If You Own a Camera, This One’s for You

Slow motion, light spill effects, how to incorporate music and dancing into a seamless dynamic shot, and indoor and outdoor lighting – these techniques and more will be covered in this day-long workshop on shooting video. Whether you’re hoping creating video content to complement a fashion collection or a song, attending Content Director Valentina Vee’s workshop is a must.

For more details or to book, click here.

Be it Bombay, Bangkok, or Cairo, life happens on the streets. That’s why we think the skill of street photography is one that anyone with a passport ought to hone. Enter: Zack Arias. The Atlanta-based photographer will take participants through the colorful and chaotic streets of Old Dubai, guiding them on capturing candid moments, oft-overlooked details, and impromptu portraits. There will also be plenty of time for critique and Q&A. Win-win.

For more details or to book, click here.

Do you know essentially nothing about your camera’s modes, lenses, functions, and controls, relying instead on the automatic mode? There’s hope. This one-day workshop taught by Asim Rafiqui will cover all the essentials such as zone-focus, fixed WB, limited ISO adjustments, and uses of prime lenses. You’ll also understand how to anticipate the light, save time, and find greater accuracy in your exposures and compositions during the first half. This will be followed by a hands-on practice session around Alserkal Avenue.

Bonus: Keep scrolling for a chance to win a spot in this workshop, which is valued at a whopping AED 800.

For more details or to book, click here.

Few events in Dubai’s creative calendar top this one. The return of Fujifilm PhotoFriday will see a day packed with inspirational talks, live demos, and panel discussions – all 60 minutes in length. Whether you’re looking to take better photos on holiday, aiming to reach a large online audience through video content, curious about the realm of war photography, or fascinated by how the sociopolitical landscape of Saudi Arabia is changing, there’s something for everyone. And it’s all collectively priced at only AED 99.

For more details or to book, click here.

You can’t possibly make it all the way to Alserkal Avenue and not catch The Shortest Distance Between Us, the headline exhibition for GPP Photo Week 2019. Showcased at Concrete, it will feature curated works from projects by seven photographers who were awarded grants and commissions by the Arab Documentary Photography Program, which has been nurturing self-reflective documentary photography in the Arab world since 2014.

Expect to see a range of experimental styles through visuals that document people’s re-entry into society after time in prison in Lebanon, the effect of urban development on Moroccan society and identity, the dream scenes of Syrian refugees, the expectations placed on the female body in Egypt, and plenty more.

For more details, click here.

Trust Slidefest – one of GPP’s most popular events – to bring together photographers who dare to go there and invite audiences to engage directly with their works. This year’s installment will feature projects that capture the surreal scenes of Syria’s rebel-held town of Douma, the pioneering women of Yemen who are confronting the customs of a male-dominated society, the transgender community in Lebanon and how they’re mistreated, and the realities faced by young social media influencers in Saudi Arabia.

For more details or to register, click here.

The UAE has no shortage of striking landscapes, but a little primer on photographing them might help. This hour-long talk will be led by Obaid AlBudoor, with him offering insights on how to get out and sharing the tools he uses to hunt down prime shooting locations – in addition to how to get there and when to go. You’ll walk away from this talk better equipped to ensure you’re in the right place at the right time.

For more details or to register, click here.

You’ve taken selfies in the bathroom, behind the steering wheel, beside prominent landmarks, and with your coffee cup in tow. Now take things up a notch with this one-day workday taught by portrait photographer Sara Lando. Covering both technical and storytelling aspects, she’ll have you convinced that self-portraiture is as fun as it is challenging, awkward, and weird – complete with masks to rid you of any inhibitions that may get in your way.

For more details or to book, click here.

If you’re one to advocate a little healthy competition, The ShootOut is the one we’d recommend. This beloved event always makes for a packed room, and for good reason. Three professional photographers are pitted against one another, each given a top-secret subject, equipped with limited materials, and forced to compete in front of a live audience as they rush to shoot and process the best possible photograph in only 20 minutes. You’ll be cheering and jeering straight through this one.

For more details or to register, click here.

If you’re one to frequently reflect on your memories, relationships, and life experiences, this 90-minute seminar awaits. Also led by Sara Lando, it will teach you different ways to explore your own personal history and make original pieces of art, starting with everything from the photos in your family album to the images on your phone.

For more details or to book, click here.