Namibia

Otherworldly, Namibia is filled with two immense deserts flanked by the Atlantic Ocean. It's a place of stark contrasts and changing light sheltered by a seemingly infinite sky. The air is crystal clear; by day it's impossibly blue, at night it's thick with unfamiliar constellations. In Namibia you feel as if every breath might never stop. Amazingly, in this harsh environment, there's plenty of wildlife and nomadic tribesmen. In this workshop, we'll enjoy encountering them, but our primary focus will be the landscape. You've never seen desert like this, filled with every conceivable color of sand and type of dune. On the south coast we'll find dunes slowly reclaiming the old mining town of Kolmanskop. Inland, we'll climb through some of the most famous dunes in the world, the 750 foot high coral dunes of Sossusvlei. Along the coast we'll explore dunes surrounding clay canyons, vast salt pans, and crashing surf - frequently shrouded in mysterious fog. In this workshop we'll learn much more than technique, we'll learn how composition, style, and storytelling can be used in concert with one another to clarify, strengthen, and effectively communicate our own unique authentic voices. You'll get lots of guidance on site and reviews of your work offsite. Get ready for a non-stop week of making images in a breathtakingly beautiful landscape.

Reserve your space today! Contact Eyes on Africa.

Only 11 spaces available.

Three Destinations

Kolmanskop

house with sand

Sossusvlei

dunes with trees

dunes

Skeleton Coast

skelton coast 569

skeleton coast

Itinerary

20-21 September 2010; (1 night)

Windhoek, Namibia - Kalahari Sands Hotel
21-23 September 2010; (2 nights)

Lüderitz, Namibia - Nest Hotel
Find out more about Luderitz on Wikipedia.

23-25 September 2010; (2 nights)
Namib Rand Nature Reserve and Sossusvlei, Namibia - Kulala Desert Lodge
Find out more about Sossusvlei on Wikipedia.

25-29 September 2010; (4 nights)
Skeleton Coast Park, Namibia - Skeleton Coast Camp
Find out more about Skeleton Coast on Wikipedia.

29 September 2010; (1 night)
Windhoek, Namibia - Kalahari Sands Hotel

See a detailed day by day itinerary with accommodation information here.

Andy Biggs first introduced me to Namibia and Eyes on Africa in 2009. They're both excellent!

Find out more about Andy Bigg's here.

dunes and sky

dunes

Discovery

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. - Marcel Proust

Get more Creativity quotes on Twitter.

"I learned more about how to move my photography forward in 5 days at JPs workshop than I learned in the previous 5 years." Kieron Monahan

"... in 4 days you turned me into an artist ... I've gone from being a writer with a photography hobby to a photographer with a writing hobby." Sam Kirsch

It's a R/Evolution

Think Different, Shoot Different

We're living through a R/Evolution. There's been more change in photography in the last 10 years than in its entire history. Today the possibilities for photographic image-making appear limitless. You can make photographs in new ways and energize your creative process. Put it all together and gain the perspective you need to gain maximum benefit from these recent advances in this digital photography workshop.

Free Yourself

Break the Rules, Break Your Rules

Free yourself. List all of the rules of photography. And break them - systematically. If you do this, you’ll develop a better understanding of the medium. Then, list all of your rules of photography. And break them - systematically. You’ll find either confirmation that what you’re doing is right for you or you’ll make new breakthroughs.
Start breaking the rules now! Read my PDF Breaking the Rules here.
Awareness brings choice. More choices leads to better choices. Better choices leads to better results.

Be Versatile

Try New Things, Learn New Skills

Learn new digital imaging skills - merges, hdr merges, painting with light, panoramic stitches, extending depth of field, creative focus effects, and more.
Learn new ways of interacting with your subject - select the scene from an unfolding event, set the stage for an impending drama, or create a new drama.
Learn to see in new ways - previsualize, postvisualize, or visualize.
Learn to see your work in new ways - valuable editing skills will help you find your best work and organize it to create a roadmap for successful presentation and identifying your next steps.

Start learning now! Read my free PDFs on Creativity.

Use All of You

Use Skills You Already Have in New Ways

Everyone is creative. And everyone can learn to be even more creative. You can write. You can draw. You can move. You may not think you can. You may be comparing yourself to professional writers, painters, and dancers/actors. But, you can do all of these things. You'll experience powerful results when you put them all together. Did you know you already possess all of these skills and they can be used to energize your creative process and help you find your unique vision? Find out how in this digital photography workshop.

Tell Your Story

Uncover Your Authentic Voice

This week is about uncovering and empowering your authentic voice. You're unique. This time in the world is unique. These things have never happened before. So, to make unique work, all you have to do is tell your story. No one knows what that story is until you discover it. There are many kinds of stories and lots of ways to tell them. You'll find an optimum balance for you. You can do this guided by a master in a supportive community of like-minded but diverse creative people. It will be a complete immersion for everyone. The most important thing to bring is an open mind.

Find many ways to tell your story now! Read my free PDF Artist's Statements.

Connect

Become a Part of a Community

When you take a workshop you become a part of a community. You discover how much you have to learn from others - and how important that is. You also discover how much you have to give to others - and how good that feels. You can stay in touch with people who have similar shared experiences and interests on Flickr, Facebook, and my Alumni blog.

You're Different

Every Workshop is Different

Reviews of your work begin the week, are conducted throughout, and conclude the week.

Daily readings, discussions, demonstrations, and assignments will inspire and guide your individual explorations.

Specific curricula are customized for individuals.

See work from workshop participants on my blog. Your work could be featured there too!

Workshop Requirements

An open mind, and curiosity are the primary requirements for this week.

Participants need a digital camera, portable computer, and Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.

A basic comfort level with Photoshop or Lightroom is required.

More advanced photography and digital imaging software skills are a plus.

The more you bring to the event, the more you'll take away.