i want your input!
Have you ever attended a workshop, seminar or photography related get away and left thinking ‘I wish they had offered _____’ or I loved this, but they could have done ____ better…. come on, you know you all have! I know I sure have!
One of the parts of my job that I love the most is the part where I can teach, whether it’s thru my own workshops at my studio or to be asked to be a part of someone else’s workshops or seminars. Last year I was honored to be a part of Inspire Boston- a several day long photography retreat in MA. It was awesome! Very intimate, and it had a great variety of topics offered for every level of photographer.
Many of us from CT went to WPPI- and while there were some great speakers- the list of these was way too short!!
So help me out- I am curious to see what everyone wants to learn about when they attend a several day seminar- especially those that have been doing this for say, 3-5 years. You’ve got your systems in place for the most part, you love your gear but can always add to it- and have a good client base… what are you hoping to learn more about?
Is it the tangibles? Things like lighting, posing, organizational habits, album design?
Or the more inspirational- one of the hardest things to teach, I have to say! But there are some great speakers out there for this!- how to stay excited about photography, stay creative, and be inspired?
Please feel free to leave your answer in the comments section!
thanks so much for your help in advance!
XO
I want to be reinspired. I don’t necessarily want to hear what “everyone else is doing” but learn how to fine tune my skills. I’m all about learning about the business management side of business from photogs and non photogs. I would LOVE to learn posing and have small groups of no more than three peeps working together. How to kick it up to the next level when you feel like you’re leveling off would be a nice kick in the pants ;P
I am just a starter, so i’d like to know how to start from the very beginning – building my business. I have the basics already, self-taught, but obviously needs more. Thanks.
I’d love to learn about the mistakes that people in the 3-5 year range make… and how a seasoned veteran, such as yourself, has overcome those stumbling blocks, be it running a business related, shooting related, processing, etc. I’d love to take a seminar aimed at the 3-5 year range peeps!
I think it would be cool to see how you shoot and interact with an actual couple when you’re doing the portraits.
Personally, I’m always looking for different ways to Think and See. Throughout much of my career, I’ve been the problem solver for others. Giving them solutions that they might not thought of…now I find myself wanting to look at life from different perspectives than I have in the past. So, personally, I’m always seeking new ways to be inspired.
I do, however, agreewith Alicia about skipping the photography lessons at big conferences. Big conferences shouldn’t be where newcomers to our field come to learn the basics. There are plenty of introductory-level courses and workshops in the world, and elitist-jerk though I may be about this topic, let the noobies get crawl through the muck for a bit before they find solid ground.
I would say….something along the lines of “the art of letting go”. In order for business to grow, we need to be willing to let go of certain areas and trust others who are good at those things we maybe aren’t. I think most of us are a one-man-show, and taking that next step to let someone else join you is both challenging and often daunting, however, necessary in order to grow. So maybe a step-by-step of how to go from a one-man-show to a 3-ring-circus? Ha…yeah, I am corny.
Seriously, though, skip ohotography lessons – if you aren’t pretty darn good at 3-5 years of business then why are you still doing it? Of course we all need to continue learning, but I think at the 3-5 year point there are some crucial business-related decision that need to be made in order for the business to continue growing.