Due to the overwhelming number of emails we receive every week from students all around the world, we have designed a workshop abroad program. The focus of this program is to not only teach visual story telling but give students a chance to fully experience a career that is often misunderstood. While media and films have glamorized the lives of photojournalists and foreign correspondents, the reality is that this is one of the world's most demanding and difficult jobs, both physically and mentally. We have designed Zoriah's workshops to give young photographers an opportunity to experience the true nature of international photojournalism and documentary photography. No other workshop or seminar gives students the ability to work one on one with a professional photojournalist in a real world environment. Each student will have full access to Zoriah nearly 24 hours a day, giving them the opportunity to take advantage of his work experience, teachings, methodologies and industry contacts. . Due to the intimate nature of these workshops and the real world working environment, each student can expect to learn and experience much more than they would during one year in a standard university photojournalism program.

Each workshop is either six or ten days long and set in a location that is both of interest to the student and rich in culture with a wealth of photographic and documentary subject matter. During the program, each student will be expected to produce at least one photo essay within the same deadline and parameters of a working assignment for a publication or photo agency. Zoriah will also produce a photo essay during the trip, which will give the students the ability to not only produce their own work and learn on their own, but to be able to observe the way Zoriah's work and ask questions along the way. Because we believe the life of a photojournalist is usually a solitary one, each student will be expected to spend two hours a day shooting on their own, with a review session of that work every evening. When not shooting, the students will work closely with Zoriah on editing their work and of course be able to see the process he takes in editing his own work.

Zoriah will share hotels, eat meals, and travel with his students as if they were a team of journalists working in the field together. This is a rare opportunity to actually work side by side on a daily basis with a full time, professional photojournalist.

Requirements and Application Process

This program is designed for professional photographers and committed photography and journalism students who are interested in pursuing a career in journalism or visual story telling. Students must be in good physical and emotional condition and must be ready for a very challenging experience. All applicants must have a basic proficiency in digital photography as well as editing software. Interested photographers must submit a portfolio of no more than 20 images and fill out an application. Applications and images may be sent by mail but digital transmissions are preferred. All application material must be submitted at least 30 days before the start of the workshop. Hard copy submissions will not be returned.

Group workshops are currently limited to five photographers in order to insure that each student gets the one-on-one attention that the program is designed to provide. A one on one workshop is also offered for a higher fee, giving an individual student the opportunity to work with Zoriah one on one for the durations of the workshop.

What to Bring

Students are expected to provide their own SLR style digital camera and a laptop with editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, just as if they were on an editorial assignment. Each workshop will have some additional requirements such as appropriate clothing, medicines etc. A full packing list will be provided to students before their departure.

Although Zoriah has spent a fair amount of his professional career as a war photographer, we do not think bringing students into a war zone is in any way appropriate (the only exception I will make to this rule is if the photographer has already been working professionally for a number of years and can provide supporting documents and a work history.) In some cases a workshop may be held in an area that is recovering from conflict, such as Lebanon. There are many skills a photographer needs to possess before ever going into a hostile environment and the decision to cover conflict should not be entered into lightly. Zoriah will be more than happy to discuss his experiences with students and provide them with resources to research and explore this type of journalism.

Portfolio Review Session

Each workshop begins with a portfolio review session. Students are expected to bring a portfolio of no more than 20 images (preferably in digital format on their laptops,) which will be reviewed and critiqued on the first day of the workshop. This gives me the opportunity to see where a student stands in his or her development and what skills should be focused on during the workshop.

Accommodations

Accommodations will vary depending on the location but students should be prepared for minimal luxuries. Part of working as a photojournalist is being able to adapt to difficult situations, often times workshop students will spend at least a portion of their time sleeping on uncomfortable beds and showering in cold water. Certain workshops are held in locations where they may stay with a local family for a day or two or even an orphanage or refugee camp.

Costs

Costs vary depending on the location of the workshop, accommodations, available meals and how much travel will be done during the workshop. Students are responsible for their own expenses during the workshop and will be given a list of what to expect for his or her specific program. In most developing countries students get by spending very little.

Dates

Workshops are generally held during University holidays such as Winter Break, Spring Break or during the summer. As long as students book far enough in advance the dates are flexible.

Workshop Subjects

This program covers a vast array of subjects including:

Preparing for and researching a project and destination. What to pack and what not to pack. How to avoid common pitfalls like lost data, a broken camera or lens, computer viruses, travel illnesses, dangers and distractions while in the field etc. Health and nutrition in difficult living situations and what to do if you get sick or injured.

Photographing under adverse conditions. Gaining your subjects trust and photographic ethics. Night and low light photography. Working without a flash or tripod.

The digital darkroom, editing and workflow in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Tips and tricks for “saving” a photograph or putting the finishing touches on a “perfect” photograph. Digital dodging, burning, contrast, hue, saturation, cloning (and when not to,) cropping etc. Color and black and white: when to use each, how they sell, how to think in one medium or the other or both. JPEG vs. RAW file formats and how to work with each and convert. Mac vs. Pc. Choosing editing, captioning, ftp and slideshow programs.

Camera selection. Lens selection. Memory card selection. Accessory selection. Canon vs. Nikon vs everyone else. Buying new vs. buying used and how to get the best deals. How to read manuals and get the most out of what you own. How to work with your camera and use its many functions. Camera and lens field care.

Uploading images to agencies while in the field. Preparing an image for transmission to agencies and editors. Captioning images and the five W's (Who, What, When, Where and Why.) Working with editors, deadlines, assignments, freelance projects etc. Building and presenting a story online/digital lightboxes and personal websites. The nuisances of working with editorial clients and how to limit them. Building a contract for freelance work and what to look for (or look out for) when signing a contract with an agency or publication. Copyright information and how to use it in the real world. Preparing for the future and impending changes in the industry.

Available Workshops

Workshops and their locations are usually tailored to the interests of a specific student or group of students. A few ideas and past workshops include:

- Cambodia: AIDS Orphans - live in an orphanage and document the lives of one or more children

- Vietnam: Comparing urban and rural poverty. Students spend half the workshop photographing in Saigon and the other half in Chau Doc or another small village

- Pakistan and Kashmir: Working in Extreme Conditions. This workshop is designed to give higher-level students a chance to experience work under adverse conditions

- India: Beggars life. Spend one week documenting the life of homeless or "untouchable" man or woman

- China: Modernizing an Ancient Culture. Document how modernization and progress effect an ancient culture in the amazing city of Shanghai

- Nicaraqua: Shanty Towns. Documenting life in extreme poverty

- Lebanon: Palestinian Refugees. Spend time photographing the lives of Palestinian refugees living in camps around the country

Philippines: Poverty's Environmental Impact: Work in urban slums to show the impact of poverty on the ocean and environment

- Turkey: The New Face of The Refugee Crisis. Live in an urban jungle pupulated by refugees from around the world while documenting their lives...and your own

-Japan: Technology and The Modern World. Explore the role of technology in our lives in one of the most advanced cities on planet earth. *Japan workshops have higher tuitions and higher living costs

- Laos: Shoestring Travel. Students travel through Laos and produce a story geared to budget minded travelers and backpackers

- Brazil: Amazonian Deforestation. Work in the Amazon Basin documenting the environmental impact of clear cutting

- Honduras: Travel and Underwater Photography. Students produce a travel story with two to five days being underwater photography instruction by Zoriah and the master divers at Ocean Connections PADI Dive Shop. *students without a scuba diving license will complete a three day licensing course durning the beginning of the workshop

- Morocco: Travel Photography. Travel from Cassablanca to Marakesh and produce a travel related photo series

- Indonesia: Child Drug Addicts. Photograph the lives of children addicted to inhalants

- Israel and Palestine: Compare and contrast life in Jerusalem and life in the West Bank city or Ramallah

- Mexico: Fossil Fuel Impact. Document car culture and its effects on the environment in one of the worlds most polluted cites, Mexico City

- New York City: Marketing, Connections and Where to Start. This workshop is designed for students who already have an established portfolio. Students will work on refining their portfolio, building picture stories and marketing them to editors and agencies. Students will meet with industry professionals, editors and other professional photographers for portfolio reviews and guidance sessions. *New York City workshops have higher tuitions and higher living costs

Advanced Professional Workshops

- Iraq or Afghanistan: Embedded Journalism. Advanced students who already have professional experience only. Students are taken through the process of applying. preparing for and completing an embedded project in an actual war zone. This is a one month workshop with three weeks in Iraq or Afghanistan. Workshop cost is $17,500 per student with a two student maximum. Strict application guidelines and additional release forms required. Minimum 21 years old

Please email for more information on any of these programs or if you would like to have a program tailored to you or your groups needs and interest

Workshop Tuition

6 Day Workshop - $2750 Per Student

10 Day Workshop - $3250 Per Student

*Minimum two students - 10% price drop for five students booking at the same time

6 Day One-on-One Workshop - $4250

10 Day One-on-One Workshop - $5000

*Workshops begin the first full day in the field

*Travel and expenses are in addition to the tuition fee and vary depending on the workshop

We believe firmly in teaching students how to think for themselves and learn on their own. We want to give each student the TOOLS they need to find answers and solutions to their problems when they arise for the rest of their lives. Photojournalism is about knowledge, education, exploration and giving back to the world. Too many educational institutions focus on filling students heads with facts while forgetting to teach them how to learn! It is our goal to inspire my students to be the best that they possibly can and never, ever stop learning and growing and teaching themselves new things

*We reserve the right to cancel the workshop if we do not receive enough students/participants enrolling to make the workshop viable (group workshops only.) If the workshop is cancelled, full refunds will be issued minus any costs accrued up to that point, including Paypal fees.