RICHARD SANDLER STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP at GALLERY 881

ABOUT

This three day workshop (May 19 - 21, 2024) hosted by Gallery 881 features an exciting opportunity to learn from photographer, filmmaker, and former ICP instructor Richard Sandler. The workshop will focus on guiding students in their photography practice and challenge them to think critically about their work and the medium. Through one on one coaching by Sandler, individual and group discussion and critique, this workshop will have both practical and theoretical components all aimed at enabling students to create amazing street photography of their own. Sandler will coach students in one on one segments while out photographing in Vancouver’s downtown core. Conversation, dialogue and opportunities for questions will push students to consider and properly utilize influences, make selections and will be challenged by critique and group discussions lead by Sandler. The Gallery 881 curator and visual artist John Goldsmith will also actively participate each day offering insights based on his experience as a street photographer, fine art printer, and gallerist. At the end of the workshop students will have photographed and selected one 12x18” photograph to be printed by PrintMaker Studio. This will include 1:1 mentorship in fine art printing and finishing techniques.

The cost is $1350 CAD plus tax. Attendance is strictly limited to 8 participants. Please feel free to email any questions or concerns to info@gallery881.com.

Each student will receive a 12x18” archival pigment print on Canson Infinity media of their own artwork which will be produced on the last day of the workshop by PrintMaker Studio, our in-house Canson Infinity Certified Print Lab. We are grateful to our sponsors including PrintMaker Studio and Canson Infinity.

KEY TOPICS

The following is a non-comprehensive list of the workshop topics:

• Overcoming fear and hesitancy
• Mannerism, approach and carrying yourself while shooting on the street
• Learning to see photographs while on the street through composition, subject matter, social commentary; combining all these elements and utilising your own relationship with the world to find inspiration
• Making selections and creating cohesive sequences
• Utilising influences while maintaining your own voice
• The differences and possibilities comparing motion and the still photograph
• Optional: Using flash on the street. Techniques, advantages, managing risk and thinking thoughtfully on your choices to use flash or not

AGENDA

Sunday, May 19, 2024
Location: Gallery 881

• Sandler will present a conversation showing a select number of photos from his career, talking about his process and approach to street photography with actionable advice and opportunities for questions.

• Students will have their own work as well as their fellow students work critiqued by Sandler and Gallery 881’s curator, John Goldsmith.

• Sandler will offer his guidance on utilising influences effectively while developing your own voice in a group discussion in which Sandler will present some of his own influences.

Monday, May 20, 2024
Location: Downtown Vancouver

• Students will gather in the morning in Vancouver’s downtown core where they will then split up to photograph independently, all while keeping in contact with the group.

• Sandler will meet with students as they are out shooting for one on one coaching, answering questions and offering his advice on technique and approach while shooting candidly on the street. Rotating every 20 minutes until every student has had the opportunity to photograph under Sandler’s guidance.

• After photographing in the morning (approximately 5 hours), students will meet at Gallery 881 and reflect on the day with Sandler guiding a group discussion. Students will have the opportunity to show some of the photographs they took that day with Sandler offering feedback and guidance on editing and sequencing photos.

• After the day, students will independently create a sequence of up to 10 photos from that day. Students will be asked to pick one of their images to be printed by PrintMaker Studio.

Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Location: Gallery 881

• Students will present their sequences to the group with Sandler offering a critique of their images, choices in sequencing and their selection.

• Students will be challenged to consider their work more carefully and understand their voice by offering a justification for their choices in sequencing and selection to Sandler, who will offer his feedback and advice. Additionally, each day will have a 40 minute lunch scheduled with Sandler in which students are invited to attend at their own expense. Lunch will be an opportunity to ask questions and gain insights in a casual and unstructured format.

LOCATION, DATES, AND FEES

The Participation fee is CA$1350 plus tax and must be paid in advance, there will be a maximum of eight students at this workshop. The workshop will take place May 19 - 21, 2024 at Gallery 881 (881 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6A 3Y1) and Downtown Vancouver.

EXPERIENCE LEVEL AND REQUIRED MATERIALS

This workshop is intended for students who are already photographing and have a solid technical understanding of concepts like the exposure triangle and range focusing. Students will also be expected to bring their own digital or film camera and computer. Film processing is available if required and provided at no extra charge for up to 2 rolls of film. Students should be familiar with their workflow of choice. Access to mobile data in Canada and a WhatsApp account will be required. If students use film, their print may not be available at the close of the workshop. In this case, the print will be shipped following the workshop.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Students will be expected to arrange their own travel plans and any necessary insurance. Meals and beverages will not be provided, though a lunch break will be scheduled for students to go out and eat as a group with Richard Sandler or individually at their own discretion and expense. Students will be required to pay fees upfront and are expected to be responsible for their own availability, they will not be refunded if unable to attend. In the event of force majeure Gallery 881 will make a reasonable effort at rescheduling with students expected to be responsible for their individual availability. If a new schedule is not possible students will receive a 90% refund. The daily workshop schedule is subject to change based on timing and student needs.

BIOS

Richard Sander
Photographer and FIlmmaker

Richard Sandler, (b.1946) is a street photographer and documentary filmmaker. His still photographs are in the permanent collections of the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Museum, the New York Historical Society, the Houston Museum of Fine Art, the Museum of the City of New York and the Center for Creative Photography. Sandler was awarded two New York Foundation for the Arts fellowships for photography, (1992, 1998), a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation fellowship for Filmmaking, (2006), and a New York State Council on the Arts fellowship for Filmmaking (2009). Sandler worked as a freelance photojournalist for 35 years; his clients included the New York Times, Time Magazine, the Village Voice, The Boston Phoenix, Boston Magazine and The Real Paper (Boston). 

Richard has directed and shot eight non-fiction films, including “The Gods of Times Square,”(1999), “Brave New York” (2004) and “Radioactive City,” (2011). Presently, Sandler's documentary film, “AKA Martha’s Vineyard” is in post production; it recounts the lovely island’s history, told from Wampanoag first nations' perspectives. His first monograph,"The Eyes of the City," (powerHouse Books, 2016) is in it’s third printing, and two other (street and subway) books are in the works. From 1985-1993 Richard taught street and documentary photography classes at the International Center of Photography in New York City.

In Canada, Sandler is proudly represented by Gallery 881, and in the United States he is represented by Miami based Avant Gallery.

“The best photographs are the ones that ask more questions than they answer.” - Richard Sandler

richardsandler.com

John Goldsmith
Gallery Director and Fine Art Printer

John Goldsmith is an artist, fine art printer, and gallery director. He is the creator of Gallery 881, a lens-based contemporary art gallery located in Vancouver, Canada. He is also a master printer and owner of PrintMaker Studio. As an artist, John’s photographs have been featured at exhibitions including the Format Festival (UK), Third Floor Gallery (Wales), and the Head On Photo Festival (Australia). His artwork has been regularly featured in print and online publications.

John has a Master's Degree in Physical Chemistry from Indiana University where he used light to investigate properties of matter. During this time, he began taking darkroom and photography classes at the Hull House in Chicago, IL and began to develop his own art practice. In 2013, he was an invited artist for the inaugural Capture Photography Festival and the 2016 award winner for a public art display on the Canada Line. In 2020, John opened PrintMaker Studio, a fine art printing and custom framing studio located in Vancouver, Canada. John is also the co-creator of SlideNight and 560 Gallery.

johngoldsmithphotography.com

Luca Camaiani
Workshop Coordinator

Luca is a working photographer, artist and creative coordinator at Gallery 881. As an artist, Luca is interested in photography’s relationship with shared and personal memory. With a belief in subjective sincerity, Luca photographs his public and private life with an approach that might be described as autobiographic documentary photography. In his career as a professional photographer, Luca has worked with brands like Aritzia and Herschel Supply Co. Luca is based in Vancouver, Canada.

lucacamaiani.com

SPONSORS

We are grateful to our sponsors Canson Infinity and PrintMaker Studio, a Canson Certified Print Lab. The Certified Print Labs are a network of ‘best in class’ studios and boutique labs based around the world. All the partners have completed a technical evaluation and offer the best print quality on Canson Infinity papers, combined with excellent service. All the partners offer professional fine art & photo printing, however, some also offer art reproduction services for artists and printmakers, looking to create limited edition prints on Canson Infinity or ARCHES digital fine art papers. These studios use high-end capture devices and the correct lighting to faithfully reproduce the original artwork. The network offers services for photographers, printmakers & artists looking for excellent quality and service.