Description
Join Moises Saman for a 5-day workshop as part of our Inside>>Out program.
This workshop begins with a simple premise: the photographs we make are inseparable from who we are.
Over more than twenty-five years as a documentary photographer, Moises Saman’ work has taken him through wars, political upheavals and profound social transformations. But his way of photographing these events has also been shaped by his own biography: born in Peru, raised in Spain, and arriving in the United States as a young immigrant. Questions of identity, displacement, truth and belonging existed in his life before they became recurring themes in his photographs.
As Moises explains: “It took me years to understand that connection. As a younger photographer, I was often drawn toward the center of events: the decisive moment, the confrontation, the spectacle. Over time, I became increasingly interested in what existed around those moments, which were usually found on the edges of events, ordinary life unfolding behind the headlines, the traces people leave behind, and the quieter experiences of memory, faith, displacement and belonging. That evolution forms the basis of my workshop contribution to Inside/Out.”
During the workshop in Bulgaria, participants will be encouraged to examine not only “what” they photograph, but “why they photograph it”. We will explore how personal history, instinct, curiosity and assumptions influence the way each of us approaches the world with a camera.
The workshop will combine daily photographic assignments with intensive group editing and discussion. We will begin by responding instinctively to a familiar environment, then progressively slow the process down. Participants will be asked to move beyond first impressions, look away from the obvious, remain in one place long enough for their initial expectations to fall away, and spend meaningful time with the people and communities they encounter.
Some assignments will deliberately restrict movement or subject matter. Others will ask participants to cross the threshold from observing public life to entering more intimate spaces. Another will focus on the people, labor, rituals and structures that sustain everyday life but often remain unseen.
Each morning, we will return to the photographs and examine them collectively. The conversation will go beyond whether an image is successful. We will ask why the photographer made it, what drew them to that moment, why they chose a particular distance, what assumptions they brought to the encounter, and what might exist beyond the frame.
As the workshop develops, these individual encounters will begin to form a body of work. Through editing and sequencing, participants will learn to identify recurring ideas, visual relationships and personal concerns within their photographs. The aim is not to impose a story on what they have experienced, but to recognize the story that may already be emerging.
Bulgaria becomes both “subject and testing ground”: a familiar environment in which participants can challenge their photographic habits and confront the distance between what they expected to find and what they actually encounter.
The objective of Inside/Out is therefore not simply to produce a collection of strong photographs. It is to help each participant become more conscious of the relationship between their own experience and the way they represent the experiences of others. Because finding a photographic voice isn’t only about learning to see. It is about understanding who is doing the seeing. Moises Saman
A public slideshow will also be organized on the final evening as part of the broader Inside>>Out program.
In this workshop, you will:
- Receive direct mentorship Magnum photographer Moises Saman.
- Disrupt habitual thinking patterns to unlock deeper layers of your creativity.
- Learn to identify the “why” behind your photographic choices and assumptions.
- Gain honest, expert critique on your photographic practice and vision.
- Practice slowing down your process to move beyond first impressions and obvious subjects.
- Edit and sequence your photos to reveal emerging stories rather than imposed narratives.
Contact
If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact us : education@magnumphotos.com You can also book a Magnum Learn Open Session to discuss your aspirations and we’ll help you find the program that suits you best.
