© Marisol Mendez

Professional development is essential to us at Shutter Hub and we want to enable our members to learn from experts in their field. Following the hugely successful Professional Development Day at Bermondsey Project Space in 2019 we are now delivering an accessible Professional Development Series online and we’d like to you to join us!

The sessions are for all photographers who want to take their profession further and learn in a friendly environment, whatever level you are currently at. We want you to come away having learnt something that will benefit you in your career, help you feel inspired and empowered.

Each session is one hour long and we’ll vary the days and times they are held to allow people with different schedules more chance to attend. There is one speaker per session and the sessions aren’t recorded so you will have to attend in order to hear the talk and ask questions – we want this to be as similar as possible to attending one of our actual events, the most benefit is gained from being present, and we feel this leads to more open and honest discussion. The sessions are free but donations are welcome.

On 29 April 2021 we are pleased to welcome photographer and Shutter Hub member Marisol Mendez to share her experience with us.

The Long and Winding Road: From Idea to Photobook – Marisol Mendez

With my project MADRE I strive to challenge the deeply embedded machismo of my native Bolivia and dissect the Catholic dogmas of what the definition of femininity should be. I weave mythological elements of Andean tradition into the imagery, which shares elements of both fiction and documentary work.

When I started my project I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do but a faint idea of how to do it. Because I didn’t know the path, I made my own and learned a lot in the process. MADRE grew, transformed and evolved, and two years after its conception it’s almost ready to be published as a photobook. In this talk, I will share my experience as a staunch photographer, novice book-maker and resilient human. I will focus on the importance of making mistakes, provide inspiration and practical advice to those interested in learning more about the bookmaking process, and help everyone find creative ways to overcome shortcomings.

Marisol Mendez uses her camera to study the tension between truth and fiction, the tight relationship between what a photograph creates and the (sur)real it comes from. Unconcerned with image hierarchies, she combines lo-fi procedures with sophisticated photographic techniques to explore the dynamics between immediacy and intimacy, memory and identity. Marisol received a BA in Audiovisual Communication at Universidad de Palermo, Buenos Aires and a Masters in Fashion Photography at the University of the Arts, London. She has exhibited across Europe, Argentina and Bolivia and her work has been featured internationally. Last year she was selected as a recipient of Photolucida’s Michael Reichmann’s Project Grant and was awarded a scholarship for the first edition of FOLIO Online International Photobook Masterclass organised by PHmuseum & Witty Books.

REGISTER FOR THE SESSION: 7 – 8pm UK time, Thursday 29 April 2021

Booking is essential. This online event is provided by Shutter Hub at no cost but donations are welcome.

Visit Marisol’s website and follow her on Instagram.