In early 2012 (Jan 28-Feb 4) we will be offering a wonderful week of four simultaneous classes. By day, you’ll be with one class. By night, the groups will converge. This is not a travel workshop, but rather four distinctive JDPW workshops that happen to take place somewhere other than Los Angeles.

Photos by Julia Dean and Martin Herrera

The teachers in Antigua include Phil Borges, Greg Gorman, Joyce Tenneson and Julia Dean. We’ll begin the week with a Sunday afternoon reception and orientation. On Monday morning, the classes begin, culminating in a Friday night cocktail party and slide-show of all the students’ work. In the evenings the classes gather for instructor slide show presentations and a portfolio night. The week is jam-packed with inspiration and fun. We have an ideal spot for our classrooms and office, all right next to each other facing a beautiful courtyard.

Environmental Portraiture and the Personal Project  with Phil Borges

Exploring the Soul of a Portrait with Greg Gorman

The Intimate Portrait with Joyce Tenneson

Mastering Your Flash with Julia Dean

It is going to be a great week!! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

For complete information click HERE.

Antigua Workshop/Photo Festival Schedule

Saturday, January 28th, 2012
Suggested arrival date at La Aurora International airport in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Upon arrival, taxi or van transportation will be required for travel into Antigua (about 45-60 minutes). Check-in at desired hotel in Antigua or Guatemala City (if preferred).

Sunday, January 29th
4:00 – 6:00 pm: Check-in and Registration at Porta Hotel Antigua, 8a Calle Poniente #1, Del Obispo Conference Room. Reception and Cocktail Party
7:00 pm: Dinner out with class and instructor (not included in tuition)

Monday, January 30th
9:00 am – 5:00 pm: Class

Tuesday, January 31st
9:00 am – 5:00 pm: Class
5:00 – 6:30 pm: Free time
6:30 – 8:00 pm: Optional Portfolio night (casual evening to look at everybody’s work)

Wednesday, February 1st
9:00 am – 5:00 pm: Class
5:00 – 6:30 pm: Free time
6:30 – 8:00 pm: Slideshow with and Phil Borges

Thursday, February 2nd
9:00 am – 5:00 pm: Class

Friday, February 3rd
9:00 am – 1:00 pm: Class
1:00 – 5:00 pm: Students have free time. Staff will be assembling slide show  (usually around 8 images per student)
6:00 – 8:00 pm: Cocktail party/appetizers and slideshow party
Workshop Ends

Saturday, February 4th
Check-out of hotel. Taxi or van transportation from Antigua to Guatemala City for return flight.

Phil’s Statement:

I am a big fan of group process in evaluating work.  So we will be evaluating work interactively as a class.  We will be going over the personal project that you will be working on during the week in Antigua as well as your past work.  I want the student come away from the class inspired and be clear on the direction they would like to see their work take. I would like the student to develop the confidence and skills necessary to create a digital story around a subject they are interested in and to have the know how to get it out there and seen by the audience of their choice.  Since we will be in Guatemala I want the students to build their confidence and feel comfortable while working with subjects in a foreign culture. – Phil Borges

Joyce’s Statement:

I am very enthusiastic about teaching in Antigua, Guatemala.  It is a magical place, filled with wonderful locations and interesting local color.  When I teach on location, I try to help inspire students to take photographs from the heart – using their own personal style and insights to make work that is not just about being in a foreign culture, but somehow relates to their own interests in photography. We will have time for daily critiques, as well as slideshow presentations.  It will be a time for each participant to think about their own photographic voice, and ways of enlarging and expanding it. I very much look forward to working with you!  – Joyce Tenneson

©Larry Hirschowitz

Julia Dean is a photographer, educator, and the founder of the Julia Dean Photo Workshops. Throughout her career, she has traveled to more than 40 countries while freelancing for numerous relief groups and magazines. She is also the author/photographer of the award-winning children’s book, A Year on Monhegan Island. Julia received a Bachelor of Science degree in photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts degree in journalism at the University of Nebraska. She began her career as an apprentice to pioneering photographer Berenice Abbott. Later, Julia was a photo editor for the Associated Press in New York. She has taught for 29 years at such places as the University of Nebraska, Los Angeles Valley College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Santa Monica College, the Santa Fe Workshops, the Maine Photographic Workshops, Oxford University and the Julia Dean Photo Workshops.

Fountain inside of ruin (c) Julia Dean, 2010

Surrounded by majestic volcanoes and with buildings painted in rich, saturated colors, the town of Antigua provides an oasis of photographic possibilities. Nevertheless, we’ve done some pre-scouting for you. Check out any of the locations below and we promise you will not be disappointed!

La Recoleccion Convent

This beautiful colonial monument finished in 1715, now in ruins, housed the religious order of the “Frailes Recoletos.” Located in the northwest corner of Antigua. Click here for more information.

Entry fee: $40 Quetzals or about $5 USD

San Jeronimo Cloister

Its construction was finished in 1759. Soon afterwards the Spanish authorities established the Royal Customs Office in this building. Located just one block east of La Recoleccion Convent.

Entry fee: $40 Quetzals or about $5 USD

La Merced Church & Convent

This site has an exquisite baroque style-façade that shows an extraordinary stucco finish. In the convent’s courtyard you will also see one of the largest and most beautiful fountains in the city. Located north-central Antigua, at the end of 5a Avenida Norte. Click here for more information.

Entry fee: $5 Quetzals or about 50 cents

Santa Clara Convent

This convent was originally founded in 1699 by a group of nuns from the Mexican city of Puebla, known as “Monjas Clarisas.” Located in the southeast corner of Antigua. Click here for more information.

Entry fee: $40 Quetzals or about $5 USD

Capuchinas Convent

This was the last convent of nuns founded in the city. One of the main attractions is the Del Retiro Tower that was built in a circular shape with 18 rooms or cells. Located in northeast Antigua. Click here for more information.

Entry fee: $40 Quetzals or about $5 USD

Central Plaza

The heart of Antigua, the Central Plaza is teaming with activity from local indigenous selling their wares to town residents playing in the streets. A central fountain provides a beautiful photographic background. Located in the middle of Antigua. Click here for more information.

Standard room at Porta Hotel Antigua (c) Juia Dean

Suggested Hotels and Restaurants

Recommended Hotel

Porta Hotel Antigua, 8a Calle Poniente #1, www.portahotels.com

The Porta Hotel Antigua will serve as the “home base” hotel for all instructor and staff.  Check-in and registration, opening and closing cocktail parties, evening events and all workshops will be held at this hotel in the courtyard directly across the front entrance. Students electing to stay at this hotel will enjoy close proximity to the workshops and the photo festival.

Other Hotels

Under $100

La Sin Ventura, 5a Avenida Sur #8, www.lasinventura.com (Two blocks from the workshops and one block from the Central Plaza.)

Hotel San Jorge, 4a Avenida Sur #13, www.visit-antigua.com/sanjorge.htm (One block from the workshops and four blocks from the Central Plaza.)

Boutique (Over $100)

Casa Encantada, 9a Calle Poniente #1, www.casaencantada-antigua.com (One block from the workshops and four blocks from the Central Plaza.)

Posada Del Angel, 4a Avenida Sur #24-A, www.posadadelangel.com (One block from the workshops and four blocks from the Central Plaza.)

4-Star (Over $100)

Soleil La Antigua, 9a Calle Poniente, www.soleilantigua.com (Southwest Antigua, several blocks from the workshops and the Central Plaza, but walkable.)

5-Star (Over $200)

Casa Santo Domingo, 3a Calle Oriente #28, www.casasantodomingo.com.gt (Northeast Antigua, several blocks form the workshops and the Central Plaza. Taxi recommended.)

Restaurants

Antigua is full of beautiful, quaint and sumptuous restaurants, but here are a few that we visited and highly recommend:

Cafés and Lunch Spots

Café Condesa, Central Park, 5a Avenida Norte #4 www.aroundantigua.com/dining/condesa.htm

Café Bourbon, 5a Avenida Norte #16

International

Las Palmas, 6a Avenida Norte #14, www.laspalmasantigua.com

Italian

Café Mediterraneo, 6a Calle Poniente #6A,

Fine Dining

Welten, 4a Calle Oriente #21, www.weltenrestaurant.com

Meson Panza Verde, 5a Avenida Sur #19, www.panzaverde.com

Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo, 5a Avenida Norte #17, www.posadadedonrodrigo.com

Volcano in the clouds (c) Julia Dean, 2010

Before you travel to Guatemala, make sure to obtain a valid passport. Preparing a copy is always recommended. Try scanning your passport and then emailing to your email account, or keep a digital copy on your computer. This ensures always having a back-up in case your passport is stolen or misplaced.

La Aurora International Airport (GUA) serves Guatemala City, Guatemala. It is located 6 km south of Guatemala City’s center and 25 km from Antigua. If traveling from Los Angeles, a nonstop fight will take about 5 hours. United, Delta, US Airways and LACSA airlines serve nonstop from Los Angeles. Prices will vary depending on arrival and departure times, but on average fares will cost around $550-$650 round trip. Generally you can find lower rates by traveling via connecting or 1-stop flights. American and Continental are two such carriers and provide a multitude of arrival and departure times. American generally connects in Miami and will take about 10 hours. Continental generally connects in Houston and will take about 6-8 hours. Both fares can be found for as low as $500-550.

Although located roughly 25 km (about 15 miles) from Guatemala City, getting to Antigua will take about 45-60 minutes, depending on traffic.

The return trip from Antigua to Guatemala City is fairly easy, with most hotels offering cab or van service to the airport.

The current exchange rate is approximately 8 quetzals for $1 USD.

Two excellent websites for the current exchange rate are CoinMill.com and XE.com.

Young guatemalan girl (c) Julia Dean, 1988

Antigua enjoys a delightful climate almost year-round. Its location in a valley at an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) above sea level ensures that it never gets excessively warm. Additionally, Antigua traditionally enjoys its “dry” season during December – February, ensuring that visitors will normally not require rain gear. However, this time period can often become quite chilly, especially during the evenings, with arrival from the north of frequent cold fronts coinciding with the northern hemisphere’s winter season. Although days are usually pleasant with temperatures in the mid to upper 70′s, warms clothes are recommended as concrete houses with tile floors are the most popular form of architecture and aren’t typically heated or carpeted, making it feel even colder.

The setting of Antigua is nothing short of spectacular, flanked on its southern extreme by towering 3,750 meter (12,325 foot) Agua Volcano. Colossal 4,235 meter (13,900 foot) Acatenango and active Fuego lie to the west. The surrounding hillsides provide wonderful views of the valley and the volcanoes and are excellent terrain for recreational pursuits such as hiking and mountain biking.

Antigua’s streets are lined with cobblestone, making it a requirement to bring appropriate footwear. Tennis shoes or hiking boots are highly recommended. Still, getting around Antigua itself is fairly straight-forward. True to is colonial foundations, the town is laid out in a grid pattern surrounding the central plaza with calles running east-west and avenidas running north-south. The plaza is bounded by 4a Calle and 5a Calle to the north and south, and 4a Avenida and 5a Avenida to the east and west. Street addresses are labeled according to their direction relative to the the plaza: Norte (North), Oriente (East), Sur (South), and Poniente (West).

Walking the streets of Antigua, (c) Julia Dean, 1988

We discovered an excellent website called aroundantigua.com that provides a wealth of information on all things Antigua such as hotels & accommodations, dining, shopping/stores, things to do, services, cultural activities and more!

aroundantigua.com

Another great online resource is antiguaguatemala.info. This site provides valuable information pertaining to Antigua’s history, monuments and surrounding volcanoes.

antiguaguatemala.info

We also highly recommend purchasing either or both of the books below, both of which were consistently in our hands during our recent travels.

1) Lonely Planet Guatemala, 3rd edition, published in September 2007. It simply doesn’t get any better than the Lonely Planet!

2) Moon Guatemala City & Antigua by Al Argueta is an easy-to-carry guide complete with handy maps, sightseeing info, and shopping, restaurant and hotel recommendations/reviews.

“Release and Waiver of Liability” form (PDF)

Payment

Students may elect to pay a $200 deposit  to hold their space in any of the four Antigua workshops. The balance will be due before November 1st.

Receipt of Payment

For all online enrollments, a receipt of payment will be generated and sent automatically to the student’s email account.  For all phone, fax, mail or in-person enrollments, a receipt of payment will be generated and sent to the student’s email account within one week of receiving payment. In early January, each student will receive a separate email providing information concerning the workshop/photo festival schedule, what to bring in terms of camera and computer equipment, and any other pertinent information.

How to Enroll

• Enroll Online: All major credit cards are accepted
• Enroll by Phone: please call 323-464-0909. All major credit cards are accepted.
• Enroll by Fax: download and complete a registration form and by faxing that completed form to 323-464-0906.
• Enroll by Mail: Download and complete a registration form and by mailing that completed form along with a check payable to: The Julia Dean Photo Workshops.
• Enroll In-Person: The Julia Dean Photo Workshops, 755 Seward St., Los Angeles, CA 90038. Administrative hours are M-Fri, 10 am – 6 pm. Office is closed on all major holidays

Processing fee for all phone, fax, mail or in-person enrollments

A $15 fee will be charged for students electing to enroll by phone, fax, mail or in-person. No fees will be charged for students enrolling online.

Refund Policy

Refund requests arriving before October 1st will result in a $100 administrative fee. Refund requests arriving between October 1st and October 31st will result in a $150 administrative fee. No refunds will be provided for requests arriving after November 1st. The option of receiving credit does not apply. The option of receiving credit does not apply. All refund requests must be submitted via email to workshops@julidean.com.

Cancellations/Airfare

On occasion a workshop may cancel due to low enrollment or unforeseen instructor conflicts. If such a case occurs, all students will be refunded in full. The Julia Dean Photo Workshops does not take responsibility for non-refundable airline tickets, hotel expenses, or any other costs that may be attributable towards enrolling in a workshop.