Advanced Photo Workshop: Ghana
One of the friendliest countries in the world, Ghana offers many colorful experiences to its visitors. Under the guidance of two professional photojournalists, you will develop a personal documentary photo project as a means to bolster your skills and your portfolio. In pursuing these projects, you will track the lives of Ghanaians from a village at the base of a majestic mountain to the crowded marketplace in the metropolis of Kumasi. This Advanced Photo Workshop is aimed at students looking to take their photography to the next level and focuses on teaching advanced topics and narrative story telling through photography.
From the Mountain Paths to the City Streets
Our journey begins by traveling to the lush and mountainous Volta region of Ghana where we will be welcomed into a small agricultural village. You will have the opportunity to witness, learn, and document how the local people support themselves through cotton-production, bee-keeping, kente-cloth weaving, and yam farming. By participating in a village homestay, you will have first-hand access to family life and traditions. After a week's stay in the Volta region, we will head to the city of Cape Coast to enjoy a day unwinding in hammocks between palm trees on a stunning tropical beach. From there, we will continue working on our photojournalism projects in the Ashanti Kingdom's capital city of Kumasi. We will capture images of city-dwellers and discover the challenges that these people face in contrast to the challenges posed by life in the village. Using the photography skills honed on the program thus far, the trip will culminate in a final shoot in Kejitia Market, the largest outdoor market in West Africa.
Photo Documentary Workshop
Go on assignment and complete a documentary project while you develop your technical skills and learn about life as a professional photographer. This is an advanced photo workshop that will teach you how to gain access and interact with subjects, overcome language barriers, and understand cultural differences. Professional photojournalists will mentor you as you leave your comfort zone and experiment with new techniques and styles. After two weeks of exposure to the vibrant Ghanaian culture, you will have a truly impressive portfolio to show for it.
Who Should Come
The Advanced Photo Workshop is an experiential learning opportunity for the avid photographer. If you are passionate about photojournalism or documentary photography, this is the trip for you! Since this program is aimed at students with previous photography experience, we require that you answer the following questions in one double-spaced page or less and submit between five and ten of your best photographs.
- What is your photographic experience? Have you had formal training in school?
- What kind of camera do you shoot with and what lenses do you have?
- Are you comfortable with the following photographic terms: rule of thirds, shutter speed, aperture, focal length, depth of field, and ISO?
- Why do you want to go on this program?
- What do you hope to learn from this experience?
Please send answers to the above questions and sample photographs to ghana@rusticpathways.com when you are ready to sign up. Upon acceptance, trip leaders will contact you with more information.
If you have questions about this or any of our other Ghana programs, please email ghana@rusticpathways.com.