Workshop La Coruna Spain

Workshop La Coruna, 26 & 27 th of January 2010


Un poco extraño pero bonito
Acerca de conceptos y proyectos

(a little strange but beautyfull / about concepts and projects)

Another workshop that was a fantastic experience.
In the beautyfull city of La Coruna, the workshop was during the two days
in the amazing conference centre of Palexco.
Spain is different from other countries. The people – photographers are unlimited willing to learn. Every second is taken for important. The purity and openminded way of thinking shows in there evolving photography.
We arrived on the 24th of January at the small airport of La Coruna.
Pablo and Jose picked us up from there.
In the evening we met the ‘translator’ Diaro, a very good photographer from Barcelona.
And of course we were introduced to lots more : Jose’s wife Maria, Pablos wife Raquel and the most beautyfull old man Eliseo.
As much as I am do a school trying to learn Spanish, this is to much.
So I was happy to have Dario around us.
His English was unbelievable good.
Christina was with me to help and do the styling and make up.
The Monday was used to prepare and test.
Setting the Hasselblad, preparing the studio equipment, testing the slideshows and music. Microphones to speak etc etc
Jose and his team of Foto Artus were almost “dead” at the end of the day.
I was very happy that Muel (photographer from Gijon, and a very good friend)
Came over to see us. He is so close to what I feel that we can finish our words.
Tuesday was the start at 10 o’clock.
The programme was made in the vision of the theme.
Basicley I wanted a combination.
Doing four photoshoots ( two each day), it was nice to make connections to slideshow and talking about the why and hows.
Still the scedule was tight and in Spain, scedules change always.
To be flexible is a must.
Everything went very good.
The photoshop and printing was really good to do.
To see output is important.
Using the Nik Software towards black and white, the Dynamic Skinsoftner, The Polaroid Transfer......... good to demonstrate.
The vision of how to look at human shape and bodylanguage is of course my thing.
First we did the photoshoot of a weddingcouple. Outside location, using the entrence of a parking garage, in the shadow, also a huge red wall, aswell as a staircase.
Just have a look at the pictures.
Second shoot was a studioshoot with a ‘fashion-couple’.
The mystery is than something else.
Using strong colours and deep black and whites.
This tuesday ended at 8 pm.
In the evening again good food and nice talks.
The hotel was almost in the towncentre and was really relaxed to be.
The wednesday 27th again a full programme, and complete change of scedule for the photoshoots had to be on different times.
A shoot of two young children (brother/sister) that were accomplished by there grandmother. A difficult thing with young children. Not speaking there language, a very much (too, but understandable)) helping grandmother, did made the little bit anxious children difficult to be photographed.
But we managed.
Last shoot was a young familiy, with children of about 6-8 years old.
They were really cool.
Anyway, we had some good photoshoots to demonstrate.
Dario made his fantastic translation complete by even translating my Spanish line into Spanish.... Realising this stupid moment, we looked at eachother and could not stop laughing.
Combined with slideshow, show how to work on a project, make marketing work, it was after my last slideshow I realised I gave everything and was very emotional. Not expected to get this standing ovation.
Lots of photographers were buying my book dvd, and I was asked quite a lot to be on the picture with them.
Yes, appreciation is something everybody needs. And in this atmosphere it ment a lot to me.

The hospitality, having new friends, have no words to express my feelings.
Thanks.

Worked out the pictures in different ways. Looks cool ...

Henk van Kooten

( look at ; http://www.henkvankooten.com/fhp/project.cfm?id=97&taal=031&site=fhp for the complete portfolio!)