"Faith" Photography Workshop with Danny Cohen & Nir Alon
Jerusalem
Easter, March 31 - April 7, 2012
Experience "Faith" in its peak as Easter and Passover coincide in 2012. Study the powers that have drawn millions of pilgrims to the "center of the world" since the beginning of time. Jerusalem, considered hallowed by Christians, Jews and Moslems, all believing in the spoken word of God, wakes to new life in spring, which also sees a peak in religious activities.
Document the rich humanistic emotions of believers of the three monotheistic religions. Take your street photography and photo essay capabilities a step further in this unique opportunity to see and touch Jerusalem. Learn and shoot in this 8-day workshop that will offer knowledge and experiences that won't be forgotten.
The workshop will be taught by documentary photographer Nir Alon, a Jerusalemite for the past 35 years. Nir has documented faith in Jerusalem from many angles and has been published numerous times worldwide.
Two additional professional photographers will deliver presentations and talks on their perspective and experiences in documenting faith.
This workshop is intended for English speakers at all levels of photography. If you have a passion for mankind and for photography this workshop is for you and it may just be your photographic experience of a lifetime!
Guided by registered tour guide Danny Cohen we will benefit from his 30-year-rich experience and knowledge to see and understand the extraordinary offerings in Jerusalem as well as unique locations in the Judean Desert. Transportation to and from most photography locations will be provided in a comfortable, air-conditioned, touring-class vehicle.
There will be no more than 6 workshop participants allowing ample time for one-on-one instruction and an opportunity to get to know each other well.
HOTELS
Workshop meetings will be held at St. Andrews Scottish Church and Guesthouse in Jerusalem, 1 David Remez Street
(www.scotsguesthouse.com). All transportation to and from photography locations will also leave from St. Andrews Scottish Guesthouse.
Built in 1930 on a small hill just outside the Old City and a 15 walk from the downtown area, St. Andrews Scottish Guesthouse offers a special feel of peace and calm with inspiring views and is ideally located for our workshop. The guesthouse is reserving six rooms for our "Faith" Photography Workshop until Oct. 31st 2011. You can make your reservations with them directly or choose any other of the wonderful hotels in Jerusalem. If staying elsewhere you will be responsible for being on time for sessions and outings from the guesthouse. Also, please take into consideration that Easter and Passover are tourist high-seasons - vacancies are difficult to find and can be very expensive.
TRAVEL
All international flights arrive at Ben-Gurion (Tel-Aviv) International Airport, located 51 Km from downtown Jerusalem. A taxi to the city takes approximately 40 minutes. Shared and private taxis are available at the airport 24 hours a day and will deliver you to the address of your choice in Jerusalem. Shared (Nesher Taxi) costs 60 NIS ($17), private is 250 NIS ($70).
Plan to arrive early on Saturday, March 31st, or earlier. The first workshop session will begin at 2PM (14:00) on Saturday, March 31st.
The workshop ends Saturday, April 7th, late (around 10PM, 22:00), following our closing session and dinner.
Those wishing to stay in the country longer are of course free to do so and Danny will be happy to advise you how to take best advantage of your remaining time.
GEAR
A digital camera is highly recommended. Film shooters will find it time consuming and cumbersome to develop and print in order to take part in critiques.
You may bring a digital SLR or high-end point and shoot - remember, it's not the camera! It's the photographer! But I highly recommend a fast wide-angle lens with a wide aperture such as 1.4., 1.8. 2 or 2.8 to enable reasonably fast shutter speeds in low-light conditions.
Don't forget extra batteries and memory cards! Some days shooting will be intensive and you will not have an opportunity to recharge your batteries.
A laptop computer with image management software is necessary to edit your work and prepare it for presentation. You will also need a flash drive, external HDD or DVD burner to transfer your images for presentation.
My motto for working in the field is "less is more!" Carry only as little as necessary. Prefer a small, fixed-focal-length lens rather than a heavy zoom. Think what gear will enable you to blend into the environment as just another inconspicuous tourist rather than a 'threatening' professional photographer.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Research is an important part of any documentary photography project. Read books, surf the Internet, view photos, think about what you want to accomplish and how you're going to do it. Plan towards a 15-image photo essay to present at the end of the workshop. Will it be in color or black & white? Will it deal with faith in general or of any one religion? Will it document faith as expressed in faces or locations? What would you want your opening image to show? What type of image will conclude the presentation?
Arrive with a formulated plan but remember to be flexible enough to adapt to circumstances!
COSTS
The cost of "Faith" Photography Workshop 2012 is $2,600 US per participant to be paid by bank transfer. A $300 non-refundable deposit will be required with your registration. The balance will need to be payed by December 31st 2011.
Workshop fee includes all workshop sessions and guest presentations, transportation from a central location to most photography locations, entrance fees, guidance and instruction on location, and opening and closing dinners.
Additional expected expenses are your flights, transportation to and from Jerusalem, hotel, meals (excluding opening and closing dinners) and any personal expenses.
REGISTRATION
Please email Nir at NirAlon@ImagesOfMyThoughts.com for the registration bundle and additional details.
You're also welcome to call me on Skype (nir-alon) or by phone at +972-54-4404656. Please remember Israel time is at GMT+3.
See you here!
