The Ultimate Experience - Salvador - Brazil

Just a few months ago upon completing my second Salvador de Bahia workshop, I wrote these words as part of my intro the group Tira a Foto Tia: “My eyes fill up with joy when I see my beloved driver Israel at the airport. His smiling face puts me immediately in the right mood. This year, I can finally talk properly to him and understand what he says. As my Portuguese keeps getting better so does my devotion to this incredible city. Being back to Salvador is the equivalent of being in Havana in the early 90’s… Brazil, Brazil, I’m so happy to have found you. You, your people, your sea, your beaches, your sun, your culture feed my soul. I simply can’t wait to return.”

BazanPhotos has the pleasure to announce the launching of a second workshop in Salvador de Bahia in December of 2008.

Besides the diverse and amazing subjects that my students and I have been photographing in the first two years around here, in this course we will have the very special opportunity to take pictures of the celebrations for Santa Barbara - Iansà, one of the most respected Candomblè deities. Santa Barbara is syncretized with this Yoruban goddess, and the festa (in typical Bahian fashion) combines elements of Catholicism and the Afro Brazilian religion.
Apart from the morning masses, manifestations of Candomblé are more in evidence: the wearing of red & white (Iansã's colors), the constant shout from one friend to another of the greeting used to greet the goddess: "Epa hei!"

One of the most fascinating aspects of being in Salvador around this time is the possibility to see the true spirit of the Salvadorians: buoyant, resilient, and appreciative. Among the various traits, which form the general ethos of Bahia, these three could be said to run wide and deep.
The celebrations will take place in and around the church of Rosario dos Pretos in the colonial district of Pelourinho. We will be able to photograph the mass, various processions and the usual genuine parties that Salvadorians are famous for. During this feast, the buoyancy of the common people bubbles to the surface while the vicissitudes of life are temporarily cast off.

As some of you already know, Salvador is a splendid mixture of cultures and architectural styles. Its pervasive African influence provides unique atmospheres for picture taking.

In the other days of the workshop, we will wonder in search of significant moments in all the different parts of this lively city that I’ve learnt to know and appreciate. Pelourinho, Barra, Carmo are among the neighborhoods that we will explore. I’ll take you to photograph inside a favella where one of the most incredible teachers of Capoeira teaches kids from his own neighborhood this noble martial art to keep them off the street. We will also photograph on the lively beaches that flank Salvador. We will also take a one-day trip to visit a small fishing village during the return of the fishermen with their daily catch on wooden sailboats.

It will be a fabulous adventure into this very special culture. We will have our film processed on a daily base to be able to edit each student’s images. I will spend quality time with each one you both during the critique sessions and on our daily photographic outings. I'll also carefully review all your portfolios the very first day of the workshop.

As in all the other workshops I teach, my ultimate goal is to help each participant to create an appealing body of work with personal strong individual images. Each student will be encouraged to develop his or her own photographic language and to search for the invisible thread that ties his or her images together. I’ll help you to improve your ability to see and create new photographs, to discover your hidden potential. It will definitely be a valuable educational experience where you will develop the skills to look at your own work more critically, to appreciate and discuss yours and other people’s work by learning a new visual vocabulary. Our final objective is to produce a series of revealing; lasting images that will display a sense of the place, of its people and traditions. You will return home with a new commitment to your work and your creativity.

I'll simply add that it will be another great learning experience where we'll share both photography and life.

Not to be missed!, Especially by my loyal students who are always very eager to follow me everywhere I create a new workshop.

Please remember to arrive to Salvador at least a day before the workshop starts to get some rest and help the jet lag disappears. All my courses are open to both analogical and digital photographers. If you are shooting digital, just make sure to bring your own laptop to view and edit all your images on a daily basis.

Our first meeting will take place the day before the workshop begins in the hall of the hotel in Salvador where we will be staying If you wish, I can make a reservation for this additional night for you.

The next morning after having breakfast, I’ll start showing you around town.

Each morning, ( in small groups) we’ll go out shooting on the streets of this fascinating town. I’ll take you to the amazing waterfront district of Belen. Besides its spectacular floating markets, I’ll take you to meet some of the locals. We might have the opportunity to get into people’s houses and delve more into their life.

Refund Policy
I rely on your attendance to organize many of the workshops’ logistics, so if for any reason you decide to no longer attend the workshop, please notify me at least 60 days before the start of the workshop. At that time I will refund your full deposit. If you cancel between 30 and 60 days before the start of the workshop I will retain $200 as a cancellation fee. If notification is made less than 30 days before the start of the workshop no monies will be refunded to you.

Please note that in case of exceptional and unforeseeable circumstances such as hurricanes, earthquakes, major floods, tsunami, a war or governments' change of policies in the countries I teach courses, BazanPhotos will only offer as a refund a new workshop in any of the other venues where workshops are taught during that same calendar year. No other forms of refunds will be available.


For further information on the workshops and the cost of the 10-day workshop please write to workshops@bazanphotos.com or ernesto_bazan@hotmail.com

Ernesto Bazan