All participants need to come with their photographic equipment. However, there are no limits to the kind of camera participants can practice: a professional, pocket, compact, or phone camera are all acceptable. The workshop will take place on Friday evenings during Ramadan at the Corniche, focusing on honouring the migrant communities through the universal language of fashion. It is open to all photographers interested in street portraiture and committed to working with the collaborative spirit of Doha Fashion Fridays.
The Doha Fashion Fridays workshop is a unique opportunity for participants to learn about the project's methodologies from the talented photographer and filmmaker Shaima Al-Tamimi. In partnership with Tasweer, Doha Fashion Fridays is seeking local photographers to join the project and build this remarkable photographic archive about contemporary Qatar. Shaima Al Tamimi, who has recently become a Doha Fashion Fridays collaborator, will help prepare the participant photographers to become the next contributing photographers over the course of the 4 workshop sessions. Specifically, she will guide participants through the Doha Fashion Fridays visual approach, on-the-ground information gathering, and portraiture strategies.
Image: Aparna Jayakumar
WORKSHOP 1: Photographic approach and roles in Doha Fashion Fridays
24 March 2023
The workshop's first session will introduce participants to Shaima Al-Tamimi's approach to street portrait photography with a special focus on establishing trust and building relationships with your human subjects.
Image: Aparna Jayakumar
WORKSHOP 2: The ethos of Doha Fashion Fridays in practice
31 March 2023
The photographic discourse and practices of ethical capturing of people on the street and image sharing will be the principal focus of this workshop session, aiming to make the best practice for photographing strangers in public a clear and transparent strategy for the workshop’s participants.
Image: Aparna Jayakumar
WORKSHOP 3: Interaction techniques at Doha Fashion Fridays project
7 April 2023
Language can sometimes be a barrier in verbal communication, but it hasn’t stopped Doha Fashion Fridays from exploring ways to connect across diverse cultures. This session will focus on interacting with people on the street and making them feel comfortable in front of the camera. Participants will learn about engaging with people, recognizing social cues, building rapport, and capturing genuine expressions and emotions.
Image: Aparna Jayakumar
WORKSHOP 4: Aesthetics in portraiture at Doha Fashion Fridays project
7 April 2023
The last session of the workshop will offer a deeper understanding of Doha Fashion Fridays’ aesthetics and photographic approaches that have also been highlighted in the Tasweer 2023 exhibition on show at M7. Participants will also learn to navigate in the evening light conditions at the Corniche by practising with flash, a light prop, or the ambient atmospheric lights.
Image: Shaima Al-Tamimi
About Shaima Al-Tamimi
Shaima Al-Tamimi is a Yemeni-East African visual storyteller based in Qatar. Her work is an inspirational melding of her and her family’s story and the social and cultural issues it reflects. She explores themes relating to patterns and impacts of migration and identity. Through the mediums of photography, film, and writing, Al-Tamimi interweaves historical and family archives with her photographic portraits, and builds upon her deeply-rooted and highly-personal documentary approach in new and unexpected ways. She is currently a fellow at the Royal Society of Arts, London, United Kingdom.