Winter Workshop - Japan, 3/15/2010 - 3/20/2010

It is a time when Japan is turning from freezing country to blooming spring.

First plum (Japanese Ume) trees will bloom and spring will give a life to these islands.

We will visit Koyasan, the most secret place established as a place for worshipping hundreds year ago, where only male could live and worship. Stay overnight in Buddhist temple with possibilities to attend morning worshipping of temple's monks, have a tea with the highest priest of the temple and later have a chance to photograph many temples of this mountain.

We will go to Kyoto - an ancient emperor capital and also to historical Nara where we will visit the most hidden temples, out of the reach of tourist crowds. Gion, a downtown of Kyoto with a great chance to meet real Geisha or Maiko, hurrying up to some restaurant or ocha-ya to meet their clients. We will stay in a traditional Ryokan end taste a Shabu Shabu - delicious Japanese beef.

The journey will continue to temples of the oldest capital of Japan to Kamakura with well preserved a spirit of this ancient city. A moss temple, bamboo garden, zen garden all of this with a cup of fresh green tea will be served to experience a meditation environment to cool down a piece of your mind.

The journey will finish in Tokyo.

This workshop will aim to photoshoot historical locations and hidden places of Japan, where Buddhist monks can practice their worshiping.

1. Summer Workshop-Japan, 7/14/2010 - 7/19/2010

It is already hot in Japan in this time, rice is growing bigger, but it's still far harvest it. By other words, there was a time for a fun for farmers, means a season of Japanese traditional festivals starts.

We will go to historical Kyoto to photograph one of the most famous traditional festival - Gion Matsuri featuring over 20m high festival floats and crowd of traditional dressed people in kimonos.
We will also explore the greatest Buddhist temples with their peace vibration, Zen gardens and some other secret places of kyoto - ancient imperial capital city.

It is a workshop about photographing people during their good time, because traditionally in old Japan festivals used to be the only time when people could afford to show happiness. And they still do so.

2. Summer Workshop-Japan, 8/2/2010 - 8/7/2010

For this workshop, you will need short pants, sandals and camera only. Hot summer means also a top of the festivals' season in Japan.

We will go to the North of Honshu Island to photograph the most famous traditional festivals like Nebuta, Neputa in Aomori prefecture, features festival floats with huge lanterns, some are as huge as 10m high and some other festivals in towns nearby.