In early February of this year (before I had ever heard the phrase “social distancing”), I had the great pleasure of attending the “Death Valley Small Scenes & Personal Expression” photography workshop led by Sarah Marino, Jennifer Renwick, and David Kingham. I hesitated for a long time before deciding that the time was right to invest in a workshop experience, but I’m happy to confidently report that it was just what I needed to push my pursuit of photography to the next level.
Hemming, Hawing, Deciding#
The main hesitation I had was the cost-benefit factor. Let’s face it, most workshops aren’t cheap. Not only do you have to consider the price of instruction, but also the price of travel, food, and lodging, which is often (if not usually) not included. Those things add up quickly. And if I was going to shell out the money for a workshop, I wanted to make sure that I had just enough experience with photography to maximize the educational return on my investment. I was worried that if I attended a workshop too early in my pursuit of photography, my lack of experience would hold me back. On the other hand, with too much experience, the benefit wouldn’t outweigh the cost.
But when I got wind of this workshop, hosted by photographers whose work I’d been following for years, my ears perked up. And when I found out that the emphasis would be on small scene photography, an approach with which I had already been experimenting in my work, I started seriously thinking that this might be the workshop for me. And what better way to experience Death Valley for the first time than alongside three of my favorite photographers? After some final words of encouragement from my ever-supportive wife, I signed up.
The Workshop#
Sarah, Jennifer, and David certainly did an exceptional job at making sure that the workshop participants got their money’s worth out of the experience. Each day was filled to the brim with both classroom time and fieldwork.
I particularly appreciated the instructors’ focus on “personal expression” during the fieldwork. A typical shoot consisted of a brief ecological introduction to the area, a short discussion of techniques or compositional elements to keep in mind during the shoot, and then free time to fan out and pursue our own photographic vision. The instructors all made themselves readily available during this time to check in on everyone and answer questions, which made for a much more tailored instructional experience. On more than one occasion, they brought out their own gear, which gave participants a chance to see firsthand how these professionals operate in the field, from seeing a composition to pressing the shutter button.
I was also fortunate in that the small group of participants had excellent chemistry, which even made meals and car rides valuable opportunities for sharing work, recommending podcasts and photographers, and discussing the workshop or photography more generally.
What I Learned#
I think that attending a workshop with a few years’ experience under my belt allowed me to gain more from the experience than I would have if I had attended one as a newcomer. One thing I have begun to understand after about seven years of pursuing photography is the breadth of what I don’t know. I think that having some sense of the gaps in your knowledge and experience, of knowing what you don’t know, better positions you to capitalize on an opportunity to work and shoot alongside artists that you look up to.
All that is to say that while I did pick up on a few new shooting and processing techniques, I think my biggest takeaway from the workshop was a deeper understanding of the role of personal expression in my photography.
“Having some sense of the gaps in your knowledge and experience, of knowing what you don’t know, better positions you to capitalize on an opportunity to work and shoot alongside artists that you look up to.”
Even before the workshop, I had spent a lot of time thinking about what motivates me to shoot. Like many (if not most) nature photographers, I am inspired by the natural world, and one dimension of my work has always been my desire to turn that inspiration into beautiful images for others to enjoy. For me, stewardship is also part of this process: I aim to lead by example and show people that the natural world is worth protecting. I believe that many nature photographers would feel the same way about this.
But that’s only half of the story. The other half is more selfish. Shooting for me is meditation; time doesn’t exist when I am looking through the viewfinder. My mind endlessly wanders when I’m hiking, but when the muse beckons and I stop to set up a shoot, my mind is quiet and focused.
The workshop taught me to embrace this process as the mechanism for expression, no matter the end result. There is no right or wrong way to do things, whether it’s composing, shooting, or post-processing. Personal expression is the implementation of your vision. It’s not about creating beautiful images for others to enjoy, although that might happen as a result. It’s about creating images that fulfill your artistic aspirations, that put you at peace, that leave you satisfied.
I look forward to the world returning to a quasi-normal state, when I will have the opportunity to get out and put this new understanding to the test.
Final Thoughts#
I understand why someone might have hesitations about attending a workshop, whether those hesitations are related to confidence, level of experience, or economics. But if you are serious about photography, I believe that they can be a worthwhile investment of your time and money. Do your research, familiarize yourself with the workshop leaders’ work and shooting philosophy, and make sure you’re well-positioned to capitalize on the entire experience. It might be just what you need to push your photography to the next level.
Thoughts? Questions? Feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
For more information about workshop offerings from Sarah Marino, Jennifer Renwick, and David Kingham, I encourage you to check out their offerings at the links below: