WOMEN STREET PHOTOGRAPHERS

6 days workshop and cultural experience in Bashkortostan, Russia

With Gulnara Samoilova and Vineet Vohra

Arrival to Ufa: June 9

Departure from Ufa: June 16

Cost: $4950 per person

($500 off for past students or if your photo was part of any Women Street Photographers exhibitions.)

What is included:

Single occupancy hotel in Ufa for 7 nights

All MEALS, (including picnics in nature and IN yurts, prepared by the locals),

local organizer, RUSSIAN Translator, private van, ENTERTAINMENT.

Details:

This is a six-day advanced and intensive workshop tailor-made for photographers who wish to train their eye to the next level and discover the art of story telling. This workshop will help ease the anxiety next time you go out to shoot and help you solve the puzzle of composing compelling images in a split second.  Most importantly it will help you develop your own vision.

Each day includes shooting in the streets and theoretical sessions in class covering all you need to know about street photography; the dos and don’ts, different aspects in composition and common mistakes made while composing.  

June 9- Arrival in Ufa
June 10- shooting around Ufa.
June 11 - visit small Bashkortostan villages, ethnic groups.
June 12 Day of Ufa big celebration.
June 13 Sabantuy ( an annual festival )
June 14 Sabantuy ( an annual festival )
June 15 final presentation.
June 16 Departure from Ufa.

Other topics covered: 

1) understanding layering in photography, 

2) fine tuning your vision, 

3) developing your own style, 

4) understanding peripheral vision, 

5) ways to see and treat light, plus the screening of a video documentary of how images are made as they are being shot.

6) the most important is what makes an image into a photograph and how one one single image can have multiple interpretations.

7) sequencing your shots 

8) Approaching and photographing strangers

Gulnara & Vineet will shoot along with the group giving you a chance to turn your freshly acquired theoretical knowledge into practice, with theme in hand to create and execute through the walk.  They will observe you at work and give instant feedback and suggestions when required. Students will also have a chance to observe them at work, and learn some tricks and techniques.

Students will not only hunt for decisive moments but also get close to people and photograph them. They will help the participants share and select their top images for review and critiques and talk about the art of story telling. How to write stories and photo essays, followed by a lecture on the importance of shooting personal projects and how it benefits in the long run.

WHERE:

Bashkortostan is the first ethnic autonomy in Russia and is located between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains. The capital is Ufa. The top 5 ethnic compositions are Russians, Bashkirs, Tatars, Chuvashs and Mari.

Most of Bashkortostan, including Ufa, appears frozen in time. Streets still have soviet names and every major square has statues of Lenin. The republic is not frequent by international tourists and this workshop is a unique opportunity to experience rural Russia. People of Bashkortostan are super friendly, the food is delicious and the culture is rich.

Gulnara was born in Ufa, Bashkortostan and in the last three years have been traveling to Bashkortostan to document everyday life of local people.

THE TEACHERS: 

Gulnara Samoilova is a street and fine art photographer based in New York City and the founder of @WomenStreetPhotographers Instagram feed and the traveling exhibition. With 40 years combined experience as a documentary photographer, artist, darkroom printer, photojournalist, and a photo editor, Gulnara employs her experience and qualifications to research and curate an impressive body of work by women photographers from around the globe. 

Gulnara is a former Associated Press photojournalist and received national and international awards for her iconic photographs from 9/11/01, including first prize in the most prestigious World Press Photo competition in Amsterdam and nomination for the Pulitzer Prize by the AP. 

She mentors photographers on a regular base and has given workshops, master classes and spoke at festivals/conferences in India, Belgium, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Canada, Netherlands and United States.

When Gulnara photographs her subjects on streets she makes no secret of her intentions. Without speaking the language she blends into the environment and patiently waits for the moment to unfold. Her resulting photographs feel real and effortless. 

Her personal website is www.gulnara.com and instagram @gulnara_nyc

Vineet Vohra is an internationally celebrated street photographer based in New Dehli, India. He is considered one of the most influential street photographers of his generation.

Building on a background in fine arts, Vineet's images are complex, playful, beautifully structured and very contemporary. He skillfully combines content, composition and light to make compelling photographs and multi-image sequences and series. Vineet’s special skill is in bringing order to the chaos we often find on the street, and in patiently working scenes until everything falls into place.

As well as a passion for making photographs, Vineet is a very experienced street photography teacher, and he regularly conducts workshops in Asia, Europe and the United States.

Vineet has a special place at the heart of the street photography community in Asia and has made a significant contribution to its development over the past ten years.

See Vineet's Instagram feed at @vineet_vohra

Cost:

$4950 per person per single occupancy

$500 off for past students or if your photo was part of any Women street photographers exhibitions.

Hotel for 7 nights, meals, local transportation, airport pick up and drop off.

Deposit $2000 to reserve the spot ( non-refundable after April 27).

The final payment due before April 9.

what is not included:

Flight to and from Ufa, Russia.

Visa.

Alcoholic drinks.

To RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW:

Deposit $2000 ( non-refundable after April 27)

Link to website, Instagram or FB portfolio

List of gear

*Waiting list is available.