I realized this project in 2011, through a reflection about my mindset of a new arrived in Mexico City. I should create ghosts so I used a flash unit to achieve it. After the publication of that mini project I started to ser a lot of street photographers replying my technique.
Reality Remade is a reaction of my condition in that moment. I was arrived in Mexico City a year before and after that I still felt myself as a total stranger in town. In October 2011 I worked 3 weeks in Los Angeles where I met a lot of talented photographers and that experience was fundamental to me.
I returned from the United States with a lot of energy and a new spirit, above all full of ideas that I wanted to implement. I bought a Yongnuo 560 flash and despite I loved the use of flash on the street watched in the work of Bruce Golden my intention was just to have an experience with the flash for my street shots. I absolutely had to avoid imitating him. 1/30, 1/60, sometimes even 1/15 and the use of flash. It is a technique that has something random on the results and I was just experimenting while I was working. Experimenting just like still happens to me because I never want to stay in my comfort zone. This is how I learned a lot with photography.
Madero Avenue is a street very busy, which leads you to the Zocalo, the most important square in the center of Mexico City. I watched all these people pass in front of me and then disappear. People I didn't know and who I probably wouldn't see again in my life. It was like the life and death. You appear at a certain point and then disappear, just like everyone of us. I understood how that idea could be a theme of a project and the flash unit could be a fantastic tool to realize it: by creating ghosts on the street I could give to the viewer the sensation of ghosts, as existences of the past that appeared, spirits who still inhabited the city, continuing to animate it in their wanderings.
It was a project different from what you expect when it comes to Street Photography. It was my project. I was photographing the reality but playing with it, in order to propose a reflection that was completely personal, born from an inner feeling. It also does not happen or at least I had never seen it applied to street photography to tell about a theme that does not speak only of life but also of death.
You can read also some backstage considerations about the project on my blog:
https://alexcoghe.com/journal/reality-remade-story-of-a-street-photography-project
Oaxaca
Mexico / North America
OCTOBER 28TH- NOVEMBER 4TH, OAXACA DE JUAREZ (OAXACA), MEXICO
THIS EXPERIENCE IS RESERVED TO A GROUP OF MAXIMUMM 4 PARTICIPANTS. BOOK YOUR SPOT TODAY.
EARLY BIRD INSCRIPTIONS UNTIL APRIL 30, 2024 DISCOUNT PRICE 3000 US$
DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
Tuition in English, Italian, Spanish language.
Max. 4 students.
***BEST SELLING EXPERIENCE MAKING THIS WORKSHOP IN OAXACA SINCE 2015***
Join acclaimed street photographer Alex Coghe and take your photography to the next level.
Alex will review your work and during the workshop he will guide you, taking photographs together, in classic places of the city and the surrounding villages, but also in places not beaten by tourists,.thanks to his experience and knowledge of Oaxaca, a place that Alex loves and which is a bit like his second home. Without neglecting the possibility of taking photographs of all kinds from portraits to documentary, this workshop will focus on street photography, a genre that Alex dominates and of which he boasts an experience of over 15 years that has led him to photograph in different places in the world, even in those considered the most difficult and dangerous.
During this intense and full immersion experience, Alex will identify your photographic inclinations but he will also inspire you to go outside your comfort zone, trying several approaches and techniques with the end goal to make you a better photographer, with a personal vision.
Thanks to the daily reviews you will have the opportunity to learn how to read a photograph and how to recognize the elements making a good photograph . Alex also will show you techniques to shoot at night in the festivities around Oaxaca, with or without a flash. He will show you how using the flash or choosing extreme exposure combinations, working on shutter speed, can be used creatively to give you images with a strong emotional impact.
Thanks to his experience and his character, as an open and cheerful person, Alex will make you experience the workshop with a good vibe, with moments full of fun, and therefore it is certainly a workshop where the learning of the proposed subject is put at the center but always with the attention to live this experience well, in friendship and where human contact plays a fundamental role.
This workshop is for all levels. A laptop and SDHC memories are required to all the participants. Any camera is accepted.
THE COST INCLUDES: Tuition, e-books, certificate, exclusive print, professional portfolio review, mentoring program, FEATURE on THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY CHANNEL on YouTube.
PLEASE NOTE: WE DON’T PROVIDE ANYMORE ACCOMODATIONS BECAUSE WE WANT TO AVOID PEOPLE THINKING TO DO A VACATION AND NOT INTERESTED IN THE WORKSHOP. WE CAN RECOMMEND HOTELS ON THE LOCATION OF THE EXPEDITION. WE WILL COUNT WITH A NICE MEETING POINT FOR OUR BRIEFINGS AND FEEDBACK.
For more info, please contact me by sending me an email to: [email protected]
Documentary Street Photographer. Specialising in portraits.
Street Photography Workshops and Expeditions in Mexico.
Recognized street and portrait photographer known for his bold, raw, and unapologetic approach to visual storytelling. Specializing in black-and-white photography, Alex brings an artistic edge to both street and environmental portraiture, where every shot is a study of human emotion, urban landscapes, and the dynamic relationship between people and their surroundings.
With a career that spans decades, Alex’s work stands out for its authenticity and simplicity. He believes in the power of reduction—stripping away distractions, both literally and figuratively, to focus on the essence of the scene. Whether he's capturing the gritty streets of Mexico City or composing a striking environmental portrait, his black-and-white imagery drives straight to the heart, telling stories that transcend trends and time.
Beyond his work behind the camera, Alex is a mentor, author, and YouTuber, sharing his vast knowledge of photography with a growing global community. His philosophy emphasizes the importance of artistic integrity and personal vision over following the commercialized conventions of the photography world. For Alex, photography is not just a profession, but a way of life—a continuous exploration of light, shadow, emotion, and form.
Through his workshops, masterclasses, and published works, Alex inspires photographers at every level to embrace their own creative instincts, and to pursue photography with passion and purpose. His ongoing project, MONOCHROM MAGAZINE, reflects his deep commitment to black-and-white photography, providing a platform for artists who share his vision.
Alex Coghe's unique ability to blend art and storytelling makes him a sought-after figure in both street and portrait photography, positioning him as one of the voices pushing the boundaries of contemporary visual culture.