Lens on a human landscape captured in Oaxaca
One of the most frequent complaints about contemporary photography is that we’re flooded with a constant stream of images, most of which don’t deserve our attention. The very nature of how we "feed" with images has in fact changed, with most people no longer even seeing photos in front of a computer screen but in the much smaller one of a mobile phone. This, in addition to creating the conditions for rapid and distracted observation, therefore superficial, of photographs that are affected by a continuous scroll doesn’t allow certain images that would require a wider viewing surface to be appreciated. Such is the case with photos like this:
I took this photograph in Oaxaca de Juarez, from a bridge that allows us to approach the Central de Abastos (general market) of the city. These are the kind of images that present the vastness of space but at the same time give the opportunity to read something about the human condition and therefore offer a reflection on the people who live in this place.
On paper, I can assure you, a photo like this you caress it while you look at it. If we look at the negative we can highlight the elements even better thus having a better perception of the composition:
From observing the positioning of people within a vast space like this and seeing them immersed in activities, others simply waiting, perhaps a bus or a taxi, we have elements of understanding the society that populates the place.
This bed of asphalt inspires me a lot and I photograph it anytime I am there in Oaxaca. From a bridge overhanging a vast motorway junction, circled by buildings and structures, I can see a urban landscape that not anyone is going to photograph. And the main reason is because is considered not a nice place of the city, even dangerous, where you find prostitution and maybe drug dealers and thieves. It is the Oaxaca you don’t expect, the one of the working class, not the touristic Oaxaca.
My eye as a street photographer is fascinated by it. I observe from the bridge and take the photograph that will tell me a lot about the journey and an idea of photography that is certainly not that of many photographers who come here and who perhaps take refuge in the cliche.
Hey, guys, if you want to live a fantastic experience in Oaxaca until June 30th the Day of the Dead Photo Expedition is offered at a special price that allows you to save money. Check it out:
JOIN THIS MAGICAL EXPERIENCE IN 2024
These 8 days in Oaxaca with Alex Coghe during the traditional celebrations of Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) are a fantastic expedition and human experience.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN EXPERIENCE FOR TOURISTS. WE ARE TRAVELLER, PHOTOGRAPHERS, OBSERVERS, WRITERS, VIDEOGRAPHERS, FLANEURS. DON’T EXPECT A 4 OR 5 STARS HOTEL, OUR FOCUS IS TO OFFER A REAL TRAVELLER PHOTOGRAPHER EXPERIENCE WHERE THE ADVENTURE SPIRIT IS ESSENTIAL PART OF THIS EXPEDITION. ALEX WILL EAT WITH YOU, HE WILL PHOTOGRAPH WITH YOU AND HE WILL SHARE THE FULL EXPERIENCE WITH YOU. THIS IS NOT A WORKSHOP WHERE YOU PAY THE VACATION TO THE LEADER OR THE BIG NAME IS THEN REPLACED IN REALITY BY MINOR PHOTOGRAPHERS, LIKE MANY AGENCIES DO IN PHOTOGRAPHY EXPEDITIONS.
OCTOBER 28TH- NOVEMBER 4TH, OAXACA DE JUAREZ (OAXACA), MEXICO
THIS EXPERIENCE IS RESERVED TO A GROUP OF MAXIMUMM 4 PARTICIPANTS. BOOK YOUR SPOT TODAY.
EARLY BIRD INSCRIPTIONS UNTIL APRIL 30, 2024 DISCOUNT PRICE 3000 US$
DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
Tuition in English, Italian, Spanish language.
Max. 4 students.
***BEST SELLING EXPERIENCE MAKING THIS WORKSHOP IN OAXACA SINCE 2015***
Join acclaimed street photographer Alex Coghe and take your photography to the next level.
Alex will review your work and during the workshop he will guide you, taking photographs together, in classic places of the city and the surrounding villages, but also in places not beaten by tourists,.thanks to his experience and knowledge of Oaxaca, a place that Alex loves and which is a bit like his second home. Without neglecting the possibility of taking photographs of all kinds from portraits to documentary, this workshop will focus on street photography, a genre that Alex dominates and of which he boasts an experience of over 15 years that has led him to photograph in different places in the world, even in those considered the most difficult and dangerous.
During this intense and full immersion experience, Alex will identify your photographic inclinations but he will also inspire you to go outside your comfort zone, trying several approaches and techniques with the end goal to make you a better photographer, with a personal vision.
Thanks to the daily reviews you will have the opportunity to learn how to read a photograph and how to recognize the elements making a good photograph . Alex also will show you techniques to shoot at night in the festivities around Oaxaca, with or without a flash. He will show you how using the flash or choosing extreme exposure combinations, working on shutter speed, can be used creatively to give you images with a strong emotional impact.
Thanks to his experience and his character, as an open and cheerful person, Alex will make you experience the workshop with a good vibe, with moments full of fun, and therefore it is certainly a workshop where the learning of the proposed subject is put at the center but always with the attention to live this experience well, in friendship and where human contact plays a fundamental role.
This workshop is for all levels. A laptop and SDHC memories are required to all the participants. Any camera is accepted.
THE COST INCLUDES: Tuition, e-books, certificate, exclusive print, professional portfolio review, mentoring program, FEATURE on THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY CHANNEL on YouTube.
PLEASE NOTE: WE DON’T PROVIDE ANYMORE ACCOMODATIONS BECAUSE WE WANT TO AVOID PEOPLE THINKING TO DO A VACATION AND NOT INTERESTED IN THE WORKSHOP. WE CAN RECOMMEND HOTELS ON THE LOCATION OF THE EXPEDITION. WE WILL COUNT WITH A NICE MEETING POINT FOR OUR BRIEFINGS AND FEEDBACK.
For more info, please contact me by sending me an email to: alexcoghe.store@gmail.com
PLEASE NOTE: The workshop complies with the recommended health provisions and respecting the safety of each participant.
Schedule
We will have breakfast every day as a group. After the breakfast we will review the work and Alex will gives the feedback. We will often move as a group but will be granted moments in which everyone will photograph on their own during the day and nights, depending on the Day of the Dead festivities and schedule of events. Although we have a program, from experience we know that things change suddenly and we are ready to remodel over the course of the day always with the aim of offering the best experience in every moment of the workshop.
The workshop starts on the 28th in the evening with a group dinner (after all students have arrived ) in the historic center of the capital Oaxaca de Juarez. The workshop ends the 4th at approximately 8am after group breakfast. You can make travel arrangements to depart Oaxaca anytime after 8 AM on the 4th.
Getting to Oaxaca
Best way is to fly to Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) : we will be there where Alex will give you his BIENVENIDO A OAXACA.
How much safe is Oaxaca?
Guys, Oaxaca is one of the safest states in Mexico. In fact several times we found ourselves at 3am in Oaxaca City and city felt safe. If you act normally and also follow the directions of Alex and Carmen nothing unpleasant goes to pass.
Oaxaca and Dia de Muertos
In 2008, the feast of Dia de Muertos was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Far from being a macabre party, skull shapes appear in all sizes, colors and variations. They symbolize life and are used to make fun of death a little. It is not a Halloween in Latin version like many think. This is coming from pre-hispanic cults that joined the Catholic religion.
It is a moment in which the dead are remembered and honored, who reunite with their families from the afterlife on the night between 1 and 2 November. According to popular belief, this only happens if they are remembered by the living and only if their photo is displayed on the family altar.
The traditions of Vida y Muerte belong to all of Mexico, but there are some regions where these holidays are particularly felt and therefore also celebrated in public, with events and parades, as in Oaxaca.
Oaxaca is known for its amazing cuisine and mezcal production. Oaxaca esta de moda (Oaxaca is in fashion) and Oaxaca's cuisine has been recognized as one of the best in the world. Alex, as a food lover, can also give you tips in this regard.
DURING THE WORKSHOP YOU WILL LEARN:
How to make photos of high visual impact, different from all the others
How to make ghosts using the flash like in my Reality Remade click here to see it
How to achieve a consistent body of work from a journey experience
How to make portraits that question the viewer
How to photograph seemingly normal scenes, where a detail such as a gesture and expression gives you a photograph that has meaning
How to interact with your subjects and still pursue a snapshot vision and aesthetic
Different techniques and tricks to obtain winning compositions
How to photograph quickly and effectively, being sure of the result even with shooting from the hip
How to capture dynamic, vibrant and the energy in a image
How to make real candid shots
How to work a scene
How to drink mezcal and still photograph accurate
How to eat chapulines (grasshoppers)
