To the Light: A Journey Through Buddhist Asia

160 pages, seventy-four full-page color photographs, hardcover
Published by W.W. Norton & Co. (Europe and USA)
November 20, 2003

Inside the book jacket:

The lyrical, haunting images of To the Light open a gateway to a world that is slowly vanishing, a place as vast as your imagination. Gently, Sharon Collins' rich, evocative landscapes, still lifes and portraits of Buddhist Asia lead the reader into a realm of contemplation and simplicity. This carefully selected portfolio transports you to a place and time, and leaves you with the sounds, smells and quality of light as real as if you had walked in the photographer's footsteps. A short passage of sacred text accompanies each photograph and, in each pairing, image and word illuminate each other, transforming the intangible into the tangible.

To the Light is an elegant — and often intimate — exploration of Tibet, Ladakh, Nepal, China, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam by an expert photographer with an eye for images that reveal Buddhism as a complete, organic way of life. A book which resonates far beyond the first reading, To the Light will be treasured by anyone moved by things spiritual, by actual and armchair travelers and by aficionados of fine photography.

Workshops
 
 

International Center of Photography
1114 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street
New York NY 10036

Travel Photography: Making it Work
One week intensive, Mon. - Fri. evenings and all day Saturday
Taught twice a year, in January and July

Many dream of turning travel photography into a profession. Part practical, part aesthetic and part business, this course is geared to the serious amateur on up to those interested in selling their work. Slide presentations will emphasize the importance of developing a unique point of view in order to best capture the essence of a place, along with tips for bringing back memorable, original travel photos. Lectures and class discussion will cover what to pack, equipment issues, gaining access, approach, shooting restrictions while on location, and business/legal considerations ranging from initial visas to releases, promotion, pricing, licensing, funding, potential markets and the importance of copyright, contracts, and negotiation. Guest photo editors will provide perspectives from the other side of the light table. Students are encouraged to bring a portfolio of their own work for analysis and discussion.
Course limited to fifteen.

To register, go to: http://www.icp.org, or call (212) 857-0001


Travel Photography: Aesthetics and Critique
Spring session: five week course, one evening per week

New York, with its scope, sophistication and diverse ethnic neighborhoods is a unique travel destination – and an ideal compact laboratory for aspiring travel photographers to hone their skills.   Some photographers might shy away from taking portraits, uncomfortable with approaching strangers; others may have difficulty in composing an interesting landscape or still life.  A successful travel photographer must be adept at them all.   Each week presentations, assignments and critiques dealing with landscapes, interiors, still lifes, and portraits will challenge and encourage you to push your boundaries, move beyond your comfort level, and make the most of the creativity at your fingertips.  Students are asked to bring a selection of ten of their travel images to the first class.   Course limited to fifteen.

No prerequisite, but students must be fully familiar with the use of their cameras.

To register, go to: http://www.icp.org, or call (212) 857-0001