Secrets of Documentary Photography
Sharpen Your Visual Storytelling
Designed and led by renowned documentary photographer Colm Pierce, The Secrets of Documentary Photography workshop will help you take your photography to the next level.
The three picture story format consists of three images: an establishing image, a relationship image and a detail image. When viewed together, these images convey a story. This format was chosen for the course both because it makes for fantastic training in documentary photography, and will allow you to finish the course with a creation of your own.
Half Day Workshop
- 5:15AM - 9:30AM
- $90 per person
- maximum 4 persons
- Tay Ho (Westlake), Hanoi, Vietnam
We’ll begin the day early with a primer on camera settings and the three picture story, before taking a tour of the lake where you’ll shoot your first three picture story.
After our coffee break, you’ll have the opportunity to explore and shoot a second set of images on your own, before we all meet up again and put our second stories together.
- 5:15 – 5:30 – Meetup, introductions, camera settings and discussion on image composition and storytelling.
- 5:30 – 6:15 – Establishing image.
- 6:15 – 7:00 – Relationship image.
- 7:00 – 7:30 – Detail image.
- 7:30 – 8:00 – Coffee break, and selection of first set of images.
- 8:00 – 9:00 – Free practice.
- 9:00 – 9:30 – Selection of second set of images.
What equipment should I bring?
Your camera! Ideally, this should be a DSLR or mirrorless, but I’ve had students obtain excellent results with just their smartphones.
Is coffee included?
Yes.
Why such an early start?
Starting early allows us to catch the sun rising over the lake. Also, things quieten down around lunchtime as locals head home for lunch, so we want to get our shooting done before then, when there’s most activity.
Full Day Workshop
- 5:15AM - 6:00PM
- $125 per person
- maximum 4 persons
- Tay Ho (Westlake), Hanoi, Vietnam
The full day workshop mirrors the half day workshop, except it goes into more detail. The primer on settings and narrative goes into more depth and the morning’s guided photography section takes place over a full five hours.
There’s an extended lunch break (the lake’s quieter around lunch so this is the ideal time to pause), before Colm takes you through storyboarding your second set of images and you explore and shoot on your own. Lastly, you meet up for a last coffee break to review your work.
- 5:15 – 6:00 – Meetup, introductions, camera settings and discussion on image composition and storytelling.
- 6:00 – 7:30 – Establishing image.
- 7:30 – 9:00 – Relationship image.
- 9:00 – 9:45 – Coffee break, pictorial review.
- 9:45 – 11:00 – Detail image.
- 11:00 – 14:00 – Lunch break.
- 14:00 – 15:00 – Brainstorming, planning and storyboarding.
- 15:00 – 17:00 – Free practice.
- 17:00 – 18:00 – Coffee break, and selection of second set of images.
What equipment should I bring?
Your camera! Ideally, this should be a DSLR or mirrorless, but I’ve had students obtain excellent results with just their smartphones.
Is lunch included?
No, because I’ve found that students often enjoy having the time to explore the area a bit on their own, and the freedom to choose where they eat.
Coffee or tea is included, though. I’ll take you to a fantastic little cafe.
Westlake Gallery
