The impact of a long-term documentary project on your personal vision.
Compelling documentary work demands a photographer’s strong connection with his or her subject. While in the unique setting of the world-class tourist city, Cusco, Stella teaches students how to make that connection with the local population while developing a personal style of shooting. The workshop begins with an historical look at photographic documentary traditions and major practitioners. Students research local story ideas and learn new technical and visual skills essential to telling that story.
Cusco functions as the backdrop for the placement and inspiration of our projects, offering the amenities of a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as direct and frequent access to a native population with strong desires to participate. Working individually with photographers, Stella and Adam will help them determine and define their interests and ideas prior to setting each student up with a very unique family, situation or area. Within the context of the class, each pairing will serve as the primary vehicle for maintaining and developing a strong connection with one’s subject. The real opportunity that is so unique in Cusco is the willingness and enthusiasm of most of the people to be a part of – and have curiosity towards – what the project is about. This is the magic of place and people within which each student gets to observe and respect.
Stella will meet privately and in small groups each day to review and research images. She will share her professional experiences working on stories in remote destinations and what it takes to develop the strong relationships necessary to work on long term projects. Students work with film or digital, using local labs to process the film each evening (C-41 B&W or Color only – no traditional B&W chemistry is reliable in Cusco).
