Photography Course 2015

Over the 6 weeks from 18/05/2015 to 25/06/2015, at the premises of the Turkish "Yunus Emre" Institute of Culture in Tirana, EJAlbum, in collaboration with the Institute, once again ran, for the 5th time this year, the didactic project in the form of a genuine photography course. This course had a nature that combined theory and practice. More than 32 hours of theory and practice were held on the Institute's premises, several hours of practice in Tirana, plus a full day on a photo safari outside Tirana, in Përmet.

As theoretical hours, the students had over 10 lectures in classrooms and studios on the following themes:

The history of world and Albanian photography.
Composition in photography
Analogue photography and its differences from digital photography. Held in collaboration with photographer Olsi Qazimi, one of the founders of this course.
Types of photography (genres) and specifically the differences between them, and the distinction between editorial and creative photography. Event photography, still life, photography as art, fashion photography, etc.
Portrait & Landscape (the two most used and most useful genres for the work of a photographer, both amateur and professional).

6. The camera and its components (including exposure metering, aperture, depth of field, lenses, etc.).
7. Photojournalism, its impact on the masses, and ethics in editorial photography.
8. The importance of the project in photography and Social Photography. Guest: well-known Albanian photographer Roland Tasho (over 70 Albanian and international exhibitions and 12 published books).
9. Light in photography (its composition, analysis and use).
10. Post-production in photography. Lecture held together with well-known Albanian photographer Prof. Albes Fusha (Professor of Photography at the University of Arts and head of the multimedia department at that institution, besides being among the best Albanian photographers and artists).

Coordinated with the theoretical foundation, several practical sessions were held, and especially portfolio reviews of the students at the end of each lecture. Besides the theoretical hours mentioned above, there was on-location, in-class and in-studio shooting (improvised on the Institute's premises). An extraordinarily useful lecture was also the Photo Safari, which this time took place in the interesting city of Përmet, and was a full day dedicated to photographic practice. The students were divided into 2-3 groups, and for this day two other experienced photographers were also engaged as assistants/lecturers: well-known photographer Vlasov Sulaj (a photographer for media outlets such as Psikologjia magazine, Panorama newspaper, etc.) and photographer Eno Gace. During this visit we had the chance to photograph, among other things, historical monuments such as the Katiu Bridge in Bënjë and the Teqe neighbourhood in Përmet, besides a report on the city, the Bënjë canyons, the Këlcyrë waterfall, etc.

In conclusion, the students also had a course assignment, in which they could choose a piece of work or reportage between two themes, "Home" and "Separation," which was analysed and judged as a portfolio on the last day, after the certificate of participation was awarded — an analysis also carried out in collaboration with another well-known photographer, Bledar Hasimi (over 15 years as a professional freelance photographer and a photographer for many media outlets in the country).

A rather pleasant ceremony was also organised for the submission of course assignments, and especially for the presentation of certificates of participation to the students — a ceremony at which His Excellency the Ambassador of Turkey to the Republic of Albania, Hidayet Bayraktar, was also present.

The involvement of fellow photographers (Olsi Qazimi, Roland Tasho, Albes Fusha, Vlasov Sulaj, Eno Gace, Bledar Hasimi, etc.) is done with the good intention of confronting students with concrete and successful examples, as well as for the sake of improving teaching methods, since the course itself is held over a relatively short time and the aforementioned individuals have long experience and strong skill in photographic practice. Some photos from the course: