Sigh.
Oh how I miss this experience so much. It is hard to sit here and think of how to sum up what may just have been one of the best business/artistic decisions I have made to date.
I remember the day that I ran across the "Every Wedding is an Adventure" Workshop on Nirav Patel's blog. I wasn't looking for it, which made finding it all the more delightful. I remember sitting at my desk in a trance imagining the rugged coastline of SF, a group of like-minded creatives and not one but two world-renowned photographers. Ed Peers from the UK was also co-leading it -- just another reason why I just had to go!
Once I booked my spot, I mentioned it to Karli (my new intern/second shooter) and she that said she too wanted to go. EVEN BETTER.
We were blessed to make a trip out of it as you probably saw from my post yesterday {Someplace Wild takes San Francisco}. After about 3 full days galavanting through the city and surrounding areas, we drove us to Point Reyes Station to meet the workshop crew.
When we were greeted with bear hugs I knew that it was going to be an extraordinary 24 hours. The conversations and camaraderie of that time span was enough to have made the whole trip.
As much as I want to share every detail, I thought I would summarize some of the most invaluable things that I learned.
1. Tell the story > getting the "perfect" editorial-looking shot.
2. Make MY VISION represent WHO my clients are and WHERE they are coming from.
3. Be opportunistic since EVERY WEDDING IS AN ADVENTURE.
4. My blog is for prospective clients; therefore I only need to post the particular images will capture my IDEAL CLIENTS.
4. Network with people who are in the photography industry that are like-minded and be kind/humble to those who are not.
****I learned that there actually are photographers out there who aren't exclusive and choose to encourage instead of compete. Even as I type this I feel vulnerable... but let me be honest -- this is not something I had much luck with in Atlanta until I met Karli. I've learned through it that I was really never was created to fit in.. but to stand out. Therefore my business model should be the same. Conversations from this trip encouraged me to simply keep my head down and connect with only those who have the same heart about the industry -- that we are to lift each other up .. to create freely without chains of comparison... and to make incredibly badass portraits that break boundaries!!!!!
Other than all that inspirational talk, I also got to challenge myself creatively and learn SO MUCH technical stuff that has only pushed me 100 fold as a photographer. Here are the images from our live shoot in Point St. Reyes with Jenny + Zack {wearethehoffmans.com}. These two were workshop attendees and did an incredible job playing dual roles as models! So thankful for you both!
And to Nirav and Ed -- thank you both for taking the time to inspire us, challenge us and encourage us to reach further into our hearts to create more meaningful work. You guys rock!
Thanks so much for reading. Look forward to seeing more business-minded posts in the future!