The Streets of Barcelona Workshop takes students into the vibrant, colorful city of Barcelona. The streets of Barcelona are a visual delight. A capital of art and design of Picasso and Miro and Gaudi, Barcelona is abounding with cutting edge buildings, palm-line boulevards, and elegant bohemian quarters.  There is a vibrance of life energy in Barcelona that makes it one of Europe’s most exciting cities. The cultural epicenter of Spain’s Catalonia region, denizens of Barcelona are known as some of the most hospitable and historically proud people in all of Europe.  From wandering along the architecturally famous Las Rambias and the winding alleys of old town Barcelona to strolling along the city’s beaches, markets, and electric nightlife, Barcelona’s unmatched energy and electric street life inspires and captivates photographers of every stripe.

The workshop is taught and led by Peter Turnley, one of the pre-imminent visual communicators and world-traveling photographers of our time. He is also a tremendous teacher and has vast experience teaching overseas workshops. The workshop focuses on street photography, and students learn to use the camera to explore and interpret this visually stunning city, enchanting city.

 
Students spend approximately 3 1/2 hours each day in class with lectures, presentations, photo critiques of the daily work, or in discussions with Peter and other members of Spain’s photographic community. Students spend the rest of each day photographing street life around Barcelona, with the aim of creating a photo essay based around a particular visual theme of their choosing. The theme can be as broad as “My Impressions of Barcelona”, or as defined as the individual student chooses. Peter will work with students in their choice of theme, which can be determined ahead of time or devised within the week.

Workshop meetings take place each day at Peter’s rented loft space in central Barcelona, where  Peter discusses various insights into technique, intent, composition, and the creative use of the camera and lens in a warm, relaxed atmosphere. He  reviews and critiques each student’s portfolio and works-in-process, discusses careers, getting published and offers each student an idea of how far along they are and how they can become even better photographers/visual communicators. Most importantly, he helps each student revel in the joy and wonderment of observation and seeing. Students focus on how to use documentary photography as a tool for visual storytelling and illuminating the intimate moments of everyday reality. Students are encouraged to photograph both the ordinary and extraordinary scenes of daily life and to not shy away from the challenge of photographing people. With Peter's guidance and support, students learn to overcome any hesitations and timidity that is limiting their work.

Turnley is a master at photographing people and has vast experience in helping students relax and find a sense of purpose in the process of photographing people and daily life. He is a disciple of Henri-Cartier-Bresson, and passionately encourages his students to hone their attention to the “decisive moments” everyday life. Students will create a final 15-image photo story/essay from their week of shooting. Peter helps the students refine not only their photography, but gain a greater sense of creating a narrative with images, and how to conceptualize images into dynamic storytelling. He also helps find the threads of commonality in the images that contribute to each person’s individual vision.

 The Streets of Barcelona Workshop offers a student an unforgettable opportunity to experience the unending surprises of Barcelona, an ideal setting to learn and begin to master the art of street photography.

COMPANIONS
This is an ideal workshop to bring along a spouse, son or daughter or partner. Non-photographic companions may join the group sessions and meals but are not involved in the critique or review sessions. Companion supplement is $150.

HOTELS
Peter will be renting a loft space in central Barcelona, where classes will be held each day and is easily accessible by foot from most hotels in the city center. Students may choose to stay anywhere in Barcelona, which has an excellent transportation system.  The list below spans a range of prices and amenities, from bed and breakfasts to designer boutique hotels. 
The following hotels are just a few suggestions amongst the numerous accommodation options throughout Barcelona.  Students can stay wherever they choose, whether choosing to walk or use the city’s excellent high-speed subway and tram service
Students are advised to book in advance to secure the best rates.

Hotel Villa Emilia, Calábria 115-117, +34 93 2525285
http://www.hotelvillaemilia.com/

987 Barcelona Hotel, Mallorca, 288, +34 934 763 396
http://www.987hotels.com/987-barcelona-hotel/

Granados 83 Hotel, Enric Granados 83, Barcelona 08008, +34 902 244 246
http://www.derbyhotels.com/en/hotel-granados-83/the-hotel/?gclid=CMC7hZSyuKkCFadd5QodYyIw-g

Hotel Omm, Rosselló 265,  +34 93 445 40 00
http://www.hotelomm.es/

B-Hotel, Gran Via, 389,  +34 93 552 95 00
http://www.hotels.com/ho228848/b-hotel-barcelona-spain/?gclid=CP2SrvCyuKkCFcTd4AodfFad_w#description
Hostal Residencia Australia, Ronda de la Universitat 11   +34 93 317 41 77

TRAVEL

Students have a variety of options to reach Barcelona. Numerous direct flights connect major U.S. cities to Barcelona International Airport. Many national and low-cost airlines also fly to Barcelona from most European capitals. The airport is less than 10 km away from the city center, accessible by taxi, bus, or train.

ARRIVAL

Plan to arrive by Saturday,, or at the latest by Sunday morning, The first workshop session will begin at 2pm on Sunday. Flights from the States are often in the evenings, which means that you could fly Friday evening and arrive Saturday morning to give yourself an evening to get acclimated before the workshop begins on Sunday.

DEPARTURES

The workshop ends at noon, Saturday,, with a show of the students’ final 15-image photo stories made during the week. Students are free to leave on Saturday afternoon, which would enable those needing to get back to the States to work on Monday the time to do so. Those wishing to stay in the region longer are free to continue their trip Saturday afternoon.

TECHNOLOGY

This is a digital workshop- conducted using only digital cameras. If you wish to shoot film, you may so do, but we suggest you bring it home for processing, so for critiques, you will need a digital camera. You will need to know how to download your images each evening to a folder so that your days work can be brought to class the next day on a flash drive, external hard drive, or disc, for review each day with Peter Turnley. From the outset, students will be asked to choose whether to work in color or in black and white, and they will be encouraged to stick to their color throughout the workshop.

WHAT TO BRING

Besides a digital SLR camera, students are asked to bring along a body of creative work to share, it can be a printed portfolio, a digital card of images, or any sort of visual set of work.  The workshop will have an LCD projector and there will be a final show of all of the students work during the final session.

CAMERA GEAR

 

A digital SLR camera is required. Although, students may work with a high end point and shoot camera such as a Canon G10. Two bodies are recommended, with a minimum of at least one wide-angle lens, such as a 17-35mm zoom, or 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, or 50mm lens. In order to shoot comfortably in low light situations, it will be preferable that students have a wide-angle lens that is relatively fast and has a wide aperture such as 1.4., 1.8. 2 or 2.8. Bring several memory cards (at least 1 gigabyte cards are recommended), extra batteries and necessary battery chargers. A laptop should have image management software, such as Apple’s Aperture, Adobe’s Light Room or, as Peter suggests, PhotoMechanic, which can be downloaded, free, on a trial basis from CameraBits.com
A back-up system for storing each day’s work is also required. This can be your laptop, a portable external hard drive storage device, flash drive, or discs. Additionally, you will need means of transmitting your daily selection of edited images in a folder to Peter for review; flash drives are the most practical, but you can also use an external hard drive, or DVD.

 

RESEARCH AND PREPARATION

Research and preparation are important parts of any endeavor, particularly adventures. There are many very thorough guidebooks about Seville, Spain, and extensive information about Seville, Spain to be found on the Internet.

MEALS

You will be a guest of the workshop for a group dinner on Monday night, and a final dinner on Friday night. Aside from the two group meals, breakfasts, lunches and dinners are independent but students are encouraged to join each other in local restaurants and cafes. Past students usually have spent 40-60 dollars per day on meals.

You can see a wide array of testimonials by students that have taken Peter Turnley workshops as well as student galleries from previous workshops here:
http://www.peterturnley.com/testimonials.html
http://www.peterturnley.com/students.html

Turnley has published 5 books of his work:
Parisians
McClellan Street
In Times of War and Peace
Beijing Spring
Moments of Revolution