festival in bangladesh every year.and they are all students…
i was too only 6 months back :)
for them meeting you will be more exciting than meeting someone from hollywood.. :)
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Hi David,
Are applications for your workshop still being accepted? I’ve just got back onto your site after a break for a few weeks caused by the ‘Great Firewall of China’ which has for some reason blocked your site. Something to do with ‘typepad’? I’m no techy so don’t know the exact details. Hope applications are still open.
Hope you are well.
Best,
Sean