Overview:

This six and a half-day workshop (spanning 13 days) by veteran National Geographic Photographer Gerd Ludwig, in conjunction with Nobechi Creative, is geared toward professional and committed amateur photographers who want to take their photography to the next level. 

Concentrating on the aesthetic, technical and logistical aspects of photographing with personal vision, the workshop will begin with two days of portfolio reviews, instruction and theory, before participants begin photographing a subject of their choice for a total of six+ days. Editing days will be interspersed between, with Gerd guiding students through this process. The final two and a half days will be filled with culling, toning and sequencing, followed by a joint presentation of the final stories to conclude the workshop.

GERD EXPLAINS HOW IT WORKS:

GERD EXPLAINS HOW IT WORKS:

Students will be asked to come up with two attainable (and safe), realistic and well-researched story/project ideas before the workshop commences. These ideas should be stories on which students would like to focus throughout the duration of the workshop. In light of Covid-19 we ask that you do not take unnecessary risks with your project choices. You can make a worthwhile project about your daily life or even about subjects such as separation, your response to the pandemic, hope and so on. From there, on the first day of class, Gerd will help you to decide which of the two projects you will focus on during the workshop.

Note: the times for this class will be set based on schedules taking into account student locations and needs. However, to get the most out of this workshop you will need to allocate shooting time beyond the group meeting times.

WHAT ELSE IS COVERED:

Gerd will emphasize the process of finding and researching subjects, photographing people in an intimate fashion, making photographs that communicate emotionally as well as editorially, and using aesthetics in a sophisticated manner. Workshop participants will be encouraged to take professional risks to produce top quality work worthy of publications, contest entries or gallery submissions.

Technical discussions will focus on how to use photographic tools in real-world scenarios to capture atmosphere and mood, while maintaining a sense of place; approach subjects and establish trust in order to photograph people in an intimate fashion; use form, lighting, and color to communicate emotions; balance a personal point of view while respecting a subject’s situation; and use focused editing to reveal a story’s essential truth. Gerd will share his own photographic techniques, such as his choice of cameras, lenses, lighting, strobes and filters. He will explain how capturing quality images at extremely high ISOs has enabled him to tackle stories for National Geographic Magazine that previously were impossible to explore (“Moscow Never Sleeps”, “Chernobyl”, “Russian Orthodox Church”, “Sleeping Cars” et cetera).

Gerd will address the changing photographic market, and how to expand short assignments into long-term personal projects using the latest fundraising, distribution, and marketing methods. As a pioneer in crowdfunding, Gerd successfully financed a trip to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone via Kickstarter, as well as ran a second successful Kickstarter campaign to publish his award-winning 20-year retrospective book The Long Shadow of Chernobyl. With his 370k+ followers on Instagram, he is a valuable resource for planning, analyzing, and publishing your content through social networks.

Throughout the workshop, critiques will take place, both in groups and individually.

INSTRUCTOR PROFILE:

Born in Alsfeld, Germany, Gerd Ludwig studied Photography at the Folkwang University of the Arts (Folkwangschule) in Essen, Germany, and graduated in 1974. That year he co-founded VISUM, Germany’s first photographer-owned agency, and began working for publications such as Geo, Stern, Spiegel, Fortune, Time, and Life. In 1984 he re-located to New York and signed on as a contract photographer for National Geographic Magazine in the early 1990s.

Now based in Los Angeles, Gerd Ludwig continues his work for National Geographic Magazine, photographs personal projects, lectures at universities, teaches photographic workshops, and exhibits his photographs in galleries and museums around the world. He is the recipient of the 2006 Lucie Award for International Photographer of the Year, the 2014 Dr. Erich-Salomon Award, the highest lifetime achievement award in editorial photography in Germany, and the Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism in 2015. 

CLASS SIZE:

This workshop is limited to 9 participants, plus one scholarship recipient.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY:

The April Nocifora Scholarship will be awarding one scholarship opportunity for a photographer who demonstrates photographic talent, is serious about establishing a career in photography and also demonstrates financial need. In order to be considered, please submit a portfolio of 10 to 20 images in JPEG format, Max 20MB total file sizes along with a Bio/CV and a brief essay: one to two pages explaining why you would like to take this class to info@nobechicreative.com. This scholarship opportunity is open to all persons, regardless of age, nationality, gender identification. Please note, however, that the class will be conducted in English so you will need to have at least a working understanding of English (fluency not required).

This class is now complete. To register interest in a future workshop gerd ludwig, please fill out the form below:

Examples of student work from the prior nobechi creative gerd ludwig master class “The Art of STORYTELLING” 2021

testimonials FROM PAST STUDENTS of “the art of storytelling” with gerd ludwig and nobechi creative:

“The impact of the class is long-lasting and its impact is felt even more keenly over time. Gerd is a tremendous instructor, incredibly skillful photographer, and master storyteller. I learned so much from Gerd about how to create a compelling narrative to support my photography and how to view my work with a more discerning eye. Working with him one-on-one to sort my images into a cohesive narrative while varying perspective, color, subject, and focal length was a remarkable experience. Nobody wants you to succeed as a storyteller and photographer more than Gerd, and he puts his exceptional thoughtfulness and his time into helping you in this class.”

-Gillian

“I thought the class was fantastic. Gerd is a master storyteller; it is amazing learning from the best.  Yes, a bit intimidating, but he worked with all of us students where we were, technically, compositionally, and in how we told a story. I was a novice.  I was challenged to improve each shot compositionally, and then learned what it takes to weave a great story. Gerd is one of my teachers who is always ‘in my head’ when I am framing a shot.  This is a class that will improve all levels of photographers. I will take the class again someday, and will be challenged at different levels than I was the first time. ”

– Dana

Additional Testimonials from Gerd’s past workshops

I learned more about photography in 5 days with Gerd Ludwig than I have over the past 10 years of trying to teach myself.
– Taylor Turner, photographer & videographer

Gerd demanded much but in return gave us his all, as did his assistant, Molly. He was a tough task master (with a terrific sense of humor, thankfully!) who was very generous with his knowledge. He is equally genuine with his compliments and his criticism. He pushed each of us a notch or two beyond where we, as photographers, had been before we met him.
– Tamar Granovsky, photographer

It was an incredible opportunity for me to learn from National Geographic photographer Gerd Ludwig. With his personal instruction he taught me to see the emotional side of a photo, taking my passion for photography to a new level. His vision opened my eyes to a different perspective of the world.
– Steffi Graff, tennis champion

Of all the workshops I’ve taken, the one that made the biggest impact on me was a two day workshop with Gerd at the Salton Sea. I’ll never forget being dropped off by myself in Niland with only 45 minutes to take an environmental portrait of a total stranger in their home. I had never done anything like that before; but Gerd had taken the time to share his own stories and offer advice about approaching sensitive situations as a photographer. I ended up meeting and photographing a wonderful family. He pushed each student beyond their comfort zones as photographers. It was an invaluable lesson.
– Robert Larson, photographer

Organizing ten years’ worth of materials for a long-term project, Gerd helped me make better choices in the edit and achieve more clarity in the book design. I appreciate his rigor and candor, while helping ensure that my photos found their best presentation. It’s rare to find a teacher who balances trenchant criticism with unwavering support for your work and your vision. Gerd is a great critic and advocate.
– Preston Merchant, Adjunct Professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism