REGISTER ONLINE at Leica Akademie

Details:
In this online workshop Gus Powell will explore the narrative and poetic qualities of photography and the photobook. He will discuss working within the tradition of street photography to make work that embraces both the universal and the ambiguous in equal measure.

The workshop will begin with a presentation of Powell’s work: the inspiration and creation of past projects, the books and their maquettes, his work for editorial and commercial clients, and his ongoing practice as a street photographer. It will continue with group portfolio reviews, a “field trip,” and a collection of editing exercises involving collaboration and the union of text, image, and design.

• Authorship & storytelling

• Finding inspiration in unexpected histories and heroes.

• The comedy & tragedy of the human experience.

• “Sketching.”

• Making something out of nothing.

• Using language to elevate rather than explain.

• Embracing chance.

• Getting into trouble, getting out of trouble, & getting on with it.

Who should attend this program?
This workshop is intended for the intermediate or experienced photographer that 
is interested in moving towards the creation of a body of
 work.

Application:
The submission of a portfolio is required to be accepted into this program. All interested students are asked to submit the following to Akademie@LeicaCamerausa.com along with your fee for the workshop.

• A portfolio of no more than 20 images (as jpegs or a pdf)

• Brief introductory email explaining your motivation for taking the course.

Attendance is limited to 10 maximum.

Schedule:
July 23rd – 25th 2021
Friday, July 23rd – 11:00am – 2:00pm
Saturday, July 24th – 11:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday, July 25th – 11:00am – 5:00pm

(All times Eastern Time)

Location: This workshop will be conducted via the online ZOOM Video chat platform.

Testimonials:

“Gus was able to reach everyone on their individual level of experience and practice. His critiques were sensitive but gave real guidance, and he helped us find strategies to overcome artistic blocks and limitations in a most supportive way.” – Alexandra, New York, USA

“Gus coaxed people to open up about their thoughts about their work as a whole in the context of their lives.” – Barbara, Vancouver, Canada

“I came into the workshop with a hint of skepticism as to the effectiveness of an online workshop in conveying the necessary proximity that allows for this kind of affair to be successful.  Having emerged from the workshop chock full of inspiration and satisfaction, I can say that my skepticism was completely misplaced!” – Ghayyan,  Doha, Qatar

“If someone is stuck in their ideas surrounding sequencing and editing, hell even just feeling narrow minded in their approach to photography in general, I couldn’t recommend it more.” – Kyle, Oregon, USA

“Gus is such an inspiring and motivating teacher (and photographer) because he carries so much passion, compassion, joy, talent and intelligence in everything he does. I left the workshop feeling like I not only gained a better sense of my work, but that I had a touching experience with a community of photographers who were all deeply supportive and very kind to each other.  I believe Gus helped facilitate and cultivate that comradery in a meaningful way.” – Michael, LA, USA

“It’s a very intense and creative workshop: one that forces you to actually create things and challenge yourself. Many interesting topics about the nature of photography and why we create books are discussed and these discussions help us to understand our own work and purpose better. It doesn’t matter if you are in the middle of making a book or simply want to put a series together for the first time- this class will open new paths for you and help you understand your work and express it much more clearly.” – Sonia, New York, USA

You see an actor, you see a rhinoceros. You prefer the rhinoceros of course.  

– Philippe Gaulier

DESCRIPTION

This workshop will focus on editing and sequencing to explore the narrative and poetic potential of photography and the photobook.  Across a series of presentations, exercises, field trips, and critiques, students will navigate comedy and tragedy, ambiguity and clarity, chance and skill, text and image, lunch and more.  

Gus Powell will draw from his past experience as a photo editor at The New Yorker magazine, his ongoing editorial and commercial photography practice, his position on the MFA faculty at the School of Visual Arts, and from the experience of creating four monographs of personal work. The workshop will foster an environment where students can sharpen their skills, clarify their intentions, and move their ideas forward, using their own work and in response to the work of the group.

SCHEDULE subject to change

April 24, 2020  5:30 PM  Initial presentation by Gus Powell, including a walk through the exhibition of his work currently on view at Leica SF.  Evening will conclude with an introduction to Assignment No. 1: “I Remember.”

Saturday, April 26, 2020 10:00 AM Presentations of students' responses to Assignment No. 1 will be followed by an initial group critique of students' existing work.  The day will continue with editing exercises and a possible shooting exercise.  Day will conclude with an introduction to Assignment No. 2: “Cover Album.”

Sunday, April 26, 2020 10:00 AM Presentations of students' responses to Assignment No. 2 will be followed by a a series of editing exercises that use both existing and archival material that will be completed under time constraints established on a 1972 GraLab darkroom timer.  Day will conclude with students working together to create new books with the possibility of review by special SF Guests.

TOPICS COVERED

• Authorship & storytelling.

• Finding inspiration in unexpected histories and heroes.
  Discovering & articulating the connective tissue (the theme) that already exists in your work.

• The comedy & tragedy of the human experience.

• “Sketching.”

• Making something out of nothing.

• Using language to elevate rather than explain.

• Embracing chance.

• Getting into trouble. Getting out of trouble and getting on with it.

LOCATION & DETAILS

Leica Store & Gallery SF, 463 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA, 94108

Limited to 12 students - Visit LEICA SF

To Register or for more details contact Alex Ramos  alex@leicastoresf.com  (415) 801-5066

This workshop is simultaneous with the exhibition Family Car Trouble by Gus Powell. Opening & Book Signing - Thursday April 23, 2020

Who should attend this program?

This workshop is intended for the intermediate or experienced photographer that is interested in moving towards the creation of a cohesive body of work.  It is expected that participants are already comfortable with proper exposure and general camera use.  There will be opportunities for specific technical questions that pertain to working with Leica equipment & strategies to improve a street photography practice.

TESTIMONIALS

"I liked a lot about this workshop, but the process of sequencing others' images was most successful in my opinion. It was an interesting challenge and offered thoughtful perspectives on my own images. Most of all, it was exciting to take a measure of creative ownership of a sequence, isolated from ownership of the images themselves. I was struck by how good that felt.”

- Zach, Washington, DC

“The workshop is fun, hands-on, and the perfect vehicle to take your photography to the next level. Both the advice provided at the beginning and the feedback received at the end were spot on.“  

- Sofia, Washington, DC

“A great opportunity to learn about how to take complete authorship of your photographs.”  

- Dan, San Francisco, CA

“An insightful workshop that forces you to ask questions about what you are trying to say through photography. The most helpful part for myself was the hand’s on working experience on the streets. Being able to work alongside Gus while having instant feedback through reviewing the images on the back of the camera allowed me to adjust on the spot and helped to push me into a new direction as we continued photographing.”  

- Charles, New York, NY

“The editing feedback and in-depth critique and discussion of my weekend’s photos was invaluable.”  

- Rob, Denver, CO

“Gus is an amazing teacher.  Walking around the city with him was really valuable.  He gave us many new ways to see our own work.”    

- Mark, New York, NY

“I came away with a very strong sense of what I need to do better, both in technique and in thinking about my work.  For me, that was the most valuable aspect of the whole experience.”  

- Bill, New Haven, CT

“It was the first workshop I have attended and I was a little concerned that it might not be that helpful to me progressing as a photographer. However, my experience was just the opposite. I found the workshop to be very helpful in demonstrating the value of editing and sequencing my work as an essential part of the process of creating more personal and unique images. Rather than repeating the easy, instant gratification photos that are so popular and generate many “Likes” on social media – Gus emphasized moving beyond the easy images to make pictures that are more nuanced, open to interpretation, and vision of the photographer as author.”  

- Tim, Boston, MA

In this workshop Gus Powell will explore the narrative and poetic qualities of photography and the photobook. He will discuss working within the tradition of street photography to make work that embraces both the universal and the ambiguous in equal measure.

The workshop will begin with a presentation of Powell’s work: the inspiration and creation of past projects, the books and their maquettes, his work for editorial and commercial clients, and his ongoing practice as a street photographer. It will continue with portfolio reviews and exercises shooting in the street. It will conclude with classroom editing exercises involving collaboration and the union of text, image, and design.

Topics Covered:

• Authorship & storytelling.

• Finding inspiration in unexpected histories and heroes.

• The comedy & tragedy of the human experience.

• “Sketching.”

• Making something out of nothing.

• Using language to elevate rather than explain.

• Embracing chance.

• Getting into trouble. Getting out of trouble and getting on with it.

Who should attend this program?
This workshop is intended for the intermediate or experienced photographer that 
is interested in street photography and moving towards the creation of a body of
 work. It is expected that participants are already comfortable with proper 
exposure and general camera use.

For more information and to register visit Leica Akademie

These two uniquely expressive and poetic practitioners of contemporary street photography will come together for a second time to agree and disagree about “taking” and “making” pictures, “hunting” and “gathering”, visual communication and poetic storytelling, and other topics as they conduct a three day workshop that will emphasize both shooting and editing.

This contrasting combination of instructors provides the rare opportunity to observe and learn from two very distinct photographers. Participants will be able to benefit from different approaches to making images, while at the same time, exploring and receiving feedback on ways to work in public spaces.  The workshop will begin with an initial presentation on Friday, followed by site specific work and shooting at diverse locations around the city on Saturday, and concluding on Sunday with a morning of shooting and an afternoon of critique.

For more information and to register visit Leica Akademie

In this Leica Akademie sponsored workshop, Gus Powell will explore the narrative and poetic potential of photography and the photobook. He will discuss making images that come out of a tradition of street photography, that are then used to make work and books that embrace both the universal and the ambiguous in equal measure.

The workshop will begin with a presentation of Powell’s work: the inspiration and creation of the projects, the books and their maquettes, his work for editorial and commercial clients, and his ongoing practice as a street photographer. It will continue with portfolio reviews and exercises shooting in the street. The weekend will conclude with classroom editing exercises involving collaboration and the union of text, image, and design.

Finding inspiration in unexpected histories and heroes, bringing out humor that lies at the bottom of the human experience, using language to elevate rather than explain an image, and getting into trouble: these are the virtues that Powell will examine both in the classroom and out on the street.

Limited to 12 Students.

For more information and to register visit Leica Akademie

Join the Leica Akademie in New York for a street photography workshop with Joseph Michael Lopez and Gus Powell on April 6th-8th.  These two uniquely expressive and poetic practitioners of contemporary street photography will come together to agree and disagree about “taking” and “making” pictures, “hunting” and “gathering”, visual communication and poetic storytelling, and other topics as they conduct a three day workshop that will emphasize both shooting and editing.

This contrasting combination of instructors provides the rare opportunity to observe and learn from two very distinct photographers. Participants will be able to benefit from different approaches to making images, while at the same time, exploring and receiving feedback on ways to work in public spaces.  The workshop will begin with an initial presentation on Friday, followed by site specific work and shooting at diverse locations around the city on Saturday, and concluding on Sunday with a morning of shooting and an afternoon of critique.

For more information and to register visit Leica Akademie

In conjunction with the publication of the trilingual second edition of THE LONELY ONES by Lazy Dog Press, there will be an exhibition of the work at the Ron Herman shop at Shibuyaku, Tokyo.

Books are available at the store.  Possible book signing and workshop events to follow.

iN-PUBLiC members Gus Powell of New York and Charalampos Kydonakis  (aka dirtyharrry) of Crete will come together on the sprint streets of NYC to agree and disagree about “taking” and “making” pictures, “hunting” and “gathering”, visual communication and poetic storytelling, and other topics as they conduct a workshop that will emphasize both shooting and editing.

Starting with an initial presentation and get together on Friday evening from 6-9pm, followed by class and shooting at diverse locations around the city on Saturday from 10am – 5pm, and concluding with shooting and a feedback/critique session on Sunday 10am – 5pm.

The course is open to intermediate and advanced photographers.  Maximum 18 persons.