ISTANBUL Sultanamet, Bosphorus Villages, Galata, Fener, Balat, Karakoy, Gulhane

Istanbul – capturing the history, culture and beauty of this East meets West city

Join me in one of the most mesmerizing and photogenic cities in the world. We will journey through the spectacular and the iconic, the ancient backstreets and the cool new spots, taking photos that will take your breath away.

Istanbul is the only city in the world that embraces two continents – it is where Europe and Asia meet and where the influences of many empires and cultures have left their mark.

As you wander round, you can see the layers of over 3000 years of history, and has given us some of the most dazzling and monumental architecture.

But Istanbul is also a modern, vibrant city – with diverse neighbourhoods and an exciting art, food and cultural scene. 

Photographing the Blue Mosque, seeing the majesty of the Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia, and the meeting of its three seas, wandering the ancient alleyways of the Grand Bazaar and hearing the call to prayer across the city – are breathtaking experiences.

I love Istanbul, I dream of Istanbul. It has some of my favourite elements of any city – incredible history, epic cityscapes, interesting buildings, beautiful colours, interesting cultures, wonderful people, impressive street art and many hidden gems.

I’ve spent months in this city photographing and exploring, and I’ve run several workshops where I’ve taken small groups to my favourite places to shoot.

From watching the sunrise on a rooftop behind the Blue Mosque to photographing the vibrant street life, Istanbul is a photographer’s dream.

We will photograph several sunrises in the city because, simply put, dawn is one of the greatest gifts to photographers. Both for the colours and quality of light – but also that we have the city virtually to ourselves, which makes a change from the busy intensity of the day (which is also cool to photograph. Streetlife in Istanbul is very interesting!)

I will work with you personally to help you develop your photography, your skills and style – giving you the unique opportunity to create a personal portfolio of Istanbul to be proud of.

Apart from the photography – these workshops are fun! After a long day of shooting we’ll hang out at a local place, have some drinks, discuss the days events, you can ask me questions, share your experiences – and we can eat something local and delicious. Everywhere I go I always seek out the local and delicious.

I love the group atmosphere of these workshops – creative people hanging out together and looking to create amazing images. It’s really an incredible experience.

I am the creator of the acclaimed Cities at Dawn photobook series, and I will teach you how to use dawn’s unique properties to create beautiful, emotive images.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This workshop will transform the way you look at potential subjects, as well as your approach to composition and lighting, and grasp of technical camera skills.

This masterclass is intensely practical, including three dawn workshops, as well as afternoon and evening photo walks, street photography, trips to local neighbourhoods, demonstrations and regular reviewing and critiquing of your photos.

I always tailor my workshops to the experience of individual members of the group, ensuring every attendee receives a personalised experience and develops as a photographer.