I will be running several small group adventures in 2023 and am now seeking expressions of interest for Istanbul (7 days) and Rajasthan, India (14 days).
About the adventures
The adventures are for street photographers with some experience, who are up for a more independent adventure with a focus on peer review. Groups are kept small to maximise the experience. See description and details below.
Check out this video from the 2022 adventures!
(Maximum 6 people)
About the workshop
This adventure will be an immersive seven day workshop aimed at the street photographer with more experience. It will be an opportunity to reflect on where you are going with your work, in collaboration with me and the other participants.
There will be a focus on enhancing your existing skills, experimenting with new ways of working and on developing your ability to create more meaningful images that tell stories that embody feeling and sentiment.
You will make a short presentation of your existing work at the start of the workshop. We will also discuss the work of other photographers to provide inspiration and motivation. During the workshop you will work on a theme or project of your choice as you explore the streets of Istanbul. You will have the opportunity to photograph with me, independently and with others. I will work with you on editing, processing and sequencing the work you create, and there will be daily review and critique sessions with me and the other members of the group. This type of group review is an invaluable learning opportunity for you as a photographer and for the whole group. In the final session you will present your images as a series or sequence.
About Istanbul
The light in Istanbul at this time of the year is magical and the temperatures still comfortable. It is a great time of the year to wander the rambling streets and discover the delights of this amazingly complex and vast city. Some of the best street photography in the world is by Istanbul and Turkey based photographers.
Istanbul lies between the East and West and is divided by the Bosphorous Strait. Water is very much a focus of people’s lives as they commute back and forth in ferries and the mix of east and west is evident in the cultural diversity of the place. Highlights include the Galata Tower, Galata Bridge, theSultanahmet, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and Taksim Square but it is fascinating just wandering the streets and markets of Eminonu and Karakoy. And then of course there are the cats of Istanbul.
I will provide tuition and guidance throughout the workshop, suggest places to shoot and options for accommodation. The group will aim to stay in the same hotel, or encouraged to stay close by, depending on availability. Accommodation will be budget to three star to ensure affordability.
COST USD$1000 (EXCLUDES accommodation and travel costs)
Please read the NITTY GRITTY for terms and conditions
(Includes Jaipur, the Pushkar Fair, Jodphur and Jaisalmer)
(Maximum 6 people)
PLEASE EMAIL JULIA DIRECTLY TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
About the workshop
This adventure is not a traditional workshop - it takes a different approach, combining some tuition and instruction with a focus on peer review, as well as providing an opportunity for like-minded people who want the benefits of small group travel led by someone who knows the location well.
I will provide some tuition and instruction and lead daily peer review sessions during which participants will present their best images from the day for feedback. This type of group review is an invaluable learning opportunity for you as a photographer and for the whole group. If requested, mini projects can be assigned to those who are keen to stretch themselves.
I will organise the itinerary, connect us with local street photographers, lead the peer review sessions and provide assistance and feedback on project based work on request, however participants will been encouraged to also work independently and follow their own interests.
The group will meet in Jaipur to discover the wonders of the Pink City, the capital of Rajasthan. Jaipur has endless laneways, markets and sites to visit. Of course there are also several forts and the occasional elephant walking along the street.
From Jaipur, the group will travel to Pushkar for the famous annual Pushkar Camel Fair. The fair is packed with camels, horses and photographers! The challenge will be to get a photo that is truly unique!
We will return to Jaipur and from there head to Jodphur where we will spend several days exploring the streets of the Blue City. Jodphur is a place you can get completely lost in and come across unexpected delights. Highlights are the Sadar Market (the Clock Tower market), the old city with it’s amazing blue walls, the Toor Ji Ka Khalsa Step Well and of course the Mehrangarh Fort.
After Jodphur we will travel west by train to the ‘Golden City’ of Jaisalmer in the heart of the Thar Desert. Jaisalmer has the feel of a frontier town and is dominated by the Jaisalmer Fort. There is a wonderful market to immerse yourself in, laneways to explore, the nearby Gadisar Lake and Bada Bagh, an isolated ‘garden’ which is a memorial to nobles and their families.
The group will stay together in accommodation that I will organise. Accommodation will be budget to three star to ensure affordability.
COST USD$1700 (EXCLUDES accommodation and travel costs)
Please read the NITTY GRITTY for terms and conditions
NOTE:
India can be a challenge for people who are not experienced travellers. Patience and tolerance are required. Travelling in the country can be hard work and is not for the faint hearted. However India is a truly amazing place, full of wonderful people, a rich culture and buzzing with life! It is an experience that is well worth it and one that you will always remember.
"Can’t recommend a workshop with Julia enough. Communication before was excellent and the workshop itself was full of photo opportunities as well as the chance for valuable feedback and meeting other photographers. Julia encourages you to refine and develop your own style and it was such a huge turning point for me with my photography - I'd do a workshop with Julia again in a heartbeat! " Kirsty Greenland - Perth, Australia
"Julia is a delightful teacher who thrums with a passion for street photography. Her travel/street workshops are an enriching and surprisingly intense experience; in a good way. I didn’t know it at the time how much I was learning from being with her. Julia is a welcoming and engaging host who is always super organised and prepared for the city or region in which the workshop is located. Highly recommended!" Shane Nagle - Melbourne, Australia.
"Julia's workshop in Istanbul was everything I hoped for. She consistently guided our group to all of Istanbul's most visually interesting places. Julia seemed to intuitively know what I was looking for, and the kind of pictures I was hoping to get. In the months since this rigorous five-day workshop, I've noticed an improvement in my overall shooting style." Brad Jones - NYC, USA.
“I attended Julia’s India workshop (Nov 2022) and she was able to provide great guidance with, in particular, the use of a 28mm (equivalent) lens. In the past I had rarely used this focal length, but now I am on the lookout for more layering compositions and certainly I am getting closer to subjects/people when using a 28mm (equivalent). Well worth attending.” Philip Duvall - Adelaide, Australia
"I went with Julia to Kolkata and Varanasi. Julia has her own style, focus and approach to settings. She seeks out strong light (which I have tended to avoid) to create a specific style of photo.This approach ‘broadened my thinking’ and hopefully I am a better photographer for the experience." Bill Clayton - Perth, Australia
"Julia’s Rajasthan workshop was an incredibly fulfilling adventure! I don’t throw around the word ‘adventure’ much, but this was worthy of that title, and so much more. For years I had stayed within the comfortable confines of the 35mm, but that all changed once I stepped foot in India. Julia helped guide me through photographing with a wider lens, and I gained a new appreciation for getting even closer to your subjects. She offers practical advice for photographers of any skill level and I personally learnt so much just by being beside her and observing the way she interacts with the scene. The project we were tasked with was also challenging, but hugely rewarding – to have that kind of guided direction that ends with a tangible result that you are proud of, is invaluable. Highly recommended!!" Christian Clowes - Perth, Australia
At the end of the workshops in Istanbul and Rajasthan, students were asked to present their projects. We then made videos of their projects.
Link to the Istanbul Adventure video - September 2022 - with work by Emma Yench, Kirsty Greenland, Marie Pantaleon, Penny Vickery, Rebecca Wiltshire and Sally Coggle. Students were encouraged to experiment with different techniques and work on individual projects designed to push them beyond their comfort zones.
Link to the Istanbul Intensive video - October 2022 with projects from Brad Jones, Dietmar Temps, Linda Maclean, Rebecca Wiltshire and Shane Nagle. The project theme for the five day workshop was Sun Seeking, Soul Searching.
Link to the Rajasthan Adventure video - October/November 2022 with projects from Christian Clowes, Debrani Das, Linda Maclean and Lou Gilbert. The project theme for the two week workshop was Exploring Antithesis