Israel photography workshop – Experience the Holy Land through your lens
Our Israel photography workshop has always been at the top of our list of our favourite photographic destinations. Why is that you may ask? Well, maybe it’s due to the 4,000 year old legacy of Jewish history or the birthplace of Christianity? Israel, and Jerusalem in particular, is of major importance for the 3 monotheistic faiths, where significant events on a biblical scale [quite literally] have contributed in shaping our world. Or maybe it’s because Israel has such diversity in it’s glorious architecture, stunning geographical topography, photogenic inhabitants, or unique flora and fauna? Or perhaps I am just biased because I was born there. It is the only place in the world where I feel such a deep connection to the land – something not easy to describe in words. In truth, I would say the reason is because of all of the above.
A rock makes for a makeshift tripod in supporting my camera for this selfie. Captured in a cistern of the Masada fortress
Further to our past itineraries that were divided into the North and South, we now run our scheduled workshops to cover the entire country with an optional extension to the North. As well as experiencing the diversity and extra locations in Israel, we feel that this option gives the travelling photographer a more worthwhile experience, especially for visitors coming on long distance flights from North America, Asia etc. While we offer year-round private workshops that are customised to the individuals preferred photographic genres, of durations between 3-9 days, the dates for scheduled workshops can be found on our workshops page. These also include the unique Israel Holy Week workshop, where thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world gather in Jerusalem to trace the entrance and final footsteps of Jesus. As with our other international workshops, these photographic vacations are held through Photo Workshop Adventures – our affiliate with over 150 destinations in over 50 countries. Private individual workshops are carefully customised to the individual’s preferred photographic genre, experience level and with the goal of what we think can be improved by way of one-on-one tuition. As well as a complete focus on the individual student, the private workshops give you the opportunity to visit Israel during one of it’s memorable festivals and religious events. Photographing the locals during the festival of Purim for example, is an experience you are not likely to forget.
Bedouin boys on a donkey pass over the Judean Hills, the ancient Kingdom of Judea
While our guests experience capturing a variety of photographic subjects on our Jerusalem and Tel Aviv photography tours, our multi-day Israel workshop goes further in regards to the locations we visit, time spent with individual photographers in aiding them to improve on their technical and creative skills, learning how to overcome barriers and anxieties in photographing in a foreign country as well as a more intensive educational experience. All given with our hands-on approach while on location, in a fun environment and at a casual pace. Just like any other destination we work in, patience is key, and we emphasise the benefits in working the right scene, instead of photographing every single subject we come across. This will give you a higher success rate of strong images, become more selective in what to shoot, and ultimately, create a stronger portfolio of images.
Bright colours adorn the entrance to a home in the Arab quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City
Typically, we would spend our day with an early morning start to photograph during good ambient lighting. Depending on where we are on any given day, this would include street photography, architecture or landscapes. The low angle of the sun creates warmth, interesting shadows and great skies. Likewise, it is an ideal time of day to shoot street photography as the locals prepare for their day. As the sun rises, we would usually plan to visit covered areas, such as the Shuk in the Old City of Jerusalem, natural caves and sea grottoes, the interiors of houses of worship or just float on the Dead Sea! The low afternoon sun during Magic Hour is an optimal time to photograph the beauty of Israel, and in particular Jerusalem, where you will see why it is called the city of Gold. Blue Hour and Night Photography give you the opportunity to shoot low-light photography where cities transform into streaks of light, movement and atmosphere. Likewise, night photography in the desert during our overnight stay in the Dead Sea opens up possibilities in the exciting world of astro-photography. And no workshop would be complete without our critique of your images, advice on selection and retouching images with your favourite editing software.
The salt covered shores of the Dead Sea, with saturated colours and reflections of the Jordanian mountains
Our private Israel photo tours are available year-round, according to availability. We run trips throughout the year, however avoiding the southern desert regions of Israel during the highest temperatures in August is advisable.
Optional Petra & Wadi Rum, Jordan add-on photo workshop available on request. Private Israel photography workshops and tours are available year round.
Please feel free to contact us for queries on our Israel itineraries or any of our other international destinations and the latest tour and workshop dates. We look forward to hearing from you!