[Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 400, ƒ/5, 1/100]

It has been over a week since I returned from the Balkans. I have been reviewing my photos and reflecting on my time there.

I was not there to shoot photos and come away with a story for myself. I was there to teach a workshop on multimedia storytelling with three other instructors.

This is a photo of the three instructors: James Dockery, Pat Davison, Jeff Raymond, and one of the students, Allison Basye.

We spent our time helping the students with their stories.

I ended up making a lot of snapshots. This is what we call the Balkan Harley. They made a lot of noise driving down the street.

These were photos to jog my memory. I couldn’t take the time to get the best picture of each situation, but I felt I could get good photos of the setups and a few shots of the other instructors teaching. Here is one of James working with Meghan Duncan.

We navigated, telling the stories through all the politics of the area. Talking through the levels a few times took much more time than doing an account, where you can say whatever you need.

I liked a few “moments” from the trip, including seeing these boys react to James Dockery.

After I got that photo of the kids laughing, James returned to show them some of his shots.

I thought it was fun just watching people. The locals were on bikes, whereas our group was walking on the left.

While walking the streets and taking photos is fun in different places worldwide, they still don’t compare to being inside the homes and businesses and having them share their stories.

If you are interested in joining us next year, go here: storytellersabroad.com. We don’t have dates or locations yet, so stay tuned.