Visual Language with Dougie Wallace 

2 Day Workshop

3rd & 4th May 2025, Charlemont Square, Dublin 2

Cost €500

Course Description

Everyone has their individual take on the world, their unique way of seeing things. Few people find a way of communicating their personal vision. Dougie Wallace is more at ease conveying his inner world through images than words. Employing flash, instinct and intervention, Dougie Wallace’s photographs create narratives in his own incomparable style.  His views on the world are understood through his photographic discourse with an area, group of people or lately animals.   

This workshop will inspire you to create your personal photographic language, develop your practice and manifest your surroundings as only you see them. You will stop being a passive observer and learn how to manifest the thoughts and images you have in your head. You will learn a distinctive approach to telling a broader story. During the two-day workshop you will create a micro-series and be given the tools to expand your practice. 

Participant Notes

• Introduction to Dougie Wallace and his influences.

• A review of attendees’ portfolio (participants are asked to bring 10-15 images for review; images can be printed or supplied on a USB stick in a jpeg format)

• Second day you will need a laptop with editing software. Lightroom etc.

• Have you ever captured a moment and been disappointed by the results? You will learn how to better interact with your subjects.

• Learn how to better interact with your subjects whilst digging in and carving out that special picture. 

• Accessing your visual language and exercises to focus your mind.

• How to make your photographs stand out and the use of flash.

• Micro-series shooting assignment and developing a project mentality. 

• Shooting time. 

• An introduction to editing, processing and assembling your story. 

• The workshop will be held in and around Dublin city centre, a rich source of material for street photographers or anybody with a camera interested in people and culture. 

•  Participants will create an edit to be shown on the Sunday. 

• This is a practical workshop; participants will be expected to have some prior knowledge of photography.

Refund Policy: Unfortunately, we do not offer refunds on workshop tickets purchased.

Biography

Scottish photographer Dougie Wallace is widely known for his long-term social documentary projects and his distinct direct style of expressive street photography. With an international reputation, he has received prestigious awards, showcased his work in renowned institutions and photographic festivals, and authored critically acclaimed books. Based in London, Dougie undertakes assignments and personal projects that take him across the globe.

To coincide with BBC Season of Photography, in March 2017, BBC4 broadcast a 30-minute programme about Dougie, as part of the What Artists Do All Day series, providing insights into the lives of outstanding artists. The programme follows Dougie on the streets of Knightsbridge, as he completes the photographs for the book Harrodsburg. Available HERE to watch.

More recently, Dougie was commissioned by Sky Art 50 to create a film exploring the concept of British identity in light of the EU referendum. The film was exhibited at The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and the Barbican, and it was also broadcast on Sky Arts channel on the night of the original Brexit leaving date, March 29th, 2019. 

Dougie attributes his unique vision to his upbringing in Glasgow and his experiences over two decades of living in east London. From the vibrant party days when the area was a cultural wasteland to its current urban regeneration, he has witnessed the transformation of this district into a fashionable destination and tourist hotspot.

Describing his photography, Dougie says, 'Living in Shoreditch has helped me develop an eye for the tragi-comic, messy side of uninhibited human behaviour. My Glasgow upbringing has shaped my style, which has been described as 'visually exaggerated' and 'hard-edged'.

He further explains his motivation behind his pictures, stating, "What motivates my pictures is human behaviour. People’s interactions and emotions fascinate me. My stories are thematic, with similarities in expressions running through them. My work reflects societal trends and incongruities, translating what I see through the lens into wit, criticism, and humorous vignettes. I aim to convey a believable yet absurd point of view through my photos."

This idiosyncratic perspective comes to life in Dougie's books, which have all garnered critical attention and viral buzz. "Stags, Hens and Bunnies: A Blackpool Story" (Dewi Lewis Media, 2014) and "Shoreditch Wild Life" (Hoxton Mini Press, 2014) each offer a distinctive take on hedonism and excess, propelling Dougie into the limelight among tastemakers. "Road Wallah" (Dewi Lewis, 2016) provides a unique insight into the world of Bombay cab drivers and has been exhibited at numerous photography festivals and gallery shows, earning a shortlist nomination for the 2015 European Book Publisher's Award. Dougie's book "Harrodsburg" won the inaugural Magnum Photography Award in 2016. "Well Heeled" (Dewi Lewis, 2017) is an observation of the cultural shift among dog owners. "East Ended," published by Dewi Lewis, reflects on gentrification and its complex relationship with street art and local communities. Dougie's most recent publication, "Bus Response" (Dewi Lewis, 2022), captures the response to the Covid-19 pandemic from and around the iconic London double-decker bus, presented in a box format. Since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Dougie has been out photographing on the streets of London, capturing the changing moods of the city and its population. Most notably the panic buying in a project called “Supermarket Sweep“.

Dougie is sought after for his opinion, project assignments, editorial features, and ad-hoc opportunities. His work has been featured in various magazines and newspapers, including The Sunday Times Magazine, D Repubblica, The Economist, Le Monde, The New Yorker, Stern, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Independent, International New York Times, The Observer, GQ, Dazed, Hunger, Vice, BBC, CNN, Itsnicethat, Marie Claire, Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung, El País, Der Spiegel, Macleans, NZZ, Die Tageszeitung, Neon, dS Magazine - De Standaard, and numerous photography magazines such as BJP, GUP, Amateur Photographer, Professional Photographer, F2, Fotografia Magazine, Lens Culture, Leica LFI, L'Oeil, Fotomagazine, European Photography, and Photo International.

In addition to his documentary work, Dougie continues to shoot fashion for renowned brands such as Tatler, Balenciaga, and Dazed.

Furthermore, Dougie has conducted workshops both in the UK and overseas, sharing his knowledge and expertise.

He regularly donates his work to his chosen charities each year.

Currently showing in a group exhibition at The Saatchi Gallery London, “Civilization: The Way We Live Now”