A Posto
Sicily, Italy 2005
The first thing that I want to say about the A Posto group is that it has been the best of the three Easter workshops I taught in Sicily so far. Why? For my students’ gracious way of mingling together, helping and supporting each other rather than competing, for accepting with great humility that some of them had one more photo in the final selection. They also worked the hardest and their pictures show it.
During this workshop, I also realized that you need to feel extremely comfortable about sharing your life with others in the old charming villa by the sea. It is a bit like the Big Brother show on TV where you are testing your abilities to be with other human beings since bathrooms had to be shared, the hot water or the heat were at times failing for mysterious reasons that I like to attribute to the spiteful spirits living the house.
We did not let any of these simple ‘issues’ as some stressed out New Yorker would put it, affect in any way our desire to fully share an experience that went well beyond a photographic workshop.
For the first time since the inception of the BazanPhotos workshops, I also had the privilege to have among my students a fellow teacher. Besides his knowledge and experience, Frank brought with him the humility that only special persons can have. The other students appreciated his insightful comments and funny anecdotes as much as I did.
The more I continue to photograph the moving processions in my homeland the more I learn how to approach my subjects, In turn, I’m able to pass down my acquired experience to my students.
There were some unusual funny moments as when our bubbling Dorine decided to carry one of the altars during the Trapani’s procession. I was so impressed and inspired by her gesture that I did the same early on Saturday morning when the weary carriers needed help the most. She was able to capture that as you can see it.
Another highlight was Bob’s innate sense of humor that made all of us smile so often. He knows that he has a new career ahead of him. I still smile whenever I think of him and Mario together.
The workshop was the right combination of a cultural and photographic experience. Not to mention the usual fantastic Sicilian food that we all had the pleasure to savor including the out-of-this-world pastries that can only be eaten here.
The last day of the workshop we had the honor to participate and photograph the wedding of my good friends Domenico and Fiorella.
I don’t think we could have found a better way to end these memorable ten days. A Posto. Camminare. EB
