Stage 1: Introduce and discuss your story/stories (2-3h)

Stage 2: Choose a suitable photo camera for you and your story 

Stage 3: Take pictures (recommended individual work, minimum 3-4h)

Stage 4: Asking questions, a semi-structured stage to discuss the photographs (2-3h)

Stage 5: Reflect upon your selected pictures and identify possible outcomes to present your work (2-3h)

Stage 6: Reflect on the outcomes and the process (2-3h)

Outcomes:

By the end of this workshop, participants would have:

- experienced various ways of working with photography

- a better understanding of the role of photography in accessing memories and personal feelings

- a better understanding of the role of the artist/personal statement

- their story ready to present to other people or to develop further work

- a better understanding of the photo-entanglement.

Click here for the Workshop Participant Information page.

Price: £190.00 per participant

Duration: 6-8 hours, plus 3-4 hours of individual work.

Where: Face-to-face in Chester, online or hybrid, according to your needs.

Face-to-face sessions will be conducted in the Chester City Centre at the Grosvenor Museum, at the Boathouse by Water Tower Gardens or other locations as necessary.

Discount: 30% for bookings of more than one person on the same scheduled workshop.

Details will be discussed separately for a group of more than 10 participants.

For companies organising team-building events, schools or universities, details should be discussed, as it may be necessary to consider the location and opening hours.

The role of each bespoke session is to develop, guide or initiate your work according to your needs.

Here are a few examples of aspects of photography practice that we can focus on during our session:

• Basic or advanced photography tailored to specific areas.

• Find various ways to develop your photography practice.

• Experiment with similar practices, including various skills and techniques.

• Discuss potential needs for your photography project, such as resources, equipment, locations, materials, collections, literature and references from relevant practices.

• Review your work and identify potential ways to present it.

• Initiate, structure or develop your photography narrative, concept or storytelling to communicate with photography effectively.

• Gain a deeper understanding of the role of photography and connection to your artist/personal statement.

• Learn postproduction skills and prepare a portfolio of photographs, including editing and printing.

• Understand the process of exhibiting your work, including selecting, finding a location, sizing, framing and determining a wall placement.

• Clarify the intentions behind your photography and what you want to communicate, as these factors shape your future photography action plans.

• Get ready to present your work to diverse audiences, whether to individuals or to the public.

• Experiment with various ways of working with photography that are relevant to your practice.

Use the Booking Form to provide your details and design your bespoke session.   

The Chester Photo Festival is looking forward to seeing you working with photography.

Click here for One-on-One Bespoke Participant Information Page

The Chester Photo Festival encourages participants to practice photography by answering the 'What' and Why" questions rather than the 'How'. It invites everyone to explore specific topics driven by personal stories and curiosity.

Here are a few examples of potential photography topics to be explored:

• Re-imagining, imagining, familiarity, every day, the unknown, the new;
• The missing object, objects together, misplaced object(s), unseen, staged or banal;
• From afar, at a distance, distance, behind, shadows, colour, shape and time;
• The narrative, the missing or incomplete image, the missing photograph;
• Misrepresentation and misunderstanding;
• The printed photographed as a physical object, the digital photograph as a virtual object;
• Self-exploration. Who am I?
• Artificial intelligence and the mechanical act of taking or reproducing a picture;
• The possibility of creating a photograph without a meaning;
• What if I create a photograph and someone else writes the artist's statement?
• What if I create a photograph for an already written statement?

• Price: £40.00 per hour.
• You can invite a maximum of three guests for £20/h each.
• Where: Face to face in Chester or Online
• The sessions can be conducted at other locations or in mixed forms; details will be discussed. Multiple sessions can be booked and would be tailored to your needs.
• Group bespoke sessions are available for more than 10 participants at £10 to £15 per person; details are to be discussed. 

Online via Zoom, WhatsApp or MS Teams.

Looking at and discussing your produced photographs, finding relevant references for your interest. 

Looking for and discussing how potentially to start your photography work.

Looking at, reviewing and receiving guidance on your photography plans.

On Location 

Indoors in the Chester City Centre.

We have access to various locations to accommodate most of your needs, including workshop space areas or specific dedicated studio spaces; museums or other public locations; The Grosvenor Museum Chester; and the Boathouse by The Water Tower Gardens, Chester.

Outdoors: In Chester City Centre, Chester Meadows, Frodsham, Helsby Hill, Moel Famau.

At other locations, outdoors, e.g. Liverpool or Manchester, Snowdonia or Anglesey and other areas, for bookings of a minimum of four hours.

Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your request specifically.