With many years experience photographing for commercial and NGO clients, magazines and stock image libraries, I have found that passing on the skills, techniques and lessons that I have learned to other enthusiastic photographers is an enormously rewarding process. If you are interested in exploring some of Bangkok’s most photogenic but less frequently visited locations then I invite you to join me for a photography workshop.
Having won a number of awards for travel photography and since founding the popular Bangkok Photo School, where I continue to teach, I hope that you will enjoy and appreciate my experience and my enthusiasm for photography in “The City of Angels”.
The workshop is very much a practical exercise and my aim is to help you build a structured approach to your street photography. We’ll discuss the technical aspects of photography and ensure that you are making the most of your camera equipment. Just as importantly, we will explore the ideas and approaches to street photography that I have developed over the years and I’ll share my philosophy with you.
Bangkok is known as the Land of Smiles with good reason. Thai people are friendly and hospitable and photographers keen on improving their street photography will enjoy the opportunity to produce memorable portraits of market traders, stall holders and smiling tuk-tuk drivers. The colourful markets offer an unlimited number of opportunities to practice compositional skills and to get to grips with creative exposure techniques. Time on the workshop can be devoted to perfecting a variety of skills involving slow-shutter speeds, controlling depth-of-field and to being able to anticipate the “decisive moment”.
This isn’t a tour of Bangkok’s famous tourist attractions in air-conditioned transport with lunch in a five-star hotel, it’s a hands-on experience where I introduce photographers to the markets and sois (streets) which I find most photogenic. We spend most of our time on foot or in the back of a tuk-tuk. We drink freshly-squeezed juice and eat clean, fresh, wholesome food from reliable street vendors. If you would like to see behind-the-scenes in Bangkok then come and explore with me.
Here are a small selection of the encouraging feedback comments that other photographers have been kind enough to share.
“Thanks a lot for being such a great tutor and company. I really enjoyed my time photographing with you and also learnt a lot.” Divya Rao
“It was easily the best workshop I have ever done and it was one of the most enjoyable days out taking photos that I’ve ever had.” Phil Morley
“I cannot recommend the experience highly enough. Gavin is delightful company; incredibly experienced and your photography can only improve when you spend time with him.” (You can read Marco Ryan’s full review of a one-day Bangkok Photo Workshop on his web site.)
“Thank you for a great day of photography. You obviously know your craft and your rapport with the folks in the market and Chinatown is to be admired. You have a real way with people. I learned a lot.” Larry Abbott
“I just wanted to thank you for a very special day. I enjoyed it immensely. I really felt I gained a different insight in photographing people and felt I connected with the people I photographed, which felt very good for me.” Julie Claydon
“Gavin Rocks. He is a kick to be around. His review was insightful and very helpful – especially his editing advice. His classroom teaching style was also terrific – very open and interactive.” Lisa Brockman
“Just a quick note to say thank you so much for the photo tour the other morning, I thoroughly enjoyed all of it, and learned a lot from you. Going out shooting with you has given me a lot more confidence.” Suzanne Barker
“A very generous person who shared with me a lot of things including a few of his trade secrets. Many thanks Gavin for the great learning experience.” Florian Fernando
“Thank you for an excellent day and the wonderful advice. I am thrilled with the results and feel inspired to take my photography beyond the standard portrait work I have been doing.” Raine Sinclair
“Gavin is a calm, funny and very knowledgable guy. He has an easy teaching style and his legendary Lightroom skills were easily transferred and he as very generous with his tips and tricks, to make our learning experience very rewarding.” Ayn Brown
Pretty much everything is included. All transport costs for ferries, taxis and tuk-tuks are included, as well as any entry fees to temples or palaces. You need only bring enough local currency (Thai Baht) for refreshments.
Your workshop check-list might include the following
Camera!
Lenses: wide-angle lenses, medium zooms and fixed focal length lenses are ideal.
Charged batteries
Formatted memory cards
Flash/Strobe – if you especially want to but we discuss various ways to make the most of the available light
Tripod – useful on the full-day workshops
Sun-screen. Bangkok can be very hot
Hat/Scarf – to protect you from the sun, we spend a lot of time outside
Spare shirt/blouse.
We will spend much of our time on foot and you should be aware that the markets we visit can be wet and, because they are busy, working markets, they are inevitably busy and have the same well-worn look and feel that you might be showing by the end of the day! Please dress appropriately for the conditions and with the local conservative dress sense in mind – especially as we may be visiting temples.
Time with people is an integral part of a Bangkok Photo Workshop
Full-Day Workshop
9am to 7pm approx.
1-2 people: $650 total
3-6 people: $250 per person
Half-Day Workshop
Morning: 9am to 1pm approx.
Afternoon: 3pm to 7pm approx.
1-2 people: $350 total
3-6 people: $150 per person