VISUAL STORYTELLING: ORIGINAL MASTERCLASS WITH YURI KOZYREV
In village Shenako, Tusheti, Georgia
Saturday July 22 to Thursday, July 28 2017
NOOR & Tbilisi Photo Festival are excited to invite you for Original Masterclass in the remote village of Shenako, 2000 meters high in the Greater Caucasus mountain range. This awe-inspiring hamlet of shepherds and horsemen was chosen for its breathtaking landscape and its photographic legacy in the name of Shalva Alkhanaidze, whose brilliant mid-20th century images of Tushetian life reveal a world of raw passion and somber frankness.
The Masterclass aims both to help photographers develop a personal photographic language and to discover Georgia by exploring one of its most enchanting regions.
During these six days, Yuri will collaborate closely with each photographer on developing and refining their individual photographic stories. He will also share with participants his professional expertise and discuss the ethics of “getting close”. The workshop will include theoretical discussions, portfolio reviews and practical shooting assignments, making this workshop a fascinating learning experience.
At this Masterclass, Yuri will also present his stories produced for the world’s leading publications. He will focus on editing and image sequencing and discuss how to get into places, how not to run after spot news and tell the story that is unseen. He will also explain how to approach personal stories and stay human to the subjects of your story.
THE TBILISI PHOTO FESTIVAL
The Tbilisi Photo Festival was launched in 2010, in partnership with Les Rencontres d’Arles. It is the first annual international photography festival in the Caucasus and has proven to be not only the most respected festival of photography in the region but one of the most highly esteemed cultural events in the Caucasus.
TBILISI PHOTO FESTIVAL Masterclasses takes pride in ensuring that participants are completely taken care of from the moment of their arrival until the time of departure. This year, Tbilisi Photo Festival has partnered with AtlasGlobal Airlines, who will provide all participants a 30 percent discount on flights from every European city to Tbilisi.
The philosophy of these Masterclasses is to combine a friendly atmosphere in a country where people are famous for their hospitality with hard-working sessions to give shape to one’s inner eye. Developing photographic language requires being engaged on the ground and understanding how crucial editing is to creating a coherent series.
Participants will be driven up to an elevation of 2000 meters along a breathtaking road through the Tusheti National Park to Shenako, where they will be lodged at a family-run guest house. Days will be spent exploring ancient villages made of slate, stone and wood with respect to local customs and traditions (a mix of Christian and pre-Christian paganism). In these protected areas settlements cling impossibly to the sides of mountains while the people are true mountaineers who have been forging their lives in tune with the rugged natural environment for generations. Participants will be flown out of Shenako by helicopter, weather permitting.
WHO CAN JOIN THIS WORKSHOP?
Anyone who has a passion for the still image: professional and amateur photographers, artists and students of photography and art.
We believe that every individual has the capacity to build their own visual language when passion for the imageco-exist with the proper guidance.
FINAL PRESENTATION
Each participant will prepare a slideshow from the final selection of their work, with the assistance of their instructors. These slideshows will be publicly projected on the last evening of the Masterclass on a wide screen. For Shenako’s residents, it will be the first ever public photography screening in the village and a unique opportunity to see firsthand their guest’s perceptions of their remarkable world.
WHAT TO BRING
A portfolio of approx. 30 images, including few photographic stories and singles
- Your digital camera, one lens only & its accessories (extra batteries, memory cards, cable for image transfer to a computer, USB key, external hard disk, etc).
- A notebook or recording device to facilitate note-taking during the Masterclass.
- Your personal computer, if possible.
- Clothing suitable for the mountains, including appropriate footwear. Remember, night time can get quite chilly.
SPOKEN LANGUAGES
English, Russian, Georgian
MORE INFORMATION
Contact Elina Valaité, Masterclass coordinator (she speaks English, Russian and Georgian).
email: masterclass@tbilisiphotofestival.com
ACCOMMODATION
In Tbilisi, participants will stay at a modern, comfortable and secure hostel conveniently located in the center of the city. Fabrika is an old Soviet sewing factory that has been repurposed into a fabulously modern hostel and cool urban space in an old Tbilisi neighborhood.
http://fabrikatbilisi.com/hostel/
In Shenako, participants will stay at a rustic family-run guesthouse.
PRICE
The cost of the 6 days of masterclass is € 950 euro
The accomodation ready package price is € 600, including:
- Transfers from and to Airport in Tbilisi
- Accommodation in Tbilisi and Shenko
- Trips by car during the masterclass in Shenako
- 3 meals per day during the stay in Georgia
- Travel from Tbilisi to Shenko by car and from Shenako to Tbilisi by helicopter
The number of participants is limited to 8.
The participants that will register before May 15th , will get the special 10% discount on the price of the masterclass.
MORE INFORMATION
Contact Elina Valaité, Masterclass coordinator (she speaks English, Russian and Georgian).