Project South Africa with Jeff Hutchens

Cape Town, South Africa

Level Three: Working with Nonprofits
Dates: Summer 2011
Cost: TBA
The final dates and tuition for this workshop will be announced in June 2010. Please sign up for updates by contacting our staff.

Hotels, in-country transportation and most meals included with tuition
Each student works directly with a local nonprofit to build their photographic archive and a narrative photo essay for your portfolio
Momenta will provide specific nonprofits to each student for their workshop assignments based on our student questionnaire
Daily one-on-one editing with instructors to develop a logistical and photographic plan to document a working NGO in an area of need
Gain rare access to these projects and forge relationships to last into the future. Benefit NGOs in their need to publicize and project their activities to new audiences
Panel discussions on relevant topics related to working in the region and local issues
Explore, discuss, and examine the different types of outreach and aid programs in a given region. Relate this, with the benefit of mentors, to your own personal mission and develop a more broad approach to your own work
Students hone their ability to craft a rich and moving visual narrative about a socially relevant and important topic

So, you want to do more with photography than simply show friends and family about your world travels? Perhaps you've even thought about working either alongside or in the employ of an NGO to assist them in their mission and gain access to their projects. Maybe you've begun to work as a professional or citizen journalist and want to take that mission to the next level, to a region and country out of the comfort zone.

If any of these things sounds familiar, then Project South Africa 2011 will be your ideal workshop. The centerpiece of your experience will be working with directly with one of our NGO partner's in a real world, extended documentary environment. Workshop attendees will be assigned with an NGO that has a mission complementary to the photographer's own goals for their work. Each student then covers the daily activities of the organization. Your visual product will be provided to the organization as a thank you for allowing access to their programs and will be used to further the cause of NGO's in areas such as HIV/AIDS outreach, vocational training, orphanages and healthcare.

Truth be told, South Africa will be help train you to work with nonprofits on a professional level. Many students will come back with work that will be published and of exhibition quality. In addition, attendees will have the benefit of logistical support, editing, instruction, and personal mentoring during this process of creation. Finally, photographers who come on this great adventure will have honed their own craft while benefiting exactly the type of groups that need visual help the most. Every portfolio from this project will go towards documenting the work NGO 's do in the region, and the people who work so hard to make a difference.

Project South Africa allows for freedom in scheduling based on the photographer's and NGOs' vision. Upon arrival in Cape Town, each student will meet with the instructors on a one-on-one basis to discuss their photography, their assigned NGOs and develop a strategy based on the student' goals for the workshop. We want this workshop to be tailored to each student on a personal level so that you leave with the best experience possible and a portfolio shaped to your personal vision.

The workshop fees include all workshop related costs including: hotel accommodations, in-country travel and meals where indicated on the itinerary, daily one-on-one access to an instructor, personalized portfolio reviews, all handouts and workshop materials, daily slideshows and lectures, software and equipment training. The workshop fees do not include international airfare, early arrival or late departure accommodations, visa fees (if applicable), travel insurance, medical costs, meals not indicated on the itinerary, items of personal nature including phone calls, laundry, alcohol, etc.

About your Instructors

Jeff Hutchens was chosen as one of "PDN's 30" and he has been awarded POYi, NPPA and WHNPA awards for his work. Jeff is also the host of a six-part travel/adventure series airing on the National Geographic Channel. The show follows him and his filmmaker brother as they document far-flung regions of China through their respective lenses.

Jeff will be joining co-instructor Jamie Rose, who has worked in Africa multiple times over the past five years for clients including The New York Times, The Calvert Foundation and The Global Fund. She is also Momenta's Director of Workshops. Jamie won the White House News Photographers' Association Project Grant for her portfolio of nonprofit work in Africa.

Learn more about your instructors by visiting Our Instructors page.

For More Information

Please email our offices for an itinerary and information about this workshop at info@momentaworkshops.com. You may also reach Director of Workshops Jamie Rose between the hours of 9:30 a.m - 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday at 202.203.8758. We look forward to working with you on this very popular workshop!

Important Workshop Notes: This workshop requires a minimum skills aptitude due to the nature of the close work with the partner non-profits. The conditions on this workshop can be difficult due to the nature of rural accommodations. This is not a luxury trip nor travel oriented. This course is designed for people who have working knowledge of the photo mechanical process and working photo storytelling skills. Momenta will work with each photographer to find the right fit with a local NGO partner upon registration. Students provide their own equipment, including laptop, cameras and editing software. An online downloadable trial version of Photo Mechanic is available for all our students and can be purchased at a discounted rate. Please contact us for more information about this workshop today.