eastern break
The demonstrations in Tahrir Square temporarily overshadowed the demonstrations at the Malouk Palace Hotel in Hurghada. That’s where a hundred photo training delegates found themselves as Egypt’s youth declared revolution.
P
hoto Training Overseas is now approaching its 25th anniversary – and times keep changing. When Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Hurghada was selected it was one of the safest areas in the Middle East; two days before departure politi- cal unrest and demonstrations in the street reached what many felt would be the peak as Mubarak refused to get out of the chair and let someone else have a go.
In fact, had it been any other location in Egypt it may well have been sufficient to see PTO postponed or moved. The Red Sea Governate however, is almost entirely built on tour- ism – and the many locals and residents of the region were keen to ensure that business continued. Political unrest added a dash of excitement to what would otherwise be a very conventional, luxurious holiday destination; the only people to really be worried were the rela- tives at home being bombarded with 24/7 news coverage.
Sun, sea, and seminars
That’s pretty much what I was expecting. A laid-back week with a few trips out for shoots and an open bar. All of the elements were present, but not in that order, and I recommend anyone attending PTO for the first time gets as much sleep as humanly possible in the preced- ing few days. The winter hours gave short days, and the packed programme filled them; kicking off with a mere hour between getting from the airport and the first introduction and meet & greet for the tutors. The Sunrise resort’s Mamlouk Palace Hotel created a dizzying flurry of col- our, noise and activity after the five-hour flight; whisking away bags and documents whilst
Above: Crash Taylor catching the ‘golden hour’ lighting by the Red Sea. Below: evening lectures in the hotel.
first night would result in a shared experience for most peo- ple. Regular PTO delegates wise- ly set off early, but with such a great crowd of people it’s inevitable that the initial social introductions and conversation lasted well into the morning. Crash, Saraya Cortaville, Mark Lawrence and Malta’s Joe Smith were bright-eyed and bushy- tailed for their first sessions, which is a lot more than can be said for some of the delegates! Once the intensity of the sched- ule kicked in, bedtime ceased to be a moveable benchmark; missing a seminar is a real loss. Occupying that strange grey area that the press usually does, neither tutor, staff nor delegate, I went with selecting seminars to follow sections of, with photography and the odd chat interspersed with moving kit around. The delegates were split into four manageable groups of around 20 people each, ordered by geographic location with a separate group for the enthusi- asts rather than career photog- raphers.
thrusting brightly coloured exotic drinks into hands. Like most all-inclusive resorts, the rooms are well equipped for the region and the Mamlouk is clearly one of the high-end destinations. Every- thing was meticulously cleaned and maintained even as around the area, buildings were being rebuilt or held forever in the limbo that free land, 3-year planning and a cash-based economy seems to inspire. All this had to be taken in later, as
the tutors congregated for an introduction and planning meet- ing a mere hour after the Bir- mingham flight’s arrival. Having met Nottingham-based, LA-born Crash Taylor (recently employed as editor-at-large of Turning Pro, as well as a well-known photographer with a successful programme of seminars) on the flight out, and a few other PTO personalities on the same flight, the introductions were quick. The planning of the seminars ensured hitting the bar on the
As always, the overseas group was dominated by the lively Irish delegation with well- known MPA figures like Dennis Hyland and Paul Callaghan attending as delegates despite their experience and success. In fact, many of the delegates are commercially and critically ahead of the game, something which might imply that the “seminars” bit of the sun, sea and sand isn’t the main empha- sis. These guys stay where they are by watching every detail, by listening to people – and PTO provides the perfect environ- ment; that moment where the light is just right, where another photographer makes a tiny ad- justment, that one comment, one new bit of kit, a related experience.
MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY 11
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