On February 9, the sixth Xposure International Photography Festival will kick off its week-long run in Sharjah. The event will feature exhibitions, talks, workshops, and equipment stalls aimed at professionals and hobbyists alike, and will feature more than 55 world-renowned photographers.
The lectures programme at the festival covers a wide range of topics and issues in photography, with established photographers sharing insights into their work or digging into the ethical issues of war reporting and climate change documentation. All talks are free and open to the public, with tickets available online.
Muhammed Muheisen
Muheisen will lead a session called Moments in Time at Xposure, which will look at several facets of visual storytelling, including the photographer’s interaction with his or her subjects. The Jordanian photographer, who was born in Jerusalem, will discuss how to create trust and retain integrity in one’s practise, as well as how to manage the ethics of photography and protect the privacy of the subjects. On Thursday, there will be a performance of Moments in Time.
Diego Ibarra Sanchez
On February 14, Sanchez will lead a class that will educate photographers how to create their own long-term photo project, from designing a storytelling approach to selecting the best angle to communicate the tale effectively.
Jana Andert
Jana Andert had no intention of pursuing a career in war photography. Before studying human psychology, she worked as a fashion photographer for six years. Her studies eventually led her to think about humanitarian issues, such as the refugee crisis in war-torn countries. Andert’s interest grew after visiting a refugee camp in Iraq, and he became more interested in the wars that sparked the problem in the first place. She spent eight months on the frontlines of the Mosul battle, producing the 2018 documentary film Inside Mosul.
The Czech photographer and videographer will speak with journalist Ray Wells at Xposure about her time in Mosul and the Iraqi Special Operations Forces that led the counter-ISIS operations when the terrorist group gained control of sections of Iraq in 2014.