Crete Documentary Workshop

At the end of last month, I went -- as I have gone for the last three years -- to Chania in western Crete for Stella Johnson's Documentary Photography class through Maine Media Workshops.  This time, instead of having to drive to Larnaca, fly to Heraklion, and ride the bus for three hours, I flew RyanAir -- a door to door journey of about three hours as opposed to one of nine and less than 100 Euros rather than more than 200.

I joined three other students, Stella, and four Greek teaching assistants, and spent 6 blissful days making pictures in and around Chania -- a town that I'm beginning to know.

As usual, Stella was a wonderful teacher, offering ideas and criticism as well as technical help.  Seeing other students work and discussing the stronger or weaker points of images made for stimulating afternoons, and spending time with the TAs -- who provided a cheerful transport and translation service -- provided an interesting glimpse into Greek life at these troubled times.

Chania, a popular tourist town, has been spared many of the difficulties of the mainland.  Like Cyprus, its population is still tied closely to the land, and even city dwellers have relatives still living in the villages, keeping chickens or livestock, raising olives, vines, or other fruits and vegetables.  Empty shop fronts, 'For Sale', and 'For Rent' signs proliferate in the city's streets, and the tension of financial strain spills over in the form of fights in the market and more beggars on the streets than before, but people linked closely to the land remain versatile and despite sometimes drastic wage cuts, a sense of optimism remains.

I had wanted to photograph at an animal shelter, so Maria, one of the TA's contacted Silke Wroble who has been the advocate of Crete's sick and abandoned animals for twenty-five years.  Working on a shoestring budget she takes in dogs, cats, birds, and any other animal that needs her care -- providing food, shelter, health-care, and, for a lucky few, the chance of a new 'forever' home, either in Greece or abroad.

As well as my usual hang-outs, the bus station and the cemetery,

I photographed 'behind the scenes' at Faka, one of my favourite restaurants.

Best Beloved joined me for the weekend, and as usual the Porto del Colombo Hotel was a great place to stay.

Visit to Crete

Despite how much I love my family, and despite the fact that I do enjoy my life, sometimes it's great to get away...

I just spent three days in the Cretan town, Chania, sitting in on Part of Stella Johnson's Documentary Photography workshop. The workshop ran for five days, but I only managed three -- driving to Larnaca, boarding Aegean's flight for Heraklion, landing to find two bus loads of riot police outside the airport (expecting me, were they?), taking the three hour bus trip to Chania and finally checking in to the wonderful Porto del Colombo hotel in the old city.

My mornings were spent shooting, editing, and in class seeing the other students' work and sharing critiques. All together there were five American students and between three and five local teaching assistants who helped with translations and introductions and organised locations for the students to shoot -- a leather factory, the gypsy encampment, the market.

This was Stella's fourth Crete workshop: I first met her four years ago when I took a Magic Moment class with Costa Manos, and last year I was also able to attend part of her workshop. She is a wonderful teacher -- warm and encouraging, positive and constructive. I feel that I made some good progress in my work.

The most important place that I photographed was the cemetary. Stella and I had been together last year, but both of us had felt intimidated by the loaded situation there. This year I was determined to get something from it, and was rewarded. As I wandered the aisles, photographing the different graves, their inscriptions, their mementoes, I wondered how to discreetly include the black-clad relatives who came to clean and sweep their loved-one's tomb. I stopped at the memorial to one young man and was exploring different visual ideas when his mother arrived with fresh flowers and candles. Mortified, I asked if she minded my photography, and she said not at all, and to continue... The experience was a gift.

The whole workshop was a gift -- of learning, of cameraderie, of good food and raki, of intense concentration... Thank-you to all who combined your energies to make it all possible.