English (UK)Jim Grover’s ‘An Introduction to Documentary Photography’ workshop was originally scheduled as a traditional weekend workshop in March, based in Leica’s Mayfair Akademie. But COVID-19 required a complete re-design of the workshop so that participants could join wherever they found themselves based.
The new workshop was spread over 5 weeks with various ‘Zoom’ sessions, so participants had more time to create their own photo-essays as part of the workshop. There were some unexpected benefits from using Zoom; we were able to welcome Teresa as a participant from Sintra in Portugal, and we were also able to record the sessions so that participants had a complete record of the workshop.
The workshop agenda was deliberately practical and directly actionable. We shared some alternative frameworks for creating photo-essays; we reviewed four photo-essays against these frameworks (including the now legendary ‘The Country Doctor’), we explored the critical value of tight editing and thoughtful sequencing, and also gave participants the opportunity to not only edit and sequence their own photo-essays but also their colleagues, highlighting how hard it is to edit one’s own work versus other photographers’ work.
The workshop was an enormous success for all of the participants. Discover their documentary photography achievements below.
“It was a huge privilege to spend time with such a talented, creative, mutually supportive, and diverse group of photographers. We had a lot of fun!” – Jim Grover.
We will be running the same workshop again in November. See here for more details and to book your spot.
Mark Heathcote
What is your project about?
I began photographing Brighton during lockdown and as restrictions eased. My project shows the transition of the streets and the people as rules began to relax, highlighting little details that mostly went unnoticed, including unused cars covered in bird poop, street art appearing in back streets, and the homeless begging for money when no-one was carrying cash.
How was your Leica Akademie Experience?
It was a shame we did not get to meet face to face, but it meant there was more time to develop our projects between sessions. Everyone was very open and collaborative. The instructor, Jim Grover, went above and beyond in the effort he put into this course.
What did you learn from the workshop?
The workshop was perfect timing for me. I had started the project already but needed help to formulate it into a well-constructed piece of work. The workshop has now given me the tools to develop my project to a conclusion and has taken me outside my comfort zone in ways that I needed for me to keep developing as a photographer.
Teresa Caetano
What is your project about?
In Cascais (Portugal) there is a promenade by the sea called the “Paredão” (Big Wall). It’s a narrow stone-paved 2.750km long strip, edged between the sea and the rocky shore like a border. People flock there all year round, locals or outsiders, for all sorts of reasons. My documentary project is all about this territory in the summertime, seen through the people who go there and what they do.
How was your Leica Akademie Experience?
This webinar was definitely an important qualitative step forward in my personal path in photography. My expectations were 100% fulfilled. The group was fantastic. The content, outcome intended, duration and schedule of the webinar were all very well balanced and perfectly manageable to fit around one’s normal schedule. The organisation and support were impeccable. I also appreciated some advantages of the remote format that I hadn’t thought of (besides the lower cost of not travelling), such as having all my gear, notes, books, etc. close at hand and doing the photoshoot at a location I could go back to whenever I needed, which gave my project continuity.
What did you learn from the workshop?
- A documentary is a lot more than a set of photos on the same subject, even if they are perfect ones;
- It is crucial to focus on what you want to say through your images and why it matters to you;
- Having a framework and a plan that allows enough time for each step really helps;
- When editing: two heads are better than one, and “less is more”.
Tony Crossland
What is your project about?
My project is about the work of an equine dentist.
How was your Leica Akademie experience?
It exceeded my expectations in a number of ways. I was looking for a course to further my photography and I wanted to go beyond just taking a single image, but to progress onto creating a more cohesive body of work. For no other reason, than to push myself outside my own photographic boundaries and keep me occupied during the COVID-19 restrictions, Jim Grover’s course did all that and more. Enlightening, informative, and entertaining, I do not think the experience was diminished in any way by having to be run the course online. All in all, it was a very pleasurable experience and one that I would recommend to anyone thinking of partaking in a Leica Akademie course as it has inspired me to do so much more with my photography.
What did you learn from the workshop?
I learnt how to go about creating a meaningful, documentary, photographic essay. From concept, planning, execution and editing (the most difficult part!), and finally compilation and presentation.
Yavuz Yilmaz
What is your project about?
My project’s title is “New Build: Making of a community”. It’s about residential housing developments and its ongoing effects on the rural areas of Britain.
How was your Leica Akademie experience?
I was already looking for a course in documentary photography as I wanted to learn different methods of creating projects and telling stories with photography. I signed up for the workshop as soon as I heard about it.
I’m used to using online meeting platforms because of my daily work and it always feels a little strange in comparison to face-to-face meetings. However, Jim’s workshop turned out to be one of the good things that came out of lockdown. It was very engaging, and Jim went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. The projects, books and essays that we viewed and discussed felt perfectly relevant. For each session, we had sufficient time for all participants to talk too! Jim even gave me an additional one-to-one, which really helped me a lot and I found this to be incredibly generous. The only downside is that I am already missing our weekend conversations with Jim, Robin, Teresa, Mark and Tony!
What did you learn from the workshop?
Sequencing photos and creating a cohesive story and different frameworks used by magazines and photographers. It was also a great opportunity to peek into other photographers’ way of thinking and to listen to their feedback on my work. Enlightening!
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