Photography for Social Impact Workshop: For the Compassionate Photographer

A fine line exists between photojournalism, documentary photography and participatory (photo empowerment) photography. This is a workshop, the first of its kind on the west coast, designed for you to improve your photography skills and engage the various practices of all of the above mentioned genres.

This 12 week workshop is designed to be more comprehensive than others previously offered. For those focused on any of the three aforementioned photographic interests, each component of the workshops will integrate the three into the specific interests of each participant. During the workshops we will explore differences and more often similarities, from many examples, between documentary and photojournalistic approaches and participatory photography.

Each participant will either continue with a project already initiated or a newly conceived endeavor but with a social impact theme. Following the workshop an exhibit showcasing each photographer’s images will be hosted by Venice Arts in their gallery in Spring 2009.

In Spring/Summer 2009 I will travel with a select team of interested participants from the workshop to a yet to be determined country in either Asia or Africa where we will concentrate on individual photography projects(for your own portfolio) and also spend time working with an existing organization in a short term participatory photography project similar to projects completed by Venice Arts and The House Is Small Project

Workshop content will include the following:
-Regular portfolio reviews from both existing and new work
-Training for photo projects in challenging far away lands
-Expert guest speakers
-Working with the underprivileged and other challenged populations
-Accessing subjects and situations
-Equipment use with film and digital(lens selection for impact and in storytelling process)
-Ethical considerations
-Legal considerations (consent forms)
-Protecting your work legally
-Personal passions converted to photographic projects
-Examine how to pack the most punch into individual images
-Storytelling with pictures
-Preparing a photo exhibit and planning a book deal
-entering another person’s life as a working photographer
-Portfolio development

Workshops will be conducted in the new Venice Arts facility in Venice complete with a newly refurbished gallery, darkroom and digital lab. The sessions will convene twice per month on Saturdays from 3:00pm to 5:00pm beginning in Sept. 27,2008 and ending the last Saturday in February 2009. Cost is $675. Minimum enrollment is 6 and maximum 12 persons. Application deadline is Sept.12 ,2008 with a non refundable $100 deposit unless the workshop is cancelled or enrollment is less that six.

For more information or to enroll please contact Jim Hubbard at jim@venice-arts.org or call 310-386-1698. My web site is www.jimhubbardphoto.com

Posted on August 29, 2008

Courtesy of photojournalist Jim Hubbard