Announcing: Storytellers Workshop on the Tibetan Plateau

The release of Storytellers has, for lack of better words, been incredibly exciting, and it’s receiving a warmer reception than I ever imagined. Thanks to all of you for the support and interest you’ve graciously expressed in what was a great project to pull together with the Peachpit/New Riders crew!

To continue the discussion on photographic storytelling, I’m equally excited to be announcing a workshop that complements the book, and it’s going to take place in Tibet! In June 2012, my good friend and colleague Brian Hirschy and I will lead the very first Storytellers Workshop, a cultural and storytelling intensive nine-day tour of the Tibetan Plateau. This workshop/tour is specifically focused on consciously engaging a culturally-rich place and its inhabitants in order to hone our skills and develop compelling imagery, all in the name of that oh so important globally unifying activity: Storytelling.

I’m extremely happy to announce this workshop in conjunction with the release of the new book, and we’re happy to have some great sponsors for the trip, including my publisher, Peachpit! In addition, the world’s best camera strap manufacturer and all-around cool company, Black Rapid (have you seen Black Rapid TV yet?), and outstanding tripod company, 3 Legged Thing, are on board, and in a big way! From what I’ve heard so far, we’ll be providing some great gear and swag to tour attendees, and I know we’re going to be having some giveaways coming up soon.

I’ll not belabor the announcement, because you can find much more information (overview, costs, cultural highlights, photographs of the area, etc.) on Plateau Photo Tours’ website. If you have any questions about the tour, please don’t hesitate to contact me or Brian directly or through the tour’s website.

Below is the overview of the tour and the location in which it will take place. A sign-up/registration form is live on PTT’s site now. I hope to meet a few of you on the plateau!

More to come!

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ABOUT THE LOCATIONS:
Covering an area the size of the state of Montana, the Amdo region of the Tibetan Plateau has everything a photographer could dream of: Beautiful, high altitude grasslands filled with grazing yaks, alpine forests and rivers, ancient Buddhist monasteries, rugged mountains and one of the world’s most fascinating cultures. Tibet is one of the few remaining places on earth that is relatively untouched by the modern world. Many nomads still live in yak wool tents like they did 1000 years ago. Amazing, once-in-a-lifetime photography opportunities will surround you each day as we explore the monastery towns of Rebkong, Labrang and Lhamo.

This 9 day workshop will take you 350 miles overland through the heart of Amdo, one of Tibet’s three traditional provinces. The culture in Amdo is some of the best preserved in all of Tibet. We will be exploring ancient monasteries, walking ancient religious circuits, photographing lush landscapes and spending plenty of time with local Tibetan communities.

Most of the teaching in this workshop will be done on the field in an organic fashion. We will have reviews and teachings most evenings to cover events from that day and to prepare for the next. You will also have opportunities to break away from the group and to wander around each destination to find your own adventures! The group size is limited to only 10. With 2 workshop instructors, there will be plenty of time for one-on-one instruction to really take your photography to the next level. We’ve built this workshop around flexibility, community, discussion, freedom and your ability to learn what you want from the instructors while also having the opportunity to photograph what you want.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
Cultural and travel photography involves much more than catching a flight to a faraway destination and simply taking the camera out of the bag. Instead, it begs us to immerse ourselves in and tell the story of a place, a people, and a way of life with those tools we bring to the table. Story is what the entire world revolves around, it is the substance upon which societies are built, and it is the gateway to exploring and consciously learning about others.

During this culturally compelling photography tour, we’ll have the opportunity to establish a storytelling foundation and build upon our abilities as photographers to create meaning-filled images that truly speak about and to others. Throughout the tour, we’ll touch on photographic issues such as compelling composition, image dynamics, constructing and shooting along visual themes, and the role light plays in conveying emotions and visual subtleties to the viewer, as well as cultural entrée and engagement topics that will help facilitate photographing in a new place and among new people. All of this will be developed from a storytelling perspective, as opposed to a simply snapshot position. We’ll also develop storytelling technical workflows and use them to create visual narratives of one of the most beautiful and culturally rich areas of the world.

The tour will be both intensely photographic and educational, the field will serve as our learning environment, and organic discussions and critique sessions will be held as a coming-together of visual minds most evenings. The goal of the tour (and the tour hosts) is to provide each participant as much freedom as possible in their photography while also offering professional and constructive guidance from a travel and cultural photography perspective.