SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE EXPERIENCE 2020
5 Day Photo Workshop
June 13-17, 2020
SOLD OUT
Channel your inner Matisse and find unbounded opportunity for photographic expression in a region revered for its wild beauty and time-honored cultural traditions.
Join accomplished Mexican street photographer David Coleman on this five-day photography experience, which weaves the "Dia De Los Locos" festival in the captivating town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, with exploration of the charming adjacent city of Guanajuato.
Dia De Los Locos is a wild and woolly festival that is unique to San Miguel. Mingle with the vibrant locals as you witness the flamboyant procession wind through the cobblestone streets of town and dance to the beat of live music. While the costumes and masks of local politicians, actors, cartoon characters, and monsters appear secular, this colorful and complex festival actually has deep religious roots. David will provide one-on-one instruction in the field and help you capture the spirit of revelry, as the participants shimmy, shake, and stamp their feet aboard their truck bed floats, throwing fistfuls of candy at the crowds like Mardi Gras revelers.
After three days in San Miguel de Allende, visit the nearby town of Guanajuato, built in a narrow valley hugged by rugged mountains and named a world heritage site in 1988. Observe the merging of past and present in this time-preserved town as you explore Jardin Union, a fountain and tree-filled plaza that is considered the “heart and soul” of the city. Stroll through the colorful Municipal Market (Mercado Hidalgo), a two-story architectural gem built in 1910 that sells everything from locally-made leather handicrafts and woven baskets to dried chiles, spices, and fruits.
San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato are as much a feast for the eyes as for the culinary connoisseur. Experience local dishes that are as good or better than any Michelin-star restaurant, from the versatile casuelas - meals baked in earthenware pots and consisting of fresh local ingredients like potatoes, eggs, cheese, and herbs - to an array of pan dulce, the sweet and savory pastries of Mexico. You won’t leave hungry!
David, born and raised in Mexico, is an expert photography instructor and visual storyteller who provides a safe and fulfilling photography workshop experience, planning the best sites and times of day for shooting, local fare, and comfortable accommodations in advance. The workshop also includes visual storytelling instruction and image review sessions.
“San Miguel De Allende is a photographer’s paradise. David knows the secret spots to photograph and culinary hotspots that rival the restaurants of Europe. First and foremost, safety in San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato was never a concern of mine shooting into the late evening hours. I certainly felt safer than walking the streets of San Francisco."
- Ed Marlatt, Los Altos Hills, CA
"Traveling with a small group of like-minded participants, I loved my fun trip to San Miguel de Allende, with camaraderie, local music, and excellent cuisine, while at the same time learning new skills in street photography. David handled all of the details from reserving a centrally-located hotel to finding restaurants that are hidden gems, ones that tourists may never find. Mexico is not only a safe place to visit and photograph, but it is also a beautiful and culturally-rich destination."
- Pam Perkins, Redwood City, CA
"David is an outstanding, caring instructor, artist and storyteller. I've done several workshops with him, and most recently the incredible Oaxaca and San Miguel de la Allende experiences. He is encouraging, understands your level and works diligently with you to raise the bar. His day and longer trips are expertly planned and based on his extensive experience in the region, filled with excellent food, thoughtful and smart classroom presentations and critiques, practically flawless logistics, and excellent shooting opportunities."
- Bryan Scanlon, Walnut Creek, CA
GALLERY
San Miguel De Allende Experience - a collection of videos and images taken by participants at the "San Miguel de Allende Experience"
INCLUDED
Private accommodations, local transportation, leaders and local guides, all permits, entrance fees and taxes.
Note on limited spaces: Workshops are limited to 7 participants. Small groups allow David to provide one-on-one photography coaching in the field. A workshop participant may bring an additional guest for an add-on fee of $300. The guest gets all the benefits as a workshop participant except for photography instruction.
SAN FRANCISCO EXPERIENCE 2020
5 Day Photo Workshop
July 25th - July 29th, 2020
*** ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT ***
$3,100 with hotel
$2,500 without hotel
Experience San Francisco City in this fulfilling 5 Day Photo Workshop. David will teach you street photography techniques and visual storytelling skills. You will learn how to capture the fresh (and often surprising) market fare, colorful window scenes, and elusive back alleys of San Francisco's world renowned landmarks as the setting for your street photography.
San Francisco's Chinatown District
San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in the United States. We will take a detour from tourist-rich streets to the locals’ hideaway in the authentic heart of Chinatown. Ornate temples and bustling street markets are just some of the sights you’ll capture in the streets of Chinatown. Along the way, you’ll learn local history and explore hidden places unknown to many tourists and local residents.
San Francisco's Mission District
Learn how to use your camera as a tool for capturing the visual messages that permeate San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood. Mission District's vibrant murals serve as both art and political statements in reflecting changes— the most recent a gradual gentrification by mostly young professionals that threatens to push out many long-time residents.
San Francisco's Financial District
Explore San Francisco's turn-of-the-century buildings and forgotten treasures of the Financial District. In this outing you will learn the secrets on how to take stunning architecture photographs. Along the way David will share some of San Francisco's well kept secrets known only to a few historians.
San Francisco's North Beach District
Once a veritable microcosm of Italy, the neighborhood’s last decade has been marked by a gradual emigration of Italian residents and an influx of those from next door’s Chinatown. David will teach you street photography techniques and visual storytelling skills for capturing this cultural convergence, using the intimate cafés, street signs, and even the “Italian Cathedral of the West” as inspired backdrops to your street photography.
GALLERY
San Francisco Experience - a collection of images taken by participants at the "San Francisco Experience"
INCLUDED:
Private accommodations, local transportation, leaders and local guides, all permits, entrance fees and taxes.
Note on limited spaces: Workshops are limited to 7 participants. Small groups allow David to provide one-on-one photography coaching in the field. A workshop participant may bring an additional guest for an add-on fee of $300. The guest gets all the benefits as a workshop participant except for photography instruction.
OAXACA EXPERIENCE 2020
Day Of The Dead
5 Day Photo Workshop
October 30 - November 3, 2020
*** ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT ***
$3,100
Experience Day Of The Dead (Dia De Muertos) in Oaxaca, Mexico, with accomplished Mexican street photographer David Coleman. David was born and raised in Mexico and is an expert with the Mexican people, customs, language, and world renowned Oaxacan culinary cuisine.
One of the world’s most colorful festivals, Dia De Muertos, or the Day Of The Dead, is both a celebration of ancestors and a cultural festivity. David, born and raised in Mexico, is an expert photography instructor and visual storyteller who provides a safe and fulfilling photography workshop experience, planning the best sites and times of day for shooting, local fare, and comfortable accommodations in advance. The workshop also includes visual storytelling instruction and image review sessions.
“David Coleman leads fantastic workshops. Daily classroom work and hands on shoots make a perfect pairing for learning. He is an intelligent, funny, creative and kind teacher. He knows his stuff and loves to share with his students. Gracias mil veces!"
- Betsy Collins, Jackson, WY
"David is an outstanding, caring instructor, artist and storyteller. He is encouraging, understands your level and works diligently with you to raise the bar of your work. His day and longer trips are expertly planned and based on his extensive experience in the region, filled with excellent food, thoughtful and smart classroom presentations and critiques, practically flawless logistics, and excellent shooting opportunities."
- Bryan Scanlon, Walnut Creek, CA
“Everything about the Oaxaca Experience with David was just great—shooting locations with plenty of good subjects, helpful image reviews, instruction on becoming a visual storyteller, knowledgeable local guide, excellent food, fun workshop companions and more. David has photo trips to Mexico down to a science. Go with him and have a good time and come back with photos to add to your portfolio."
- Eric Ahrendt, Contra Costa, CA
GALLERY
Oaxaca Experience - a collection of images taken by participants at the "Oaxaca Experience"
INCLUDED
Private accommodations, local transportation, leaders and local guides, all permits, entrance fees and taxes.
Note on limited spaces: Workshops are limited to 7 participants. Small groups allow David to provide one-on-one photography coaching in the field. A workshop participant may bring an additional guest for an add-on fee of $300. The guest gets all the benefits as a workshop participant except for photography instruction.
CARNIVAL EXPERIENCE 2021
In Oaxaca, Mexico
6 Day Photo Workshop
February 13 - 18, 2021
$3,100
Experience Carnival San Martín Tilcajete with accomplished Mexican street photographer David Coleman. David was born and raised in Mexico and is an expert with the Mexican people, customs, language, and world renowned Oaxacan culinary cuisine.
One of the world’s most unique festivals, the Carnival San Martín Tilcajete in the state of Oaxaca, México, is notable for its use of satire especially related to matrimony and sometimes divorce. We will visit the towns of San Martín de Tilcajete and Zaachila where people, covered in motor oil and acrylic paint, dance in the streets with intricate costumes of devils, animal skulls, and clanging bells.
The workshop also includes visual storytelling instruction and image review sessions.
GALLERY
Carnival Experience - a collection of images taken during the "Carnival Experience"
INCLUDED
Private accommodations, local transportation, leaders and local guides, all permits, entrance fees and taxes.
Note on limited spaces: Workshops are limited to 7 participants. Small groups allow David to provide one-on-one photography coaching in the field. A workshop participant may bring an additional guest for an add-on fee of $300. The guest gets all the benefits as a workshop participant except for photography instruction.
SAN CRISTóBAL DE LAS CASAS EXPERIENCE 2021
5 Day Photo Workshop
April 17 - 21, 2021
$3,100
Hone your visual storytelling skills as you travel to one of the most beautiful places on earth, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, located in the Central Highlands region of the Mexican state of Chiapas. San Cris, as it is known to the locals, is a cultural crossroads of international sophistication in the Maya highlands, filled with ancient rituals, beautiful textiles, world class cuisine, and colonial charm.
Join Mexican street photographer David Coleman on this five-day photography experience, which weaves the colorful “Feria de la Primavera y la Paz" festival with Holy Week.
During this Experience we will explore nearby traditional Maya village of San Juan Chamula. Here the people have fiercely hung on to their ancient Mayan beliefs. We will step inside the San Juan Chamula church to witness thousands of flickering candles, thick copal incense, worshippers and healers performing age-old ceremonies on the floor of the church. We will also visit the weaving village of Zinacantan, where we will photograph families who weave some of the most beautiful textiles in the Maya world.
Activity level: Medium. Activities may include up to 5 mile walks per day and on uneven streets.
Retainer: $400 (Non-Refundable / Non-Transferable)
Workshop balance: The balance of $2,700 is due and payable by February 1st, 2021 8am. If canceled after February 1st, 2021 8am full cost will be retained. Please contact us with payment options.
INCLUDED
Private accommodations, local transportation, leaders and local guides, all permits, entrance fees and taxes.
Note on limited spaces: Workshops are limited to 7 participants. Small groups allow David to provide one-on-one photography coaching in the field. A workshop participant may bring an additional guest for an add-on fee of $300. The guest gets all the benefits as a workshop participant except for photography instruction.
SAN FRANCISCO ARCHITECTURE
PHOTO WORKSHOP
$135
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Join international photographer, David Coleman, in this architecture photography workshop of iconic San Francisco's turn-of-the-century buildings and forgotten treasures. In this photography workshop you will learn the secrets on how to take stunning architecture photographs. Along the way David will share some of San Francisco's well kept secrets known only to a few historians.
WHAT TO BRING:
-
Wide angle lens (the wider the better): 24-105mm or 16-35mm
-
Macro lens for details
GALLERY:
SF Architecture Photo Workshop - a collection of images taken by participants at the "SF Architecture Photo Workshop"
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
-
Three hours of small-group and one-on-one instruction, in which David teaches how to capture a public space and compose a personal narrative with images.
-
A virtual, one-hour photography critique session (held one week after the workshop), in which David provides constructive feedback and uses Adobe Lightroom to demonstrate best editing techniques for each workshop participant’s photographs.
SAN FRANCISCO CHINATOWN
PHOTO WORKSHOP
Sacred Meets Sensory
$135
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Join International Street Photographer David Coleman and take a detour from tourist-rich streets to the locals’ hideaway in the authentic heart of Chinatown. Ornate temples and bustling street markets are just some of the sights you’ll see in one of San Francisco’s most popular yet mysterious neighborhoods.
David will teach you street photography techniques and visual storytelling skills for using the fresh (and often surprising) market fare, colorful window scenes, and elusive back alleys as the setting for your street photography. Along the way, you’ll learn local history and explore hidden places that only the most seasoned residents know about.
An (optional) group lunch at the culmination of this 3-hour photography workshop provides the chance to discover delicious local fare, connect with your small group of fellow photographers, and reflect on your experience in the field.
GALLERY:
SF Chinatown Photo Workshop - a collection of images taken by participants at the "SF Chinatown Photo Workshop"
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
-
Three hours of small-group and one-on-one instruction, in which David teaches how to capture a public space and compose a personal narrative with images.
-
A virtual, one-hour photography critique session (held one week after the workshop), in which David provides constructive feedback and uses Adobe Lightroom to demonstrate best editing techniques for each workshop participant’s photographs.
SAN FRANCISCO MISSION DISTRICT
PHOTO WORKSHOP
Message in Murals
$135
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Join International Street Photographer David Coleman in colorful San Francisco's Mission District. Learn how to use your camera as a tool for capturing the visual messages that permeate San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood.
Mission’s vibrant murals serve as both art and political statements in reflecting changes— the most recent a gradual gentrification by mostly young professionals that threatens to push out many long-time residents. David will teach you street photography techniques and visual storytelling skills for using these murals as backdrops for powerful visual narratives. Along the way, you’ll learn local history and explore hidden places that only the most seasoned residents know about.
An (optional) group lunch at the culmination of this 3-hour photography workshop provides the chance to discover delicious local fare, connect with your small group of fellow photographers, and reflect on your experience in the field.
GALLERY:
SF Mission District Photo Workshop - a collection of images taken by participants at the "SF Mission District Photo Workshop"
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
-
Three hours of small-group and one-on-one instruction, in which David teaches how to capture a public space and compose a personal narrative with images.
-
A virtual, one-hour photography critique session (held one week after the workshop), in which David provides constructive feedback and uses Adobe Lightroom to demonstrate best editing techniques for each workshop participant’s photographs.