Course Description

The Streets of Prague will offer an extraordinary opportunity to discover and photograph one of the world’s most beautiful, romantic, interesting, and visually inspiring cities, and also the chance to be exposed to the tremendous legacy of many of the great Czech photographers and exciting trends in modern day Czech photography. Prague in the early fall is a dream-with amazing beautiful romantic light and a time when the city is full of texture and authentic atmosphere.

The workshop will be taught and led by Peter Turnley, a world-renowned photographer, and highly esteemed workshop teacher. Turnley has lived in Europe-Paris, for a quarter century, and has spent much time working and teaching in Prague. He has traveled to Prague to photograph for many years and covered the “Velvet Revolution” in Prague in 1989. He has returned many times since then, and has taught workshops in Prague now several times. He is friends with many of the most important Czech photographers today, and has long been fascinated and inspired by the amazing visual traditions of such photographers as Josef Sudek, Josef Koudelka, Jan Saudek, Martina Luscacova of Czechoslovakia.

The workshop will begin in Prague, on Sunday, Oct. 2, and will end on Saturday Oct. 8. This will be an all-digital workshop. Students will spend many hours a day walking and photographing in the streets of Prague. Each day several hours will be devoted to the workshop gathering to learn about the traditions of Czech photography, learning a camera technique most effective for spontaneous street photographs, and discuss tips and approaches to help students overcome any timidity regarding photographing people. Starting on Tuesday, Peter Turnley will review students’ daily work each day. There will be lectures by Turnley, and students will hear and see presentations by a few of the most famous Czech photographers living today and will also visit a few photographic galleries and museums.

Students will spend approx. 3-4 hours each day in class with lectures, presentations, photo critiques of student’s daily work, and discussion with Peter Turnley, and other members of Prague’s photographic community. At least half of each day students will spend walking the streets of Prague, with the aim of creating a photo essay based around a particular visual theme of their choosing. Peter will work with students in their choice of theme-and it is not necessary to know ahead of time what the students’ theme will be. The theme may be very focused and precise, or very broad, such as “Impressions of Prague”. Peter Turnley encourages a very warm and helpful spirit among the students in his workshops-there is no sense of competition-students are encouraged to take risks to make interesting photographs, and Peter conceives of this experience as a gift the student is offering themselves of a week photographing a truly unique city.

Prague is full of scenes that are incredibly rich in visual interest and will offer the opportunity for stunning photographs of local reality. As this is a workshop with a focus on street photography and photographing the life and reality of an incredible city at a dramatic time, students will be expected to photograph mostly independently or in small groups. Peter will help the students be aware of all of the amazing visual opportunities to witness and explore each day. 

Workshop meetings will take place each day at Peter’s rental loft in central Prague, just next to Prague’s Old City, where each day Peter will discuss various insights into technique, intent, composition, and the creative use of the camera and lens in a warm, relaxed atmosphere. He will review and critique each student’s portfolio, and works-in-process, discuss careers, getting published and offer each student an idea of how far along they are and how they can become even better photographers/visual communicators. Most importantly, he will help each student revel in the joy and wonderment of observation and seeing.

Students will focus on how to use documentary photography as a tool for visual storytelling and illuminating the intimate moments of everyday reality. Students will be encouraged to photograph both the ordinary and extraordinary scenes of daily life and to not shy away from the challenge of photographing people. With Peter's guidance and support, a student will learn to overcome any hesitations and timidity that is limiting their work. 

Turnley is a master at photographing people and has vast experience in helping students relax and find a sense of purpose in the process of photographing people and daily life. He is a disciple of Henri-Cartier-Bresson, and passionately encourages his students to hone their attention to the “decisive moments” everyday life. Students will create a final 15-image photo story/essay from their week of shooting in Prague. Peter Turnley will help the students refine not only their photography, but gain a greater sense of creating a narrative with images, and how to conceptualize images into dynamic storytelling. Turnley will help you find the threads of commonality in your images that contribute to each person’s individual vision. This will be a tremendous opportunity to create a personal portfolio/body of work about one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

Companions

This is an ideal workshop to bring along a spouse, son or daughter or partner. Non-photographic companions may join the group sessions and meals but are not involved in the critique or review sessions. Companion supplement is $150.

Hotels

Peter rents an apartment in central Prague right next to the Old City, where workshop meetings will be held. Students are welcome to stay anywhere in Prague, but it is recommended that you choose from the wide range of hotels that are located near the Old City. The area of the Old City where Peter’s apartment will be is not very big, and all hotels located in that vicinity will be within walking distance of Peter’s apartment. Before the workshop begins, we will send you information regarding the exact address of Peter’s apt, but please look for hotels near the Old City. Students are however advised to make hotel reservations well in advance of the Workshop. There are also to be found on the web, many opportunities to rent apartments in Prague for one week or more.

Arrival

Plan to arrive on Saturday, Oct. 1, or latest by noon on Sunday, Oct. 2nd. The first workshop session will begin at 2pm on Sunday, Oct. 2nd. Flights from the States are often in the evenings, which mean you could fly Friday evening, and arrive in Prague on Oct. 1 and give yourself an evening to get acclimated before the workshop begins on Sunday.

Departures

The workshop ends at noon, Oct.8th, with a final show of the students’ final 15 image photo stories made during the week. Students are free to leave on Saturday afternoon, which would enable those needing to get back to the States to work on Monday the time to do so. Those wishing to stay in the region longer are free to continue their trip afternoon on Saturday.

Technology

This workshop is conducted using digital cameras. If you wish to shoot film, you may do so, but we suggest you bring it home for processing, so for critiques, you will have to be using a digital camera. Students are encouraged to use a 35 mm digital camera. You will need to know how to download your digital images each evening to a folder so that your days work can be brought to class the next day on either a flash drive, external hard drive, or disc, for review each day with Peter Turnley.

What to Bring

Besides your SLR digital cameras, students are asked to bring along a body of past work to share, 20-30 images. Student portfolios will be shared at the end of the workshop. They can be a printed portfolio, or brought as a folder on a flash drive. The workshop will have an LCD projector and there will be a final show of all of the students work during the final session.

Camera Gear

A digital SLR camera is required. Students may work with a high end point and shoot camera such as a Canon G10. Two bodies are recommended, with a minimum of at least one wide-angle lens, such as a 17-35mm zoom, or 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, or 50mm lens. In order to shoot comfortably in low light situations, it will be preferable that students have a wide-angle lens that is relatively fast and has a wide aperture such as 1.4., 1.8. 2 or 2.8. Bring several memory cards (at least 1 gigabyte cards are recommended), extra batteries and necessary battery chargers. A laptop should have image management software, such as Apple’s Aperture, Adobe’s Light Room or, as Peter suggests, PhotoMechanic, which can be downloaded, free, on a trial basis from CameraBits.com A back-up system for storing each day’s work is also required. This can be your laptop, a portable external hard drive storage device, flash drive, or discs. Additionally, you will need means of downloading your daily selection of edited images in a folder to Peter for review; flash drives are the most practical, but you can also use an external hard drive, or DVD.

Research and Preparation

Research and preparation are important parts of any endeavor, particularly adventures. There are many very thorough guidebooks about Prague and extensive information about Prague to be found on the Internet.

Meals

The first and last meals are included in the cost of the workshop. You will be a guest of the workshop for a group opening dinner on Sunday night, and a final dinner on Friday night. Aside from the two group meals, breakfasts, lunches and dinners are independent but students are encouraged to join each other in local restaurants and cafes. Past students usually have spent around $50 a day on meals.