Markree Castle Guy Gowen’s weekend Event 19-20 and 21 february 2010

Markree Castle Guy Gowen’s weekend Event
19-20 and 21 february 2010

New way of doing workshops organised by Guy Gowan.
In a place close to Sligo, Ireland. In a Castle, the Markree Castle.
Arriving at Markree Castle friday the 19th of february, in the late afternoon was like driving into a ferrytale.
The beauty of the nature, the landscape, and the old castle.
A perfect location to have a small group of photographers ready to learn different kind of photographic approaches.
Vincent O’Byrne and the concept of thinking in an idea. Using a nude model like most of his work shows in his artistic approach.
Hoss Photography, doing a way more commercial approach of portraiture.
Not so much based on creativity, but on the basics of lighting and posing.
And me, doing a masterclass about how to use a cliche to trigger you into new and more creative posing, cropping and lighting.
Of course the photographers needed to do the photography themselves.
So friday evening, dinner, meeting up with the participants, lots of talking.
Saturday was the first day of the workshops.
In groups of six everybody went into the different parts of the castle.
I prepared clothes and styling already at home.
Also I prepared a concept about: the mother, the careerwoman and the sexbom.
Just to be sure I could go easy in the shoot and set the minds of the ‘students’.
To make everybody less stressed to stand in front of everybody, I started with introductions.
Everybody than got time to go into the shoot.
Time was a big problem, for we had to be ready in three hours.
Still it surprised me how each of the photographers came with original ideas and how easy I could help them with changing light, posing, expressions and cropping.
I did some shots as a starter to show how you can evolve yourself in the proces of the prepared concept.
At the end I also analysed everybodies attitude in the photoshoots.
A reflection that was nice to show how they can be percieved by a customer.
The weekend was fenomenal. There was a filmcrew to interview people, to show the atmosphere and to show the workshops.
A magnificent idea to go on in the future.
A learningcurve what is way more bigger than in normal workshops.
Also the evenings that gives you the possability to talk about the life of photography, the openess to reflect eachother.
Guy did a mindset, he created the atmosphere that makes you feel special.
As I was telling him: his event breathes, smells, heares and lives photography.
A lifetime experience.

Henk van Kooten