I have decided that after a two hear hiatus, that I will be going back to my favorite country on earth and a lead a 13 day photo workshop from February 26th – March 10th, 2015.  The hidden jewel and land of enchantment of Southeast Asia is Myanmar, or what many of the locals still refer to as Burma. Bordered by Thailand, India, Bangladesh, China, & Laos, this country is a mecca for capturing one of a kind images. From the awe inspiring monasteries & temples to the simplicity of the soft spoken people, Burma stands out from the rest of Southeast Asia. It might be the least visited & explored country in that part of the world & that is what makes it so special. The hospitality of the locals make you feel like you are the first foreigners they have ever seen. It is truly a feast for the eyes in every direction and a place that will stay in your heart forever.

UPDATE ~~ July 10th, 2014~~~~~ the workshop filled in 3 hours.       but….

Since so many people were on the wait list , I have decided to run a second workshop later in 2015. The dates would be November 17th – 29th, 2015 …….    ** Update as of January 23th, 2015 ~~  There is one spot left as one person just had to cancel today after the workshop had been full.    Please email me if you would like to take this last spot.

Please note** We will be creating tons of beautiful images all throughout Burma that are yours to do whatever you want with. I will be creating a few… special compositions, involving unique set ups that you may photograph; however, you will have to agree that you will not market these particular images that I set up as your own works.

This will be a trip for photographers who want to capture once in a lifetime images. My guide is one of the best guides in Burma and has guided many of the top photographers in the world. He is not only knoweledgable about every aspect of Burma but also highly respected and will go out of his way to please each and every one of us. We will be going to many unique locations for photography in all four of the cities that we will be visiting, often looking for monks, local villagers & children for our photos.

Our trip will be about one thing and that is to be in the best light at the best time at the best locations. Photo opportunities are everywhere in Burma and we will all see why this country is the jewel of Southeast Asia. I have chosen late February as a good time for less tourists than the previous 3 months as I want to be around as few tourists as possible. I know this country well and want our group to have the most amount of photo ops without other people bothering us. This magical place called Burma is a photographers paradise and this trip is for people that are serious about capturing great images and are not just here for a sightseeing trip.

Our itinerary includes the capital, Yangon with it’s many sights and sounds including the golden  Schwedagon Pagoda and colorful early morning fish markets. We will then visit the ancient religious city of Bagan, where the landscape is filled with thousands of temples and is one of the most special places on Earth. Next is Mandalay, where we will photograph monks and local children in and around local villages and many of the amazing temples and monasteries.

We will also be shooting the famous 1.2Km teak UBien Bridge at sunset, capturing monks and locals carrying their wares & goods atop their heads. In Inle Lake, we will photograph local fishermen in their traditionalfishing boats, the Padaung long necked women, bustling local markets and a floating monastery.

My love affair with Burma began long ago in 2001 and after multiple journeys throughout the years, there is nowhere I would rather be. Last year, I was lucky enough to get a book deal with Skyhorse Publishing in New York to make a 270 page coffee table book called Passage to Burma, which this link will take you to. Inside the book are most of the cities we will be be traveling to within Burma and it was a labor of love that was years in the making.

During the workshop, we will also will be able to see many of the people in the book including my favorite monks and monk masters and also gorgeous little children that I adore to pieces over there. One of the special places inside the book is a grade school where they let me teach English to the school kids and we will all be able to go to this school and watch them learn English.

Cost

The cost for the workshop is $7,700 per person, which is more than 2 years ago but hotel costs, internal flights, food, fuel and transportation and just about everything else that the country can exploit from so much new tourism has increased my guides costs to me. If I took  larger group, then I could charge less, but that is not what I like or want. The price includes: lodging, all meals, domestic economy flights, ground-transportation, guide/translator, boat fares on scheduled rides, entrance and archaeological fees for scheduled visits, portage charges at airports and jetty, camera and video fees. A visa for your passport is required for Burma which can be easily obtained by Zierer Visa Service at www.zvs.com.

The price is based on two people sharing a room as is the same with most international workshops and to have your own room and not want to share is a Single Room Supplement fee of approx. $1,480. It used to be much less and I am not happy about this but I also only want to stay at some of the best hotels in Burma, rated at 5 star and many workshops charge less but the hotels are very bad. I have stayed at some of them and this is not what I ever want for my workshops and I insist on great hotels.  My guide knows me well and knows what I expect and this workshop is the real deal.

Not included:  International airfare to and from Yangon, airport taxes, entry visa fees,  alcohol, soft drinks and personal shopping and tips for drivers, models, monks and our guide.

Workshop Limit & agreement

The workshop is limited to 8 participants.  I do not like large groups, as I said, especially to this beautiful place and I will be working with everyone individually and as a group to better their photography skills, throughout the entire trip. I take larger groups to other destinations but for what I do with my groups in this special country, even eight people is pushing it. I do not leave the group and do my own shots as other leaders do but let everyone participate in unique set ups that I design with my guide as I will share many ideas and techniques with everyone on creating compelling images. No one else does that but I want everyone to experience what I do, especially in Burma.

Please note** We will be creating tons of beautiful images all throughout Burma that are yours to do whatever you want with.  I do want to mention thatI will be creating some special compositions as I mentioned above,  that you may photograph; however, you will have to agree that you will not market these particular images that I set up as your own works. I will let you know in advance which compositions you are free to shoot but not market as your own…..as there will not be too many of them.

I want everyone to have an amazing experience and I know no other instructor will give a workshop like this. I have heard from others what they have gotten on other Burma workshops and I know none work harder than me.  You will see if you join me.  I will speak individually with each person in the group and want to know each of their wishes and goals. I also cannot guarantee that the workshop will run as sometimes this happens. So far, this has not happened to me but just want everyone to know there is always a chance of a workshop not running without the right enrollment.  Trip insurance is also highly recommended.

Skill Level

Basic understanding of your camera operations including using f/stops and shutter speed is needed for this workshop. This workshop is for the intermediate to advanced photographer wanting to expand their knowledge of photography & capture one of a kind images in this special part of the world. Good camera gear is expected and a tripod although optional is very important and I never travel anywhere without one. I will go over camera gear with each person to make sure nothing is left at home.

Registration

To register for The Burma 2015 Workshop, please contact me here for a registration form & full itinerary. It is not complete yet as I am working on last minute details but should be available shortly.  For more information about reserving a space, deposits or anything else, please e-mail me anytime.

Please check out these two links on my website to see many images from previous Burma workshops:

Burma workshop 2010

Burma workshop 2012