PRIVATE GUELAGUETZA PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE

Oaxaca, Mexico · 2027

Four Days of One-to-One Documentary Photography

After many years photographing Oaxaca during its most important celebrations, I created this experience around a simple idea:

The most interesting part of Guelaguetza is often not the official show.

It is what happens around it.

The calendas moving through the streets.

The rehearsals.

The groups arriving in traditional clothing.

The musicians.

The neighborhoods preparing their own celebrations.

The encounters between people.

The moments that happen before and after the spectacle.

For four days, you will photograph Oaxaca privately with Alex Coghe, working exclusively one-to-one and developing your own photographic response to Guelaguetza.

This is not a group photography workshop.

There will be no group of photographers moving through Oaxaca together and no predetermined itinerary designed to accommodate several participants.

The experience is built around you, your photography, and what is actually happening around us.

Beyond the Spectacle

Guelaguetza is one of Oaxaca's most important cultural celebrations, but photographing it does not necessarily mean photographing the main auditorium performances.

The photographic possibilities begin long before the official spectacle.

They are found in the streets, in the neighborhoods, in the preparations, in the calendas, in the encounters, and in the everyday life surrounding the celebration.

This is where we will concentrate our attention.

The objective is not to produce stereotypical images of Mexican folklore.

It is to look for photographs that reveal something about the people, places, atmosphere, traditions, and contemporary reality surrounding Guelaguetza.

The approach is documentary and observational.

Nothing is staged.

Nothing is manufactured for the camera.

We work with what is there.

A Private Photographic Experience

Photography is ultimately a personal act.

Even when two photographers stand in the same place, they see different things.

This experience gives you the freedom to develop your own way of seeing without being surrounded by a group of photographers making the same journey and looking for the same images.

You will have Alex's direct attention throughout the experience.

We will walk together, photograph together, discuss what we see, and stop whenever something deserves attention.

The itinerary can change according to what is happening.

If an unexpected situation develops, we follow it.

If a particular neighborhood offers stronger photographic possibilities, we stay there.

If your work begins to move in a particular direction, we can adapt the following sessions accordingly.

There is no group schedule to follow.

The experience belongs to you.

What We Will Photograph

Across four days, we will explore Oaxaca Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilco, and other neighborhoods and areas where Guelaguetza-related activities take place.

Depending on the program and the photographic opportunities available, our work may include:

Calendas and street celebrations

Rehearsals and preparations

Traditional clothing and groups arriving in Oaxaca

Musicians and dancers

Neighborhood celebrations

Markets and everyday life

Smaller processions and gatherings

The atmosphere surrounding the official Guelaguetza celebrations

The second “Lunes del Cerro”

The people and places behind the spectacle

The focus will always remain on authentic situations rather than staged representations of tradition.

Learning Through Photography

During the four days, we will work on the things that matter most when photographing dynamic public environments:

Timing

Observation

Intuition

Positioning

Approaching people

Working with light

Recognizing moments

Knowing when to take the photograph

Knowing when not to take it

The objective is not simply to make technically successful photographs.

It is to become more conscious of your decisions and develop a stronger personal response to what you encounter.

Editing and Sequencing

Shooting is only part of the process.

We will also dedicate time to looking at your photographs and discussing what is working and what is not.

Together we will consider selection, editing, sequencing, visual consistency, and the relationship between individual images.

The goal is to leave Oaxaca with a small but meaningful body of work rather than a collection of unrelated photographs.

The experience can therefore become the starting point for a personal photo essay or a longer-term project.

For Whom

This experience is intended for photographers who are interested in authenticity rather than spectacle.

You may be interested in documentary photography, street photography, portraiture, cultural photography, or simply in developing a stronger personal way of seeing.

Previous experience is helpful but not required.

What matters most is curiosity.

You do not need to arrive with a particular photographic style.

You do not need a particular camera.

You simply need to be willing to observe, walk, photograph, and remain open to what happens.

Your Photographer and Mentor

The experience is led by Alex Coghe, an Italian photographer, photojournalist, educator, and writer based in Mexico City since 2009.

Alex has photographed Mexico extensively and has spent many years working on documentary, editorial, portrait, and urban photography projects.

His work has been published internationally, including by L'Équipe and France Football, and his professional experience has included work for Leica and Burberry.

Since 2011, he has worked with photographers from around the world, helping them develop observation, visual awareness, editing skills, and a more personal photographic language.

His teaching is not based on imposing a particular style.

The goal is to help photographers understand what they are seeing and develop their own way of responding to it.

Gear

Travel light.

One camera and one lens are enough.

A 28mm, 35mm, 40mm, or 50mm lens can work extremely well for the type of photography we will be doing.

Bring spare batteries and memory cards.

A laptop is recommended if you would like to participate in editing and review sessions.

Comfortable walking shoes are essential.

Most importantly, bring equipment you already know how to use.

What Is Included

✔ Four days of private one-to-one photographic guidance with Alex Coghe

✔ Daily documentary, street, and cultural photography sessions

✔ Field guidance throughout the Guelaguetza celebrations

✔ Individual photographic coaching

✔ Personal feedback throughout the experience

✔ Editing and sequencing session

✔ Portfolio and photographic development discussion

✔ Three nights accommodation in a comfortable, centrally located hotel in Oaxaca

✔ Welcome dinner on the first evening

✔ Local transportation related to the photographic activities

✔ Pre-experience preparation and planning

✔ Assistance with photographic planning before arrival

Optional Companion

The experience is designed for one photographer.

If you would like to bring a companion who is not participating as a photographer, this can be arranged in advance.

A maximum of one additional companion is permitted.

The companion can join you during the experience and share the accommodation, subject to availability.

Additional companion: $500 USD

If the companion also wishes to participate as a photographer and receive photographic instruction, the experience becomes a private two-person workshop and the price will be adjusted accordingly.

What Is Not Included

International or domestic flights

Travel to Oaxaca

Airport transfers

Meals other than the welcome dinner

Travel insurance

Personal expenses and gratuities

Photography equipment

Anything not specifically listed in “What Is Included”

Investment

Private One-to-One Guelaguetza Photography Experience

$2,400 USD

The experience is limited to one photographer.

Dates are arranged privately according to the Guelaguetza program, your travel plans, and Alex's availability.

Early booking is strongly recommended because accommodation in Oaxaca becomes particularly limited during Guelaguetza.

Why This Experience Is Different

Most photography workshops bring photographers together and take them through the same itinerary.

That is not the model here.

I believe photography is ultimately a solitary act.

The person standing next to you may see the same street, the same procession, or the same person, but they will never see exactly what you see.

Working one-to-one creates the space for that difference.

There is no need to keep up with a group.

There is no competition for the same photograph.

There is no pressure to photograph what everyone else is photographing.

Instead, you have the time and freedom to develop your own response to Oaxaca.

I will be there to guide you, challenge your decisions, discuss your photographs, and help you see more clearly.

But the photographs remain yours.

More Than a Photography Workshop

Guelaguetza is not simply an event to photograph.

It is a complex meeting of traditions, communities, people, contemporary Oaxaca, and everyday life.

The most meaningful photographs may have little to do with the official spectacle.

They may happen while people are waiting.

While a group is preparing.

While musicians are walking through a neighborhood.

While a family is watching a procession.

Or in a completely unexpected moment that was never part of the plan.

That is what we will be looking for.

Not the obvious photograph.

The photograph that could only have happened because you were there.

One photographer. One mentor. One experience.