References

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I thoroughly enjoyed both the photography outings through Zurich and Biel – putting new skills into practice and trying them out, being out and about, consciously switching on my ‘photographer’s eye’, and finally reviewing the photos at the following evening’s class. That was the highlight for me!

Both Florence and Gian attach great importance to fostering a personal and authentic relationship with and amongst the course participants. On the one hand, I personally appreciated this very much; on the other hand, I believe it forms an important foundation for participants to build trust and thus be able to approach their own pictures honestly and without feeling self-conscious.

Both Florence and Gian attach great importance to fostering a personal and authentic relationship with and amongst the course participants. On the one hand, I personally appreciated this very much; on the other hand, I believe it forms an important foundation for participants to build trust and thus be able to approach their own pictures honestly and without feeling self-conscious.

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I found the course very suitable and good in terms of my expectations and needs. The atmosphere was very collegial, friendly and relaxed; everyone was treated as an equal, regardless of whether they were beginners or had a lot of experience. That took the pressure off, as I was completely new to all the basic technical terms and settings such as aperture, shutter speed, exposure, etc.

I’ve gained a solid grounding in the basics, so the course has achieved its aim for me. I now read my camera’s instruction manual with a completely fresh perspective; it’s opened up a whole new world for me and I’m absolutely thrilled about it.

I particularly enjoyed it when we started discussing and ‘analysing’ the photographs. The day spent in the succulent collection was also very important and informative; it was a very enjoyable experience and was organised very thoroughly.

I reckon that, despite there being a lot to cover, we never felt stressed. And I was given a solid grounding in the basics.

I reckon that, despite there being a lot to cover, we never felt stressed. And I was given a solid grounding in the basics.

I’ve finally had time to focus (just) on my camera and how to use it.

Working with a tripod has shown me how to bring a sense of calm to the preparation process before I ‘press the shutter’.

And I thought it was brilliant to always have professional advice on hand for any questions or tips.

It was best to practise this specifically in the succulent collection. We learnt the theory in the training room and then went straight out to put it into practice in the collection.

I also benefited from the image analysis sessions, which, alongside learning how to use the camera, gave me a better understanding of the next level of photography.

The longterm project meetings supervised by Florence Iff helped me developing self criticism and self confidence on my artwork. The outdoor activities with the group gave me a new way of watching and shooting the environment. With Florence Iff and the GAF fellows I learned a new language of photography!

In the Lightroom course by Florence Iff I learned not only how to professionally retouch my pictures but also how to organize them for book prints. This 2 day-long course opened me a new way how to share and sell my artwork!

Four years of GAF classes with Florence were a time of intensive engagement with current approaches to landscape photography. They helped me enormously to develop an independent and unbiased perspective on landscapes and landscape images, and to refine my own photographic style. I have fond memories of the expeditions we undertook into the no-man’s-land between city and countryside.

For several semesters now, I have been working in a group with Florence Iff on the broad and fascinating topic of LANDSCAPE. The image review is the most important part of our monthly meetings. I have benefited greatly and learnt a great deal from the feedback and perspectives of the others, as well as from Florence Iff. These have always served as an incentive to delve deeper into our subject – but also into photography in general – and to develop my own visual language.

These days, I’m no longer interested in individual images, but rather in images seen in the context of other images – a series of images that tells a story.

I first met Florence IFF as the course leader for the black-and-white darkroom course at the adult education centre over 10 years ago. Under Florence’s guidance, the first GAF group was formed from among the course participants. After around six years, the group reorganised itself and remains very active to this day. During this time, I learnt a great deal from Florence IFF: technical aspects of photography, creative elements of photography, a structured approach to photographic work, and much more. I would particularly like to highlight Florence IFF’s outstanding ability when it comes to editing images. Thanks to her support, I have been able to stage a total of three exhibitions, two of which took place last year at the Photobastei in Zurich. My work in the GAF group under her guidance continues. At present, alongside individual projects, we are working on some very interesting long-term projects in the field of reportage photography.

Florence supported me in my preparations for the ZHDK entrance exam in the photography specialisation and helped me select the images and develop my ideas. Her input was very fruitful, as I was accepted by the ZHDK as one of around 200 candidates. Thanks to her guidance on both the formal and content-related aspects of photography, I was able to develop my skills further; the preparatory sessions were very informative, provided me with inspiration for new project ideas and proved to be an ideal foundation for my future career.

In the first module, Gian thoroughly taught us the key technical fundamentals. This meant we were soon able to engage in in-depth discussions with Florence on visual composition, subject choice and concept, and to apply what we’d learnt to our own projects. The intensive group discussions about the work we produced were a key element that helped us all to make steady progress from one session to the next.

Working as a group has had a lasting impact on our understanding of photography in general and our own work in particular. During our walks through the city and its suburbs – which were sometimes quite adventurous – it taught us to focus on what really matters. The relaxed blend of theory and exploratory practice, enriched with references from the history of photography, was a great source of inspiration to us all.

An experience I wouldn’t want to have missed.

I really liked the following aspects of the Lightroom course I attended:

Course structure and content; answering questions; well-thought-out suggested solutions (e.g. solution, new external hard drive and ideas for organising the images to be stored on it, homework); addressing specific personal concerns/questions. The extensive knowledge that Florence brings to the course!

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What particularly impressed me about the photography and culture tour to Naples was the wealth of cultural and photographic knowledge with which Florence and Bruno led the trip.

We were staying in a typical neighbourhood in Naples, so we were able to immerse ourselves in the local area from start to finish. I really enjoyed it.

The places we visited were varied. They all fitted together seamlessly and gave the trip a wonderfully diverse perspective. And we certainly weren’t short of culinary delights either. The typical Neapolitan food was simply marvellous, of course. :-)

I found the trip to be very relaxing. We did a lot of walking, so the focus was on enjoying ourselves, experiencing the culture and taking time to take photographs.

We’ll never forget those two weeks in Naples!

Bruno’s expert guided tours and cultural insights, both in the city and along the coast, left us in constant awe. Our accommodation and the area were fantastic and authentic. The careful and expert photography tips – including advice on composition and photo reviews – from Florence and François took our photography (even with mobile phone photos) to a whole new level. All in all, an unforgettable experience! Thank you both for a wonderful time!

The journey to Naples was comfortable on the train. As well as taking photos, we naturally ate plenty of delicious food. Our stay was full of variety, ranging from the hustle and bustle of the city to a boat trip out to sea. Many thanks to the two tour leaders for the unforgettable moments.

I, too, have fond memories of Naples. I enjoyed it, and the sort of photography we practised really suits me.