Public Speaker

Inspirational Storyteller and Motivational Speaker for Conferences

Public Speaker and Inspirational Storyteller For Your Corporate Event Or Conference

International Award-Winning Photographer, Author, TEDx Speaker, Passionate Inspirational Storyteller Speaker, and Engaging Presenter shares not just photographs, but narratives of inspiration, adventure, and adaptation in a rapidly evolving landscape. Contact for speaking at your next event in India or worldwide.

Speaking Introduction

Speaks about: Photography, India, Inspiration, Adventure, Motivation & Success

Sephi Bergerson, a world-renowned documentary photographer, cultural explorer, author, and public speaker, brings over 35 years of experience to the table, with more than 22 of those years spent in India. His journey from a new country to becoming an industry luminary is nothing short of inspiring. Spanning humanitarian assignments, corporate ventures, industrial projects, photojournalism, and wedding photography, Bergerson's expertise is extensive. Notably, he made history as the first to shoot a full Indian wedding on his iPhone.

As the author of "Behind The Indian Veil - A Journey Through Weddings In India" (2015) and "Street Food Of India" (2010), Bergerson's contributions to visual storytelling are significant. Moreover, he is the visionary behind the SILK INSPIRE festival, India's premier Wedding Photography Conference.

What sets Bergerson apart is not only his proven speaking prowess and profound subject matter expertise but also his ability to captivate audiences. He is committed to delivering actionable insights that empower individuals to succeed, accomplish more, and maintain a positive mindset. Above all, his goal is to provide value to every attendee, respecting their time and investment in attending his presentations.

Recognized as one of the "10 Most Influential People in Photography" by Asian Photography magazine, and a member of the Indian Speaker Bureau, Bergerson's passion for storytelling shines through in his engaging presentations. Isn't this what you want from your speaker?

Keynote Speaker available for booking. Contact me about speaking at your next event!

Let's Talk

Speaking details & Suggested Programs

Beyond the Frame: A Tale of Exploration, Creativity, and Resilience in India

Structure

Format: Keynote Presentation with photos

Audience: Inspirational journey, corporate, general audience

Duration: 60 Minutes

On February 2nd, 2002, with just four bags in hand and a modest $14,000 in their account, Israeli-born photographer Sephi Bergerson embarked on a one-way journey to India alongside his young wife and their 10-month-old baby girl, fully committed to making India their new home. With no one awaiting their arrival, no job secured, and no accommodation arranged, they landed in Delhi with only a familiar shopkeeper from years prior as a connection, the very person who had sold them his wife's wedding Saree. It was a leap of faith, simultaneously brave and perhaps reckless, but ultimately, it proved to be a decision that transformed their lives for the better.

Through captivating storytelling and engaging presentations , Sephi shares not just photographs, but narratives of inspiration, adventure, and adaptation in a rapidly evolving landscape. Join him on a journey where photography becomes a medium for exploration, creativity, and resilience is the key to success.

Key Topics & Audience Takeaways

• What is your definition of success?

• When is the time to admit failure, and how do you know it is time to quit?

• How to remain inspired and motivated when all odds are agains you?

• Personal growth in the face of challenges

• Bergerson's program is perfect for for groups seeking renewed creative energy and inspiration to improve any job performance.

Imaging Indian Realities As a Foreign Photographer

Structure

Format: Keynote Presentation with photos

Audience: Inspirational journey, Photographers, corporate, general audience

Duration: 60 - 90 Minutes

In his captivating narrative, enhanced by vivid visual and captivating storytelling, Sephi Bergerson transports his audience into the heart of India. With over two decades of living experience in the country, Bergerson offers a unique perspective as a foreign photographer navigating its diverse landscapes and cultures. Through vivid anecdotes, such as his encounters in Sonagachi, Kolkata's red-light district, or a meeting with the spiritual leader of the Muslim Bhora community during a mass marriage of more than 300 couples in Mumbai, Bergerson paints a vivid picture of the challenges and rewards of photographing India as an outsider.

Audiences are taken on a journey where photography becomes more than just images; it becomes a medium for exploration, creativity, and resilience. Through Bergerson's tales, listeners are inspired to embrace the chaos and diversity of India, finding beauty in unexpected moments and learning the value of adaptability and perseverance.

Join Bergerson as he shares not just photographs, but narratives of inspiration, adventure, and adaptation in a rapidly evolving landscape. Through his engaging presentations, audiences gain insights into effective cross-cultural communication, cultural enlightenment, and practical wisdom for navigating diverse communities.

Key Topics & Audience Takeaways

Cultural Insight: Bergerson's experiences shed light on the complexities of Indian society, providing valuable cultural insights for both photographers and general audiences. By sharing his encounters with locals and the nuances of interaction, listeners gain a deeper understanding of India's social dynamics.
Photographic Inspiration: Bergerson's tales inspire fellow photographers to embrace the chaos and diversity of India. His anecdotes illustrate the beauty found in unexpected moments and encourage photographers to seek out authentic experiences rather than staged scenes.
Adaptability and Resilience: Bergerson's ability to navigate unfamiliar environments and overcome challenges demonstrates the importance of adaptability and resilience in photography and life. Audiences learn the value of remaining open-minded and flexible in the face of obstacles.
Cross-Cultural Communication: Through Bergerson's experiences with identity and communication barriers, audiences gain insights into effective cross-cultural communication. Learning to navigate differences in language, customs, and perspectives becomes a valuable takeaway for anyone engaging with diverse communities.

Photography as a Language: Crafting a Visual Narrative

Structure

Format: Keynote Presentation

Audience: General audience, Inspirational talk

Duration: 20-30 Minutes

Exploring photography beyond mere image-capturing, presenting it as a language with its own grammar and vocabulary. Sephi Bergerson shares personal experiences, emphasising storytelling and conveying messages through images.

Key points include:

  1. Transformative moments during assignments, illustrating photography's power in challenging stereotypes.
  2. The grammar and vocabulary of photography, akin to spoken language structures.
  3. Practical advice for aspiring photographers, emphasizing engagement with the world and introspective questioning.
  4. Encouragement to find unique perspectives in a saturated image landscape.

Audiences can benefit by gaining a deeper understanding of photography's narrative potential and practical guidance for self-expression through images.

Behind The Indian Veil ~ A Journey Through Weddings In India

Structure

Format: Keynote Presentation

Audience: General audience

Duration: 60-90 Minutes

Behind The Indian Veil chronicles award-winning photographer Sephi Bergerson's extraordinary journey through uncharted wedding traditions in India. It reveals the differences and similarities in Indian wedding traditions, while seeking the common essence of this grand, colourful, fantastic celebration.

After living in India for more than 17 years, almost seven of which spent working on this book project, Sephi has experienced, witnessed and documented a huge variety of Indian weddings. As he traveled the length and breadth of India, he was invited into sacred places and intimate moments normally inaccessible to outsiders, witnessing traditions buried so deep in the subconscious of the subcontinent that even people from India don't necessarily know about them. This incredible array of stories he was able to capture reveals cultures, traditions, and legacies as complex and diverse as India herself.

Behind The Indian Veil brings images and stories from a vast assortment of Indian communities: Tamil Brahmin, Bengali, Sikh, Hindu Punjabi, Hyderabadi Muslim, Rajput, Kashmiri Pandit, Ladakhi Buddhist, Goan Catholic, Syrian Christian, Zoroastrian Parsi, Dawoodi Bhora, and Kodava Coorg.

Educational / Informative / Inspirational / 

Nobody Gives A Sh** About Your Award-Winning Images

Structure

Format: Keynote Presentation

Audience: Photographers, Wedding photographers, Wedding industry

Duration: 60-90 Minutes

BERGERSON dismantles and reassembles the role and responsibility of a wedding photographer and the importance of a photograph in building memories. He also tackles the subject of wedding photo competitions and awards, and their impact on the industry.

Key Topics & Audience Takeaways

  • Tips to tap into your creativity and "escape" the noise
  • A deep understanding of a creative artist's role in the wedding industry
  • How to collaborate properly with other vendors
  • How to remain inspired and motivated
  • Bergerson's program is perfect for groups seeking renewed creative energy and inspiration to improve any job performance.

educational / informative inspirational / life-changing Marketing

If you're looking for an engaging speaker for your next event, lets talk!

Let's Talk

Public Speaker For Your Next Corporate Event

Motivational Speaker For Conferences

Joe-McNally

Sephi Bergerson is not only an accomplished professional photographer with a wide ranging reputation, he is an excellent speaker who is able to well and fully translate his storied experiences as a shooter to an audience. He is a compelling presence onstage, is able to command attention through a mix of good storytelling, humor, emotion and insight. He would be an excellent addition to any roster of speakers at any gathering of photographers, anywhere in the world. Highly recommend!

Joe McNally,

Internationally acclaimed, award-winning National Geographic photographer

Blair-round

As a leader in Indian wedding and travel photography and the creator of India's foremost photography conference, Silk Inspire, Sephi Bergerson is a dynamic public speaker and consummate artist with a unique perspective on photography and business. He literally wrote the book on Indian weddings, and it is always a pleasure to work with him and to recommend his services.

Blair deLaubenfels

Owner - Editor in Chief at World's Best Wedding Photos

alan-berg

I worked with Sephi on the SILK Inspire conference and his professionalism matches his amazing work. He has a dedication to helping other photographers, experienced and new, because he understands that raising the quality of work across the board helps everyone. The emotion in his photography shows that he gets into the soul of each event, and having him teach that from the stage can only help an audience find their unique style and purpose

Alan Berg

CSP, Global Speaking Fellow. Certified Speaking Professional®, Sales Trainer to the Wedding & Event Industry; One of only 36 Global Speaking Fellows

Inspirational Storyteller Speaker

Resources and A/V requirements

Thanks for inviting me to speak for your company or conference. Below are the room setup and A/V needs for a typical meeting, as well as my speaker bio, speaking introduction and headshots. If you have any questions about any of these items or need something that’s not listed here, contact me via email, WhatsApp, use the short form on this page, or call +919823351221..

Headshots

Here are some recent headshots and photos you can use to promote your event.

If you need something that you don’t see here (format, size, composition) please contact me 

Click on an image you’d like to use and it will open in a new window. You can then right click to save it. Repeat that for any other images.

Audio Visual Setup and Requirements

Video requirements

I use a MacBook Pro for which I have HDMI adaptors. For most meetings a standard projector and screen is fine, or large flat screen TV.
I have a “clicker” to change my slides, so for most presentations my laptop can be near the projector. I don’t need it on stage with me, and I prefer not to have a podium so I can walk the width of the stage/room.
A large flat screen is fine for small groups, trainings and mastermind meetings.

Audio/Microphone requirements

For any group over 20 people a PA system with wireless lavaliere or headset microphone is required. A secondary, wireless handheld microphone, is helpful for announcements and audience participation, especially in larger room setups.
I usually don’t have any sound coming from my laptop, but please check with me first as, depending upon the presentation, there may be a video or other sound needs.

Audio Recording

I sometimes do an audio recording of my presentations using a small, digital recorder. I’ll bring the necessary cables to connect to the sound board. If you’ll already be making an audio/video recording (with prior written authorization, of course), we can arrange to get me a copy instead.

Room Setup

Conferences & Workshops

For most presentations I prefer classroom style setup (narrow rectangles) so participants can take notes. If you don’t have classroom tables then banquet rounds are fine as long as they are only set halfway around, so no one has their back to the stage/screen.

For large conferences, classroom is preferred for longer presentations, or where attendees will be taking notes. Otherwise, theatre style seating is acceptable.

For small groups (12 or less), including small mastermind groups, a boardroom setup is fine (one, large table with a large TV or screen and projector at the front).

Display Table

Where possible, I’ll need a table to display my books. A 6 foot, draped table is fine. It should be placed in the presentation room in an area of high traffic (near the front of the room, neat the door, near the coffee, etc.).

If you have any questions about room set up, please contact me via email, text, use the short form on this page, or call 91.98233.51221.

Book Cover Images

 

COVERS & JACKETS

Behind The Indian Veil - A Journey Through Weddings in India

Street Food of India

Sephi has published 2 books and has been a part of several other book publications as a photographer and photo editor. Here are images of his book covers. If you need something that you don’t see here (format, size, composition) please contact me.

Click on an image you’d like to use and it will open in a new window. You can then right click to save it. Repeat that for any other images.

Here are Sephi’s social handles, podcast and other links: