Experience photographic masterpieces up close at Xposure 2023

The premier photography festival taking place at the Sharjah Expo Centre from 9-15 February is providing 7 bespoke tours from the likes of James Balog, Dan Winters, Neil Leifer, Esther Horvath, Greg Gorman, Elisa Iannacone and Andy Saunders, with limited availability, those wanting to attend should be sure to register and claim their spot at xposure.ae/exhibition-tours-2023/. Guaranteed to be a major attraction for visitors, these tours will be especially inspiring to photographers and creative professionals interested in visual storytelling, lighting, composition and artistic expression.

James Balog: The Human Element
James Balog will provide a personal guided tour through his exhibition titled "The Human Element" that explores the impact of human activity on the environment. The exhibit showcases a diverse range of subjects, including endangered wildlife, wildfires, ancient trees, and changing glacial landscapes. Balog's work is informed by his extensive travels and decades of experience, as well as knowledge from various environmental sciences. The exhibit aims to highlight the Anthropocene, the current geological epoch marked by human impact on the planet. Balog's work challenges the traditional view of sustainability as a "return to nature" and instead argues for the importance of acknowledging and sustaining the Anthropocene for long-term human survival.

Dan Winters: Beyond Flight
This tour will be hosted by Dan Winters as he guides visitors through his exhibition featuring a series of photographs documenting the NASA and Roscosmos manned space flight programs. The photographs cover a wide range of subjects, from the grandeur of launches to the minute details involved in space exploration. Dan was recently given access to elements of the current NASA project, Artemis, which aims to land a man and a woman on the moon in 2024. The exhibition features some of his most prized photographs from this body of work.

Neil Leifer: The Best of Neil Leifer
For this guided tour, Neil Leifer will take visitors on a retrospective journey through his 60-year career as a sports and photojournalist photographer. Leifer is renowned for his iconic images of Muhammad Ali and other legendary figures in the world of sports, capturing some of the most iconic moments in sports history, including the Olympic games, the World Series, and the Super Bowl. In addition to his sports photography, he has also captured pivotal moments in history such as the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement. This exhibition is a comprehensive survey of Leifer's career, showcasing his masterful ability to capture the beauty, drama, and humanity of his subjects.

Esther Horvath: Polar Night
For this guided tour, Esther Horvath will be showcasing her documentation of the MOSAiC expedition, the most extensive scientific expedition to the Arctic in history. The exhibition displays images captured by Horvath of organisms in and underneath the ice, an ecosystem that is hard to study through remote sensing, and delivers an insight into the Arctic region that is hit hardest by climate change. The expedition monitored over 100 complex climate and environmental parameters throughout the year.

Greg Gorman: It’s Not About Me
Visitors joining this tour will get first-hand experience from Greg Gorman as he showcases his portrait and fashion photography of famous figures and celebrities throughout the years. Gorman began his career in the 1970s and is known for capturing candid and unguarded moments of famous figures such as John Lennon, Neil Young, and Steve Jobs. He has also worked in fashion and commercial photography, shooting for magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and commercial photography for brands such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. Gorman has been widely recognized for his contributions to photography throughout his career and is considered one of the most important photographers of the last half-century.

Elisa Iannacone: Spiral
Elisa Iannacone will be giving a thought provoking tour through her photographic series "Spiral" which addresses the psychological effects of violence on individuals and communities. Iannacone, a Mexican artist, uses her journalism and documentary photography background to explore the theme of trauma. She is interested in how people cope with and respond to traumatic experiences and her work often deals with themes such as memories, loss, and resilience. She often works with communities affected by violence and conflict, using her art to give voice to their stories. 

Andy Saunders: Apollo Remastered
Andy Saunders will guide attendees through his exhibition and share behind-the-scenes stories and insights from his experience remastering photography from the Apollo missions. Visitors will also see photographs of the iconic Saturn V rocket launches, the lunar landing, and the first steps on the moon, as well as photographs of the astronaut's training and preparation. The exhibition will feature photographs in their highest resolution and will be presented in a way that will give visitors a sense of the scale and drama of these historic moments.