WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

This workshop will be about finding your own unique vision of the southern Mexican city of Oaxaca by using the camera to explore the region in a direct, spontaneous way.  Open to both serious amateurs and professionals alike, from fine art photographers to documentary photographers, from college students to seasoned photographers, it is a workshop that will emphasize the development of your own personal way of seeing photographically.  This workshop will also be about learning how to edit your work intuitively, and will include discussions about how to take your photography to the next level.

NOTE: This is a workshop for photographers who collaborate with the world, not for those who dramatically alter their photographs digitally.

MORE ABOUT THE SCHEDULE

There are two main components of this class: the spontaneous act of photographing and intuitive editing. The workshop will begin with Alex and Rebecca—a creative team who between the two of them have authored 21 books—who will critique each participant’s past work as a starting off point for a larger discussion about various photographic issues. By that first afternoon, participants will be working on their first assignment, which they will choose themselves. It may be a specific street, family, or individual. It may be about a nearby village or lent celebrations in towns such as San Martin Tilcajete, Teotitlán del Valle and Zaachila, but it must be something that you’re passionate enough to return to every day to photograph.

For the rest of the workshop, we will meet in the mornings and critique as a group each student’s ongoing work. Throughout the workshop, we will try to build a coherent set of images for each photographer that will begin to represent his or her photographic stance or attitude toward Oaxaca, Mexico. We will view this work as a group slideshow at the end of the workshop.

Besides photographing and editing each day, there will also be print and book demonstrations, and an editing exercise. We will touch on a variety of topics, including the process of photographing spontaneously and intuitively; how to photograph in cultures other than one’s own; the relationship between images (such as the sequencing and juxtaposition of photographs); how to edit photographs intuitively; an introduction on being on press with a book; how to work with a designer on a book; the practical realities of the magazine and art worlds; the emotional and psychological implications of working in color vs. black and white; the difference between images in a book and images on the wall; and how long-term projects can evolve into books and exhibitions.

Workshop staff will arrange small group field trips to local events and one large field trip to San Martin Tilcajete. Staff can also connect participants with local individuals and families to photograph. These field trips and independent guided excursions requiere an extra expense not included in the workshop fee, to cover transportation, and fixer / translator compensation. These field trips and individual itineraries are optional and designed to offer a range of immersion experiences for students’ interests. There are plenty of opportunities to photograph Oaxaca on your own. Course leaders will work with each student to suggest potential paths for independent work.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE WORKSHOP

Since we’ll be working digitally, everyone must bring a memory stick or a portable hard drive to class each morning, so all work can be downloaded into a single workshop computer attached to a digital projector. (We do not have time to shut down the projector and hook up individual laptops.) We need to be able to see work (from the previous day) at the beginning of the class everyday. Only on the last day of the workshop, we will need photographers to bring their laptops to class. You should also have some sort of digital editing software on your laptop, such as Bridge or Lightroom.

Please bring lots of questions to the workshop. The ultimate direction of the workshop will be influenced by the kinds of questions that you pose.

COVID PROTOCOL

As in most places in the world, there is a risk of contracting Covid-19 during the workshop in Oaxaca. We strongly recommend participants to keep up to date with current Covid-19 information and boosters.

At La Luz Workshops, we strive to make the best possible decisions to minimize the spread of COVID among participants, instructors, staff, and the local organizations and communities we collaborate with.

We will honor the local customs and regulations in the location that workshop takes place, and we ask workshop participants to do the same. This means that our protocols differ from the CDC guidelines or other countries’ regulations and social norms.

— While masking or proof of vaccination will not be required at this time, this policy is subject to change.

— If a participant test positive right before or during the workshop, they will not be able to participate in any group activities, including critiques.

— We know that attending a workshop abroad is an investment in time and resources, and we want everyone to be able to accomplish this safely. We recommend participants to be Covid aware during their trip and their stay in Oaxaca.

— We strongly recommend that all participants purchase Trip-Cancellation/Interruption Insurance that covers Workshop expenses and non-refundable travel costs.

— We also recommend the purchase of international medical insurance for the duration of the workshop.
 

TO APPLY FOR THE WORKSHOP

Please email 10 jpgs (72dpi; 1080 pixels longest side) that represent who you are as a photographer, or direct us to a series or two on your website.  If you work in a series, please include a selection from one or two personal projects –– the work that represents your passions, your obsessions. (We aren’t interested in photographs done simply to satisfy an editor or art director or client.)  

Also include a short description of why you’d like to take this workshop (no more than 150 words in a word doc), and a short bio (no more than 100 words as a word doc). 

Be sure to also include the following information:
Date of birth
Country of origin / country of residence
Profession
Previous photography studies
How you heard about the workshop

Please email your application to education@laluzworkshops.com. Since we receive applications for a variety of workshops at the same time, please be sure to specify the name of the workshop you are applying for.

Upon acceptance into the class, participants are required to make a full payment. We prefer payments via wire transfer or check. PayPal would be accepted only as a last resort. If you choose to use PayPal, please note that any commission will not be returned to you in case of a refund. To see our terms and conditions and cancellations policies please click here.

SUGGESTED ACCOMMODATION:

There are plenty of hotels and Airbnb options in Oaxaca. Some of our favorites include:

Parador de Alcala Hotel (Alex and Rebecca stay at this hotel)
Hotel Marques del Valle
Hostal de La Noria
Hotel Boutique de la Parra

We recommend you to stay at a hotel located in downtown Oaxaca within walking distance of the Manuel Alvarez Bravo Photographic Center (Manuel Bravo 104, Ruta Independencia, Centro) where the workshop will be held.

We suggest participants to reach out to them directly and make reservations as soon as their participation in the workshop is confirmed. It is the responsibility of participants to secure their own accommodations.

You should plan to arrive in Oaxaca, either on Tuesday February 6th or Wednesday February 7th during the day, as the first activity is on Wednesday at 7.30 pm. Plan on leaving any time on Thursday February 15 or later, as the last activity is a farewell dinner the evening of Wednesday, February 14th.

Workshop will be held at the Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo.