Stories told through photographs can come from a place of joy or pain, and they may be truthful or fictitious; the only essential factor is that they be intensely felt by their maker. The challenge is to avoid the universal and cliché and discover the specific and the personal. 

This workshop is about manifesting personal stories through the powerful medium of photography. Using metaphor and symbolism, participants photograph across many genres, the found and the constructed, the landscape, the still life, the portrait, and the self-portrait, in order to visually articulate their narratives.

The workshop is set in the wild landscape of North Norway, and participants experience the magical influence of the midnight sun. The landscape and the never ending sunlight will inspire people in many different ways, and will contribute to the experience of the workshop, and make each participant’s journey in discovering their personal voice a profound one.

There are daily discussions, written exercises, and reviews of work in progress, as well as individual assignments designed to help participants hone their abilities to recognize and capture emotional content and create memorable images. The class reviews work by other artists working from personal experience. Cig meets individually with each student to discuss how to push his/her work farther and avoid repetition.

DESTINATION: Norway and the Lofoten Island: Skrova

Skrova is a small idyllic village in the northern part of Norway, with a population of 220 permanent residents of four nationalities, a kindergarten, and a primary and secondary school. It’s close-knit social life revolves around a residents association, youth club and music corps. NORDphotography is collaborating with a local workshop center, The Photo-dock, for this workshop. The center will be our host and in charge of the accommodations, and the meals, which will be served in the only restaurant on the island. Skrova is a typical North Norwegian village, where everyone knows one another, and where visitors are guests of the entire island.

The Lofoten Islands are characterized by their mountains and peaks, sheltered inlets, stretches of seashore and large virgin areas. Skrova is a small and special island well known in photo circles in Norway as the place to come when in need of inspiration. Because this is above the Artic Circle, participants experience the midnight sun, and the phenomena of 24 hours of sunlight, every day. On top of that the light is magnificent and the nature is sure to inspire any creative soul.

Accommodations:
The accommodations are all in local houses, where several bedrooms share common areas such as the kitchen, bathroom, and living room. Bed linens, towels and room cleaning are all included in the accommodation fee. Accommodation cost comes in addition to the workshop fee, and is paid on arrival.

Price pr person in a double room:
NOK 550,- pr day. (about 96 Dollar with today’s exchange rate)

Single room rates:       
NOK 750,- pr day. (about 130 Dollar with today’s exchange rate)

Price for full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner):  
NOK 450,- pr person pr. day. (about 78 Dollar with today’s exchange rate)

The Photo-dock has a fully equipped, although small, darkroom (fits 3 people at a time). A Nikon negative scanner for formats up to 120, and internet connections. And a digital printing lab, where we get to print our images for a final show. Students may print during the week, however there is an extra charge for usage of paper and ink. A  studio is available with all the necessary equipment.

Travel:
Participants travel to arrive at BODØ airport, which is situated in North Norway  (the spelling on international search engine for this location is BODO). Most international flights will land in Oslo, and  then there is a change to a domestic flight from there. Flying directly from NYC to Oslo, to Bodø, the total travel time is approximately 11 hours, with one change of flights.

From Bodø there are two options:

1. Take a taxi from the airport to the express boat terminal, and board the express boat to Svolvœr who leaves every day at 5:17 PM. The second to last stop on the express boat is the final destination: the Photo Dock in Skrova. The boat trip is about 3 hours.

2. Take a domestic flight from Bodø to Svolvœr (spelled Svolvaer on international search engines), take a taxi to the ferry terminal in Svolvœr, and take the regular ferry to Skrova. The plane takes about 30 minutes, and the ferry about 25 minutes.

It is recommended that visitors take the express boat from Bodø to view some of the most magnificent sceneries you could find in Norway.

For help or suggestions in making travel plans please feel free to contact NORDphotography’s workshop representative at post@nordphotography.com

Arrival:
Plan to arrive in Skrova on May 26TH. The express boat from Bodø docs at the final destination around 8:30 PM. The workshop will begins on the morning of May 27th. 

Departure:
The workshop ends with a spectacular final show on the evening of May 31st. Students depart the morning of June 1st. The express boat leaves at 6:30 AM, arriving in Bodø at 10:00 AM.
Those wishing to stay in the region longer are free to continue their trip. For traveling tips we suggest: www.visitnorway.com

After signing up for the workshop we ask that you wait to book the ticket to Norway until we have confirmed that the minimum number is reach.

We recommend everyone who travels to get travel insurance.