Training Future Photographers in Sudan by Glenn Edwards
Although a working photojournalist and Media Editor for Africa Welsh News, teaching is close to my heart. I have spent the past 8 years as an HPL at the University of South Wales and acted as a consultant on photojournalism for The Thomson Foundation, global leaders in media development running workshops in Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, The Gambia, Nigeria, Malawi and UK.
It was a phone call from The Thomson Foundation in July asking me if I would run an on line photography workshop for participants in Khartoum and Darfur in Sudan. The workshop was a joint venture between the Goethe Institut in Germany and The Thomson Foundation
The training consisted of 2 days a week for 3 weeks with two groups of 7 participants.
The basis of the training was to introduce an equal eclectic mix of female and male participants to the basics of photography. Looking at the work from Sudan the standards were generally low from inexperience though a few stand out photographers emerged. The mobile phone was the common camera used but a few had more professional equipment. What was evident from everybody was the enthusiasm to learn.
Battling the inconsistent network issues we managed to fight our way through the subjects and a portrait exercise emphasized the difference in standards and knowledge but that was to be expected and proved to be invaluable in the learning process. The portraits were displayed and everybody in the group could learn from others.
The work of 2 participants stood out. Reem Aljeally is an accomplished artist and her work symbolizing the role of women in the pro democracy protests in Sudan, fronting the uprising that ousted President Omar Al Bashir from 30 years of authoritarian rule.
Her portrait of fellow visual artist and activist Maab Tajualdin in her studio surrounded by her work showed an obvious talent even though this was the first time she had used a camera for her art. The use of colour and composition was of an expected high standard from this wonderful artist in her own right but she was happy to take and use the constructive criticism to improve her work in a new medium.
Mohammed Faisal had the same attitude and over the past weeks has sent regular work via email. Sometimes we see new work from new people and the imagery oozes talent. Mohammed’s work was different from Reem’s . More journalistic, working in villages, farms and markets.
Whatever stage we are in our career the only way to improve is get out there and shoot pictures, make mistakes then improve from those mistakes. We never stop learning and Mohammed has the enthusiasm and determination to make a career from photography in the future.
Many of the participants had an eye to produce individual images but were unclear when asked to produce a picture story, using basic building blocks of 3 or 5 images to create a narrative. Hopefully the workshop will be the beginning of a learning journey.
I am not expecting the 6 days to produce the finished article. That will not happen but maybe it will help build a passion within and those that have that passion will continue to read, continue to photograph, continue to make mistakes and become documentarians of their country.
With more quality work now being produced by the participants an exhibition will be shown from 28th October in the Omdurman Cultural Centre in Sudan.
Look out for news of more Africa Welsh News training initiatives.
