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Mountain pose, the photography class

Deep Winter Photo Challenge winner Guy Fattal teaches workshop at Alta Lake
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Life class Deep Winter Photo Challenge winner Guy Fattal is using yoga to show how to photograph the human form. photo by Guy Fattal

Every picture tells a story.

Photographer Guy Fattal knows this from firsthand experience, and has built a career around it, winning the Deep Winter Photo Challenge at the start of 2017, and the King of the Dolomites photo competition in Italy in 2015.

But beyond adventure photography, he says there are plenty of ways to take exciting pics, even when capturing something as sculptural as yoga.

He is offering a one-day workshop to photograph human forms, using yoga practitioners posing lakeside at Rainbow Park on Alta Lake on Saturday, July 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It is open to every level of photographer.

"I like the idea of teaching, for me it's really exciting and a great experience," Fattal says.

Camera backpack and bag equipment company Lowepro is sponsoring the workshop, and charging $10 per person to take part.

Fattal is one of Lowepro's sponsored photographers, as a "storyteller."

"They are celebrating their 50th birthday and have come up series of events on July 15. Their storytellers from all around the world are going to do a workshop where they are during the day," Fattal says.

Enter the idea of snapping yoga, with Fattal wanting to slow down his usual pace to allow his students to think more about form and light.

"My friend Emma Wishaw is a yoga-instructor and will be there, and we may have one or two more depending on how many people sign up," Fattal says.

He explains the session will showcase his style of picture taking.

"Obviously, a lot of my photography is outdoors and extreme sports. There are going to be participants coming that aren't mountain bikers or skiers. I wanted to do a workshop that would work for everyone, but is still outdoorsy," he says.

It's a platform that will allow Fattal to share a lot of his knowledge.

"There are all sorts of interesting spots at Rainbow Park, and I am going to show how to work with natural light; if it's sunny and beautiful we can shoot on the dock in the morning," he says.

"Then you have some lovely gardens scenes going on later in the day, and there are spots in the forest with different elements of light and composition."

Fattal will also show how to use artificial light, including flash, and how reflectors can impact a photo.

"It will be half a day of sharing photography, being outside, and developing the community a bit more around doing stuff together," he says.

For the rest of the summer, Israeli-born Fattal will be based in Whistler. Known for his winter photography, he wanted to challenge himself with more full-time summer work.

Those interested in participating in the workshop can sign up on Eventbrite via Fattal's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/guyfattalphotography. Numbers will be kept to a maximum of 20.