This is a catch up post for me. I have been so busy with this workshop I have had so little time to even sleep, let a lone post here. I am loving the excitement and the creativity our workshop participants are bringing to this workshop. Gavin and I went all out to find local and some not so local families for our participants to interact with. This is unique by all accounts. Very few, if any photo workshops have this kind of opportunity for photographers to inter into the lives of locals like this.

Even though we introduced our participants to their local subjects, each photographer is working on their own story. From the school teacher that is participating in his 26th Thaipusam – to the family that traveled 10 hours by bus from Singapore to participate in Penang’s Thaipusam because it has less restrictions than in Singapore.

Gavin and I were talking today how the real story is how in a few hours a mild-mannered insurance salesman or a big time banker can finds himself with an 8 ft carriage on their shoulders with 4 ft spears sticking in their sides or dancing in a trance with needles in their cheeks and tongues.

I can’t wait to show you our student’s the visual stories that come from this week.

By the way, Gavin and I have decided, we would like to offer this workshop next year. You might want to reserve your place soon!

A friend attaches the "vale" or small spears to a devotee's torso.

Gavin Gough and I officially start our 2012 Thaipusam workshop tonight, here in Penang. So yesterday met several of the families we have arraigned for our participants to follow and photograph during the festival. We also did a pre-workshop run through with the models we have secured for our participants to photograph.

We have found three lovely models, none of them are professional, but each one is beautiful in their own right. Not only were they beautiful on the outside, each had a something special on the inside as well and were a real joy to work with. I want to thank Victoria for bringing her skills as a makeup artist to play. (But Victoria, I think you had an easy job with such lovely ladies )

The young lady in the black outfit, called a kebaya nyonya, is Cindy Ong. I think I am going to take her home and give Jessie a big sister! Cindy not quite 18 years old is full of drama and is a natural at this modeling stuff. The next Jayshri Mennon or just Jay. Jay was not only a wonderful model but a huge help this week in prepping for this event. She has recruited most of her family as subjects for our workshop participants to document as they perform these important Hindu rituals. Thank you Jay. Speaking of Jay’s family, her sister Shri is making the orange sari look so beautiful. Between Cinday, Jay, Shri and Victoria how can we help not take a good picture?

The prep work for this event did not start yesterday, but months in advance. Sometimes I think people think all you have to do to make a successful workshop happen is just show up and teach. Far from it. Gavin and I have been working with the help of people here in Penang for close to a year to make this happen. We are excite to develop a unique and exciting workshop for our participant. Maybe in 2013 you can join us?

Brian Hirschy is a photographer friend of mine who lives in Western China. He runs photo workshops in the Tibetan region of China along with doing a few other things to keep busy. The other day he posted a story about being freaked out in the middle of the night by strange voices. I haven’t laughed as much as I did last night reading this post in a long while. Read the full story HERE and enjoy. While there check out the other post. Brian is a talented photographer that loves China. You put that together and you get THIS.

© Brian Hirschy, brianhirschy.com

© Brian Hirschy, brianhirschy.com