Looking for a Photography Workshop? Maybe this will help...

Sometimes the difference between a fantastic photograph and a good photograph comes down to a few small points. It could be as simple as placing the point of interest in another location, an adjustment to composition or some final editing techniques in post editing.

You can watch all the YouTube videos you can, or read all the books you can get your hands on in the effort to become a better photographer. But, you are still left to your own devices. A photography workshop taught by an experienced photographer with an engaging personality can give you the hands on mentoring that will take years off that learning curve.

Here are a few suggestions to help you pick a workshop and help ensure you have a great learning experience.

Go into it as a financial transaction
The first step to choosing a workshop should be to understand that attending a workshop is a financial investment. If you a full-time photographer… Remember that this will eat into your direct profit, so you want to make sure your money is spent wisely. If you are you a part-time photographer or hobbyist… your decision to attend a workshop is an investment in yourself, so invest wisely.

Determine what you’re willing to spend
This ties directly back to the last point, but before selecting a workshop, determine what you willing to spend. This will help to narrow your focus and reduce the urge to “impulse buy” just because the workshop sounds awesome. Again, it’s a financial investment. Workshop fees can range from $100 – $3000. Just make sure you have all the details, there could be workshop fees and travel fees that are not disclosed.

Start Searching
Chances are the internet is one of the first places you will start your search. Try using Google and use the search term, ‘Photography Workshop in “insert the name of your city here”. This will get you started for local options. But not all classes are well indexed by search engines. Don’t forget to check around for local photography clubs who may offer an abundance of learning opportunities. Community colleges and local trade schools will also have options which may not show in internet search results, so it may be necessary to check their individual websites.

Also don’t discount word of mouth; ask around to friends and family and let them know you are looking for a photography mentor. The more feelers out there, the better your chances are in finding the right workshop.

Pick an instructor who has a style that resonates with you.
When you are considering a workshop, look at the prospective instructor’s work. Are they images of subjects you would like to photograph, in locations you would enjoy taking pictures? Are the images well composed, sharp, and exposed properly? When you look at their images do you say "I would like to make images like those"?

Another good way to identify they are a good photographer. See if people are commenting on any of their images or look to see if companies have published their photography. A sure fire way to determine if a photographer is respected is if they have been published by the magazines or websites you visit to learn about photography.

Choose small workshop sizes.
All things being equal you will get better attention in smaller workshops. When you attend a workshop of anything more than 2 or 3 people your face time with the instructor is limited. In my opinion you do not get your money’s worth. Consider attending a smaller workshop or one on one mentoring. It may cost more, but your learning will be exponentially greater.

A teacher who knows more than just photography
Many workshop leaders are exceptional photographers and qualified teachers. And a few, in addition to having the above mention qualities may have special knowledge that you will find useful. Such as an instructor who is native to the area that you are shooting, and can share in the history of the area, or who just knows the best locations. Or perhaps naturalists, one who can help you understand your subject and how to use that knowledge to make better images.

If you want to be more than just a weekend warrior, you should also consider this. I am a firm believer that what separates a well known `pro’sumer photographer to a great photographer that just posts images on photo sharing sites is the ability of the `pro’sumer to market themselves as a brand.

Look for a photographer that also has business savvy. Someone that does not only help you with taking better images, but also can help you learn to network more effectively. We live in a digital age; the internet is the marketing tool of the future. Maybe you should consider looking someone that can help you showcase your work to more people.

Know your equipment before the workshop.
To get the most out of your experience, a workshop is no place to learn the functions of your camera, lenses or flash. You should know the basics of your camera. At the very least, know how the exposure modes, metering modes and exposure compensation functions work on your camera. You can learn camera function from a manual. Why pay someone to teach you something that is your responsibility to know.

Location, Location, Location.
This is a very important. Pick a workshop where it is possible to make the kind of images you want to make, a location where you can comfortably make those images. Some workshops are run in the photographer’s local area because they are too lazy to drive to a better location. Why waste your money if you are not going to come away with the shots you want to take.

Ask the workshop leader where you will go before you hand over any money. Ask for details and make sure you are satisfied before you pay them.

While at the workshop, ask the workshop leader questions.
Don’t be shy; you are paying for their knowledge. If you don’t understand, did not hear, or a subject you are interested in was not covered, ask! This is your time, and the workshop leader cannot read your mind. So do nto be afraid to ask.

Stay close to the instructor.
I have observed nature photography workshops when the students seem to scatter to be on their own. You can learn much just by watching and imitating your instructor. Besides that, if you need personal attention no time is wasted tracking down the instructor.

Bring Images.
Bring some of your images for critique. You can buy binders that can hold a variety of sized prints. Prints some off and do not be shy about asking the instructor for feedback. Many times a more seasoned photographer can find problems or areas that may need a little improvement just by looking at your images.

Have fun and take lots of pictures!
Bring plenty of film/digital media and batteries. Ask questions, stay close to your instructor and fire away! Take as many photos as possible. When you get home, review your images. Decide what you did well and what you need to continue to work on. Post your images for critique on web sites like flickr.com.

Most of all, don’t forget to show off your new found skills and beautiful pictures with your friends and family.

Write a review after the workshop!
Whether you loved it or hated it, please write a workshop review after it’s over. This is so critical. Future workshops attendees will have no idea what to expect without thorough workshop reviews, and qualified workshop instructors should appreciate both positive and negative feedback as a way to grow, get better, and offer the best product possible.

Detail how the workshop fit with the initial description, what you learned, what your expectations were and if they were met, and most of all, was this financial transaction worth the investment.

Good luck with your search!

Happy shooting,

Kev

P.S. If you know of, or do find any workshops, please comment below so that people reading this article can benefit from your experiences.

Do you have what it takes to be the next Ansel Adams?

You’ve been taking photos for awhile now… maybe you took some photography courses, you joined a photo club or became a regular at reading tutorials and watching “how to” videos online. Regardless on how you got there, you did, and you are feeling confident in the photos you are producing and sharing with friends and family. Then a family member or friend says, “I want to buy that image from you!”

You sell it and the natural progression begins. People start to wonder if one can make any money at this. The simple answer is, “Yes”. You can start shooting portraits, pets or weddings, you can enter into the world of stock photography or submitting images to calendar or card companies. All are good options, but the downside is they are highly saturated and competitive. The simplest way is to start producing an income by selling prints of your best work. Chances are, you won’t be able to quit your day job, open a gallery and become independently wealthy. But when someone acknowledges your work as art it provides motivation to continue the never ending pursuit of the perfect image.

The Reality Check Time
Before I begin, I am fully prepared to hear that my POV is wrong… but that’s OK… this is my blog. :)~

I really would love to hear people’s opinions. If you disagree with anything I am about to say, sound off and let some aspiring photogs know about your success stories.

OK, here goes, let’s take a little step back be honest with ourselves. There are only a select few people that ever get the kind of recognition and income that would supply you with the life you are probably living now. Leaving the elite photographers like Annie Leibovitz out of the equation, I bet you can count on one hand the photographers you follow that would make the kind of income you would want to make.

Wedding and portrait photographers are a dime a dozen, I live in a town of 100,000 and there are at least 15 of them in my city alone. While the busy ones make a decent income, they are tied to shooting venues. Shooting is only a portion of the workload, there is just as much, or more, time needed to edit. You have to constantly market your company, and quickly you are a slave to shooting venues and your weekends are potentially shot. Not that this is a bad thing if that’s what you want. Just be prepared to put a lot of effort into building this business. And get ready to spend a boat load on the gear you are going to need.

Nature and wildlife photographers comprise the majority of amateur photographers out there. This genre has more enthusiastic participants than all the other type of photographers combined. Your options are selling images, teaching people to take images, or writing a blog to amuse other photographers like I do…

Stock photographers are also numerous, and unless you find the sweet spot for desired photos you really are not going to make any money following that strategy. But hey, I hear rumours of people out there making a couple thousand a month… I have yet to meet one, so I will stick to belief that’s it’s an urban legend like the Loch Ness Monster.

Have I lost you yet? I hope not, read on and let me give you some ideas and suggestions that at least increase your chances of making a good second income from your photography hobby.

Baby Steps…
As I mentioned before, most photographers’ first sales come from a friend or family member. Depending on your relationship with the buyer you may want to consider doing it for free or just covering your printing costs. Your work is your business card, the more people see your images hanging at family members homes, or at local coffee shops, the more your name will be recognizable and you increase your chances of being contacted by a paying customer.

Sign every image. I either sign the back with my web address, or sign on the matte and number the image. Beside any image I hang in a business I ask if I can hang a write up on myself. In this write up I place my website address so people can view more of my work and contact me.

So the first step, saturate the market with your images as best you can.

Here are a few places to think about: (1) local coffee shops, (2) newspaper and fall fair contests, (3) photo sharing sites on the web, (4) give your images framed to your family as gifts.

Create a Plan.
No business ever succeeded without the foundation of a business and sales plan. I am not suggesting you create a full fledged business plan, but have an idea in your mind on where you want to go with this. Then, investigate how and who will help you get there. For example, when visiting restaurants, banks or coffee shops, make a point of looking at the walls to see if they’re in need of art work. Speak with the manager or owner and ask if they would be willing to hang your photographs to decorate their walls at no cost to them. The reciprocal benefit is that you could split any money made if one is sold. It means you’ll need to develop a portfolio to show the decision makers your work. It also means an initial investment by you in terms of time and money, but this should pay off in the long run.

Be Your Own Toughest Critic
Display only your BEST work. Scrutinize your work and get trusted people to give you feedback on each image. It’s better to hang two fantastic prints than ten average ones. Many fine-art photographers introduce only one or two new pieces each year. Some even tell me the ratio of taken pictures to ones that make the portfolio are 5000 photos for that one image they are proud of. Think quality rather than quantity. Your work is your resume.

Website
Many photographers host their own website and sell their work through it. If you decide to pursue this route, keep the site simple and make the ordering of prints easy for the buyer. Potential purchasers don’t want to navigate a multitude of pages to get price, size, shipping, etc., information. Start small but think big!

You have a few options here. You can build your own and host it, or you can use a template website. Or, there are companies that use a combination of both. Its personal preference, so do your homework before you make a decision.

Whatever decision you make, take your time, do it right and create your identity online. This will be your most cost effective marketing tool and can bring you more business than any other method. Investigate “Search Engine Marketing” and “Search Engine Optimization” and talk to your web company about optimizing your site to be search engine friendly.

Always Be Learning
You probably have the same people you shoot with or the same sites you share your images on… and that is great. But I would like to see you challenge yourself. Expand your circle of influence and get introduced to more experienced photographers.

My point here is that you should always learn from better photographers than yourself. Push your boundaries and never be satisfied.

I hope to see your photos hanging in a gallery or gracing the pages of a magazine soon!

Until then, happy shooting fellow photographers!

Kev