#897. Monday Post (2 Sept 2019) – Ambitious workshop project, new resources and new galleries

We hosted Ze Workshop over 3 years ago and generally found it fun, stimulating and an experience to renew. An opportunity to do something new has recently surfaced that I’d like to discuss with you as early as possible, as early booking is required. A masterclass workshop like no other I know of.

   

The projected workshop supports my desire to reorient DS in a more art-centric direction (we’ll still talk about gear, news, and locations, because it’s fun, but will add more actual art to the mix). It would consist of 3 prongs :

1. Shooting and reviewing work with artists. And I don’t mean uncle Bob who has a pic hanging in the local grocery but artists with work in galleries, corporate collections, private collections and museums. This is to unlock the personal in our photography, to move away from the postcard shot into the meaningful photographs that connect with others.
2. Editing and curating with a professional curators with prestigious portfolios and exhibitions under their belts (possibly collecotrs, as well). This is to learn to eliminate ruthlessly and with logic to create a real portfolio of our work. Also how to title work, decide of edition numbers …
3. Printing with master printers. If you’ve seen exhibitions that tour the world, it’s hard to be satisfied with the output of an entry-level inkjet printer using third-party inks and cheap plastic paper. A really good print transforms your photograph into a precious object and we’ll learn how to do that.

   

This “tourist to artist” workshop will probably take place over 5 days in the South of France, possibly Saint Paul de Vence (near Nice) but alternatives are possible if that suits more people. This being DearSusan, a strong focus on fine gastronomy will be part of the deal as well. Predicted dates: early spring 2020. If all goes well, another workshop will take place somewhere else in autumn 2020 (Japan is being investigated).

Unlike walkabout workshops where you follow a leader and mimic her/his style, this will be a transformative experience because it will expose you to expertise and a form of reasoning you have probably not been in contact with previously, and will focus on you, your photographic interests and how to make them more clear in your mind and how to let them direct your photography more powerfully. None of the professionals present will be there to beef up their own portfolios, all will be payed to mentor participants individually.

I’ll give more details as the various personalities confirm their presence, but it would help to know if there is interest ahead of that. To make this financially viable, 10 participants are required. First come, first served.

   

How much will this cost?

Mentorship of this calibre doesn’t come cheap, obviously. But we’re working with (very nice) hotels / restaurants that need the off-season traffic and doing everything we can to eliminate all costs that do not go towards the quality of the experience.

I’m expecting the price to be around 3500-4000€ for the 5 days. Not money to sneeze at but still cheap compared to some other workshops that take you to exotic locations but teach you very little, and virtually free compared to a university degree that would bring you in contact with that level of expertise.

This workshop is about permanent transformation. About making photographs that matter to you and to others. You won’t just bring back mementos but an increased ability to create more wherever you go.

   

Before the workshop, a series of preparatory resources will be published (for all readers, participant or not) and for free, to make the most of the occasion.

Courses are on their way. The first two being about composition (in photography, which is not painting, and not the usual rule of third litany) and an approach to pricing your own prints. More will follow, particularly if the workshop is a success.

New resources are already online. If you’ve not yet seen them, here’s a quick list:

• A new page on art and creativity, the two unspoken words in a tech-contaminated sector. This page essentially links to other resources and will be the hub for future ones.
• A tour of high-quality printing processes that go beyond the inkjet.
• A budding map-based list of worldwide undestinations.

I hope you enjoy them and feel like contributing information of your own to make those resources more useful for all of us.

Also, the galleries we’ve been working on are almost ready to launch. Stay tuned 🙂

   

Let me end this with a question and a request: would you be interested in the workshop at those dates, that location, that price point? I need 10 participants. It’s 10 or zero.

So my request is: can you share this information? If you have friends who might be interested, can you let them know? Can you inform buddies on forums and other blogs? I’ll spread to word but won’t go spamming other people’s websites with ads for my own. I have access to those experts whether the workshop happens or not. If you’d like yourself or others to be able to as well, all you have to do is apply or share. Can we make this happen together? 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

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