Art and photographic workshops

British photographer Alan Keohane has lived in Morocco since 1993 and is author of the photographic books Berbers of Morocco and

Bedouin, Nomads of the Desert. He works internationally in the editorial and fashion market, and his pictures have appeared throughout the world in publications such as the New York Times, Marie Claire, Condé Nast Traveller and Jeune Afrique. In collaboration with Diversity Excursions, he is offering a series of photography workshops based at Jnane Tamsna. Each workshop begins with an introductory discussion about style and technique, followed by field excursions in Marrakech and the High Atlas mountains to put theory into practise.

Introduction to photography is a general workshop providing an overview of the different equipment available, the control of exposure, depth of field and the perspective provided by different lenses. Alan also discusses what film to use, what makes a good photograph and how to develop your photographer’s eye. Other workshop topics available upon request include: Formal portrait photography; Macro and still life photography; Using studio flash; Interiors and architectural photography; and Scanning, manipulating and producing digital prints of your photographs.

Travel reportage, which is about photographing people acting naturally in their home environment, is possibly one of the most difficult challenges for a photographer.  Not only does it demand a very high level of observation and lightning fast reactions to see and capture a moment, but also total confidence in technique and more importantly extremely good social skills. A good travel photographer can engage with total strangers, make them feel at ease and judge when it is okay to take a photograph and when to back off. Photographing people demands an enormous amount of patience. The theory of this workshop focuses not only on the techniques involved, but also on how to look for good travel shots.  This implies developing an awareness of light conditions, and how to spot a potentially interesting shot that could become a great shot with the addition of people. Alan will demonstrate some simple practical techniques of engaging and photographing people while putting them as much at ease as possible.

Landscape Photography is really about light and would be better named lightscape photography.  In looking for a good landscape shot you have to look for not only a beautiful physical landscape but you must also plan your photo excursion to get the most interesting light conditions: very early in the morning, late in the afternoon and during interesting metrological conditions, such as thunderstorms. The theory of this workshop focuses on the use of different lenses and how they change perspective and lend themselves to different types of composition. Alan discusses use of UV, warm-up, polarising, graduated and colour filters. In addition, he covers how to calculate your exposure when using transparency film.

Alan Keohane's prints are available for purchase at Jnane Tamsna, Kasbah du Toubkal and other selected locations in Marrakech. Each photograph in the print series is individually scanned and retouched  before being printed to  the highest possible standards in small editions on archival quality matt heavyweight paper tested by Epson™. The prints resist colour change or fading for at least 75 years when displayed behind glass and hung away from direct sunlight. If you would like to see more of his work, or wish to contact him, consult his website: www.still-images.net.