Upcoming Events

A Voyage into Light: The process & craft of making photographs A four-day intensive workshop in Porto Heli & Spetses, Greece with William Abranowicz June 17-20, 2013 In collaboration with The Athens House of Photography, Blue Fig Art & Poseidonion Grand Hotel

Over four days we will be working in beautiful Porto Heli, Greece. In the Colossus of Marroussi, Henry Miller wrote of Greece, “Here the light penetrates directly to the soul, opens the doors and windows of the heart, makes one naked, exposed, isolated in a metaphysical bliss which makes everything clear without being known…” Our workshop begins by examining what we see and how to express that vision in the photographs we make. We will cover a wide range of topics beginning with a review of existing work. We will discuss the pre-visualization process and how to approach making images before pushing the shutter. We’ll examine what to pay attention to, what to skip over and how to dig deeper. The photographer Arnold Newman once said, “We don't take pictures with our cameras. We take them with our hearts and we take them with our minds, and the camera is nothing more than a tool.” Knowing how to use that tool without getting mired in the digital and technological mud is the first step to achieving photographs that are soulful, emotional and well crafted. We’ll discuss camera operations and basic equipment, light, composition and making the fine print. We will take many excursions through the town and its surrounding areas to make new images. We’ll work alone and with each other, and learn some rules in photography thoroughly so that we are more successful when we break them. We will reference the history of photography for inspiration. After photographing each day, we’ll review what we see and what we don’t see in our work. We’ll dabble in Photoshop and utilize it as a daylight darkroom. We will edit constantly with a meaningful, and beautifully presented portfolio of images being our goal. - W.A.

This region, which is reachable in three hours by land or sea, is part of the Saronic Islands and Argolida; famous for its Mycenean ruins, Epidavros, the world’s first theatre and Nafplio, Greece’s first capital city. This is an area that is also known for the very unique quality of light it has, as well as its beautiful beaches. The great advantage of working in such a naturally serene environment is that it induces reflection and allows for creative work. To conclude, the island of Spetses is the social hub of the area with its beautiful architecture, like the 99-year-old Poseidonion Grand Hotel for example, charming shops and bubbling nightlife. - Christine O. Smith, Blue Fig Art