WORKSHOPS 2018-2024
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Alyssa Warren The Lake
“I have collaborated with Tomasz Laczny in multiple contexts, first as his student in a photobook workshop, which was enlightening. I brought a project I hadn’t had much time to reflect on, and within two days, made enormous progress contextualising the series, sequencing it, and creating a physical form that illuminated the work. I was amazed not only by what we were able to achieve in the limited time of the workshop, but also the insight and creativity Tomasz brought to the other students’ projects, which were very different from mine.
Impressed also by the ingenuity and thoughtfulness he brought to his own work, I asked him to design an 80-page book I’d been sequencing over the course of the previous year. I’m grateful he accepted, because in the finished work there is complete harmony between its themes, the tone and feeling of the pictures and the transparent and layered materials Tomasz implemented in his design. The entire process was collaborative and inspired me to stretch my skills into bookmaking and binding. The final edition was entirely handmade.
Since the book was released I’ve had the pleasure of presenting my work alongside Tomasz at a book fair and can say he’s a great communicator who is constantly surprising people with the inventiveness and philosophical layers of his work. I enjoyed meeting his enthusiastic former students as well as other photographers who had specifically sought out his work at the fair.
Finally, I’ve also collaborated with Tomasz through his writing, which we both do alongside our photographic practices. It’s been a privilege to witness the rigour and expansive imagination with which he approaches his subjects — which are both timeless and timely — not only in startlingly fresh ways, but in English, which is his second language. It is remarkable to me how strongly his writing bears a distinctive voice.”
Brussels Street Photography Festival Workshop June 2024
“Tomasz’s expertise in editing, sequencing, and design is absolutely inspiring. This experience has also helped me create a tangible draft dummy that I’m excited to continue working on. The hands-on exercises and personalised feedback were invaluable. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone looking to advance their photobook and editing skills.”
— Teresa Freitas
“The workshop was an excellent experience. Tomasz was super focused and helped each of us get to a first edit in an impressive way. He found an effective way to bring rhythm to everyone's series and motivated us to keep going with our projects. Too bad it was only one day in Brussels – I definitely want more of this. Hats off and thank you!”
— Elisabeth Broekaert
2 week Lead design atelier at TUMO Studios Yerevan, Armenia, March 2024
“A really useful and interesting workshop. Tomasz first showed his own books and explained his ideas and decision-making process. We explained our projects and then worked on them singly and collectively. It was really helpful to have discussions about what and why and where the images should go in the book. My mass of photographs and documents was organised, by editing and layout, into a coherent book form, which I am thrilled to take forward.”
— Caroline Penn
“The photobook making workshop with Tomasz was a seminal experience for me. He shared invaluable experience and knowledge with us, including his own book dummies and the stories behind them and their making. Tomasz is an attentive listener and empathizes with each participant's project. I felt my concerns were seen and owe him a wonderful editing and lots of input for the further work on my book project. The atmosphere in the group was great and it was an enriching experience for me to follow the work on the others' projects, too. I higly recommend this workshop to anyone seeking support and practical advice in a truely personal photobook making process.”
— Gabriele Kuhlewind
Photobook making @Photobookface London April 2024
“I would highly recommend taking part in Tomasz Laczny’s photo book course. I just completed the workshop last weekend. I was lost in understanding how my photos would fit together as a sequence, Tomasz went through my images with the talent & experience he has he helped make it clear. I feel inspired now to move forward with my photo book projects. I intend to hopefully work with him on bringing my my work into fruition...”
— Tracey Taylor
“I recently participated in Tomasz' online workshop, and despite the virtual setting, it provided an interactive and hands-on experience. Tomasz is a great teacher and generous with his advice, tailoring it to each participant. I highly appreciated the personalized approach and found the session to be both informative and engaging. Overall, I left with practical skills and a deeper understanding of photobook making, editing and layout. Thanks to Tomasz for delivering such a rewarding workshop!”
— Erik Verheggen
Photobook making workshop @Photobookface London December 2023
“I would really recommend the two-day workshop with Tomasz Laczny and the added bonus was that it took place in conjunction with Matt Martin at the Photobook Cafe.
There is a longer workshop in the pipeline and this would give it even more scope.
Having had many years of experience in Higher Education, I really appreciated how well the workshop was structured and the tailored care and consideration that Tomasz gave to each participant according to their concept, approach and level of ability. It was an intensive two days which covered the many stages of bookmaking including processes of editing, sequencing, book-binding but also allowed you to create an InDesign ready for printing. A whole range of papers was provided so you could experiment with various combinations and Matt was very generous with his time and support in helping you print a dummy and a final version sometimes with several proofs to obtain the desired result.
I decided to attend this workshop because I needed a fresh input having got too 'close' to my work and also, because I really loved the originality of Tomasz' books, especially Erna Helena Anja which includes woodcuts. Tomasz has a wealth of experience and insight to offer and also the generosity to tune in and meet your requirements for your own bookmaking project. .”
— LESLIE HAKIM-DOWEK
"Tomasz is an experienced teacher in artist photo book-making. He is patient and has a wealth of knowledge which I profited from during the one-day introductory workshop (in person). I felt the pace of teaching was appropriate considering that we were all beginners. He has an excellent eye for detail and an amazing sensibility for each of his participants' projects. It was good to come well prepared, which Tomasz communicated professionally in advance. I'm very happy with the dummy photo book he helped me to create on the day and the constructive feedback I received from him and the other participants. I'm planning to develop my project, refining the various techniques I learned so far. I highly recommend the photo book-making workshop and plan to enrol for a follow-up workshop with Tomasz in the near future."
— Uli Jaeger
Photobook making workshop @enfantsauvagebxl Brussels February 2024
"The Photo Bookmaking workshop with Tomasz was truly wonderful, I couldn't have asked for more. In two intensive days Tomasz shared his knowledge and skills with great generosity and also managed to make sure each individual project was considered and thought about. In addition to a wealth of practical skills which we can now continue to practice independently, Tomasz gave us all such invaluable insights and advice on how to take our projects further. For me this has been an unbelievable weekend and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone who has a book project to develop. It is the most amazing resource out there and a doorway into a whole world of beautiful books. Take this workshop!"
— Liran Fisher
“The in-person workshop with Tomasz and Sayuri was a great way to move my photobook project forward. Having a creative space to share ideas, see other people's projects and get the external input of an established practitioner was invaluable. It was great to have Tomasz select and sequence our images and provide feedback on what format the book could take. I would recommend this workshop to anyone who has a series of images they love, but need some motivation and help to create a tangible outcome from them.”
— Clara Saez Calabuig
Photobook making workshop @Photobookface London January 2024
"Tomasz’s two day workshop exceeded my expectations. Lots of insightful and practical advice. The demonstrations of sequencing and editing were a great way to learn and the impact on my project over just one weekend was profound. His enthusiasm for the subject is contagious and I’m really inspired. As icing on the cake, seeing the other attendees great work was brilliant. I am so glad I took this course."
— Andy Schneider
“This workshop with Tomasz allowed me to really put a new work in motion – his generous and precise insight brought a fresh dynamic as well as a new formal approach to the pictures. Since, the project has been shown in two exhibitions and has received a grant to produce the book!”
— Matilda Holloway
Photobook making workshop @Bildband Berlin June 2022
"Tomas’s bookmaking workshop offers something slightly different; as well as spending time going through the whole bookmaking process, he devotes a lot of energy to the most critical part, the selection editing and sequencing of the images in order to create the intended narrative. It’s a process of considerable skill and insight which Tomas offers very generously, making time for each participant and bringing his expertise to each person’s different project. That combined with the sharing of handmade books as examples, was invaluable. It certainly opened my eyes to different ways of looking at my own project and to the possibilities for creating my book. Absolutely invaluable. "
— Frankie McAllister
"I took Tomasz Laczny’s online Photobookmaking workshop and it was far beyond what I expected. The course was well structured, easy to follow and just the right length and amount of students. Most importantly, Tomasz took great interest in our projects by helping brainstorm ideas for the organization, narrative and physical construction of the books. His demonstrations were clear and concise. Ultimately, his vast experience in the filed and willingness to sincerely share his knowledge makes this course an invaluable resource for anyone dreaming of creating an artist photo book.”
— Sergio Gomez
Photobook making workshop @Photobookface London July 2023
"The workshop with Tomasz was absolutely wonderful. He is extremely patient, insightful and knowledgeable and his workshop inspired me greatly. Tomasz' edit of my book changed the direction of that particular body of work in an exciting way, and deepened my own understanding of the work, which has pushed the work in a new direction. I really valued his generosity and patience with this workshop and am already looking forward to doing another course with him".
— Aletheia Casey
"Tomasz takes time to understand each project and generously conceptualises an initial book-making approach for each project, bringing a new dimension to the work.
We asked Tomasz to run an online workshop with a group of photographers who know each other. Knowing each other’s practice gave us a deeper insight into his process".
— Sarah Rhodes
Photobook making workshop @Bildband Berlin January 2023
"Apart from the very useful practical exercises and editing theories that Tomasz gave us, he helped me to better understand my own project and showed me a way out of my ambiguities in this very productive 1.5-day PHOTOBOOK MAKING workshop.
Discussing the great projects of my colleagues was also very inspiring - and gave me many ideas for further projects".
— Eva Brunner
"The book curation workshop with Tomasz was a great and rigorous introduction into book editing. Tomasz was very detailed and present - helping each person thoroughly bring their work to life. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in creating a dummy book."
— Stephanie O'Connor
Photobook making workshop @Photobookface London March 2023
“I found this workshop to be fun and informative. It was great to work with Tomasz and to observe him work with each participant as he took us through the editing process, casting his keen and experienced eye on our work to pull out the most interesting and salient parts as he assembled them into a meaningful structure based upon the stories and intentions that we had each brought along. I came away with a more crystallised idea of what I am trying to achieve with my photobook and a plan of how to move forward. For that I am very thankful.”
— Oya Allen
"I joined the analogue photobook workshop because I felt stuck in a long term project and didn’t feel confident to translate my work into book format. Tomasz connected with my series very intuitivly and instantly captured the real story. He helped me see what I couldn’t see, and showed me how to relate to the core of my work on every level in order to find the right decisions. I feel back on track now, inspired and passionate about my project again. I also gained some completely new insights on editing and bookmaking, which will be very valuable for my work process in the future and also for helping friends and colleagues."
— Sarah Walzer
Photobook making workshop @cratespacemargate Margate August 2023
"The workshops Tomasz runs are truly enlightening. They are that rare combination of practice, theory, and something else I'd name intuition, but which sometimes feels almost mystical. He gives time and emotional energy to each project, and helps the artist at whatever level to think and rethink their images in the context of visual narration and as part of the material process of making something, stitching and sticking and cropping. On occasion to even enter the rare rhythm of a fluent visual storyteller - a quality which he personally always seems to possess. Tomasz's processes are both intellectual and physical, and the outcomes I witnessed were always inspiring: suggestive of more thoughtful future works to come. Tomasz makes us look at the book, and the art book, in new ways.
— Robin Hunt
“This is exactly what I expected as a workshop, constructive with a listening group, and a first book’s draft Tomasz understands right now and pays attention to everyone. He's full of ideas and knows how to give each one of the tips that match his project perfectly, with a great organization. Thank you. It was great.”
— Daniele Boucon
Photobook making workshop @enfantsauvagebxl Brussels April 2023
“I highly recommend the bookmaking workshop of Tomasz Laczny. It was real pleasure, hard work and reflection about the endless possibilities that a photobook project offers. Extremely knowledgeable and experienced artist, Tomasz leads with sensibility and encourages into the mastery of photobook making. This workshop is not to be missed by both professional photographers and amateurs beginners.”
— Elitsa Andre
“This is exactly what I expected as a workshop, constructive with a listening group, and a first book’s draft Tomasz understands right now and pays attention to everyone. He's full of ideas and knows how to give each one of the tips that match his project perfectly, with a great organization. Thank you. It was great.”
— Daniele Boucon
"I attended Tomasz’ online bookmaking workshop in autumn 2020. It was an eye opener and a breakthrough in my approach to book making. I understood book making is much more than just sequencing images to tell a story, that the choice of paper, ways of folding and binding it, adding archival material, fabrics, threads, etc can take the story to the next level. I really appreciate Tomasz’ expert advice, willingness to experiment, attention to detail as well as the time and thought he put into understanding my project and helping to make it better. Thank you Tomasz!"
— Anna Rolinska
“Tomasz is an experienced teacher in artist photo book-making. He is patient and has a wealth of knowledge which I profited from during the one-day introductory workshop (in person). I felt the pace of teaching was appropriate considering that we were all beginners. He has an excellent eye for detail and an amazing sensibility for each of his participants' projects. It was good to come well prepared, which Tomasz communicated professionally in advance. I'm very happy with the dummy photo book he helped me to create on the day and the constructive feedback I received from him and the other participants. I'm planning to develop my project, refining the various techniques I learned so far. I highly recommend the photo book-making workshop and plan to enrol for a follow-up workshop with Tomasz in the near future.”
— Uli Jaeger
Photobook making workshop @Bildband Berlin June 2022
"I loved the workshop and how much we managed in that short amount of time. I felt so much trust from you both, that we can create something in just one weekend. And I felt encouraged to just start and keep prototyping."
— Nastassja Nefjodow
"I really enjoyed the time spent at the Tomasz Laczny’s Masterclass. It provides a comprehensive introduction to all of the major steps of creating photobook. You can learn technical tips from Tomasz, but what is most important Masterclass is a wholly unique opportunity to see inside his creative process and develop your own.
Masterclass stands out with the serious approach when every minute is well planed, organised, what allows Tomasz to consult each of the participants individually. Masterclass is very practical, what is great. A lot of additional information has been shared with us later by email.
I truly recommend to join his class!"
— Katerina Kouzmitcheva
Photobook making workshop online February 2022
"Tomasz is an insightful, generous, and energetic teacher who makes the online space feel intimate and practical. I have left the sessions with a renewed excitement about my work and inspired by seeing the progress of the other participants. This workshop is one of the best I have ever attended".
— Morganna Magee
"The workshop organized by Tomasz in 2018 was decisive in the development of my first photo book, for questions of editing, narrative intention and design. With dynamism and benevolence, he is attentive to listening and very attentive to the challenges of each project. With his deep reflexion about photo book, Tomasz is great for anyone who wants to embark on the (self) publishing adventure."
— Elie Monferier
Photobook making workshop London October 2021
'Would definitely recommend this workshop to anyone who has an idea/project that's been bubbling in their head.After a period of uncertainty, hesitation and stagnation. This workshop has not only helped me get the bubbles going again, it's done what it's said on the tin and helped us all create a physical dummy to develop further. Looking forward to see how we carry our projects. Thank you, Tomasz, Sayuri and Every one there. Had some great conversations and seen some really nice pictures and inspiring dummies over the weekend.'
— Jake Costello
"Thanks to Tomasz this was a very inspiring and fruitful weekend with an excellent mix of input and silent practical work on the own book project. And the group atmosphere was very lovely, too! Could have gone on further all the further days, too! Strongly recommend this book workshop! "
— Sonja Deppisch
Photobook making workshop London September 2021
“The workshop weekend was intense and insightful. I’ve definitely learned lots about photobooks and it has inspired me to acquire a deeper knowledge about paper, binding and layout choices. Tomasz’s help in editing my project and doing the layout for a first dummy was valuable to me!”
— Anouk Flesch
“I've been trying to get my head into making a dummy photobook of my 5 year project for some time but was overwhelmed by the thought of it and had a mental block. Tomasz' workshop was just what I needed to get me into this stage - working from a small edit from the project I learnt how to create rhythm within my pictures and came away with a draft of my first dummy for the project and skills to develop it to the next stage. It was really interesting, fun and useful. ”