I’m a huge believer in continuing professional education to improve my work, so I’m always looking for quality educational experiences. And I’m very excited about a recent experience and the benefits it will bring for my clients.
Last month I attended the Foundation Workshop in Dallas, Texas, an educational program for wedding photographers to improve their work. At its foundation, this workshop rests on the well-established principles of photojournalism. Through dedicated self-education and application, I had already been working as a documentary wedding photographer. And completing this workshop helped me to better appreciate good photojournalism and develop an advanced understanding and mastery of the story-telling approach.
Workshop attendees benefited from a 1:1.5 student to faculty ratio and a close working relationship with experienced faculty—including Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalists—who generously transferred their professional wisdom to attending photographers.
Photographers who attend this workshop learn the principles, ethics, and standards of photojournalism and practice applying these principles to the craft and profession of visual storytelling.
To be certain, this workshop is no vacation; it is work—and hard work. FW is a hands-on workshop in which photographers receive assignments, travel to the assignments, determine the story, then visualize and execute photographs that document the story. We shot JPEGs only and had our LCDs taped over with black gaffer’s tape. My team completed three rounds of shooting and critiquing, the latter lasting until 6am the last two days of shooting. Each student then developed and presented his own slideshow at the final banquet. The experience was exhausting, exhilarating, and revelatory all at the same time.
Applying the principles of photojournalism, I learned how to approach, visualize, and execute a photo story; and I received rigorous and intense critique from faculty toward developing sound techniques and creative composition.
The students attending were accomplished wedding photographers from around the world. And it was inspiring meeting old and new friends and participating together in creating these photo stories, sharing the obstacles we overcame and work we achieved along the way.
I had several personal insights during the workshop, some relating to photojournalism and others to art in general. The morning of the third day, I had a revelation in my conceptual understanding of photojournalism. All that l learned was translated into a new ability to communicate more clearly and creatively as a photographer. And I’m excited to apply these new understandings to my work.
I was a literature major in college, and I’ve occasionally had insights into the shared attributes of great works in different art forms. A good writer is a good editor, that is, someone who knows the craft and can conceptualize and write a good sentence, adjusting (or editing) on the fly to improve the prose for grammar, creativity, and clarity.
In this same way, a good photographer is also a good (photo) editor, someone who can visualize and execute an image using the tools of the craft, including proper exposure, composition, and visual devices—always adjusting and correcting the work along the way.
For any art form to transcend good and achieve great, it must communicate clearly and incorporate multiple creative devices. It must also strive to recognize great works that have gone before yet create something new and different.
If you’re a wedding photographer who wants to improve your technique, expand your creativity, take stronger pictures, and communicate more compelling stories for your clients, then the Foundation Workshop is for you.
FW is simply the premier workshop for wedding photographers today.
I put together a slideshow from my assignment, an indoor dog park. It was wonderful to find a place where dogs could socialize and have fun no matter what the crazy weather conditions. These unconventional subjects were great fun to work with, and I enjoyed telling their story: