Quote Originally Posted by shesells
Care to share some of what you learned?
~ kit
There was so much I learned, and so much of what I learned was from visual examples, that I can't really pass along some of it. Bob Holmes gave a really good slide presentation, comparing what he's learned from fine art paintings that has influenced his photographs. It was amazing to see how the basic elements transferred. I'm really going to have to take a closer look at fine art.

Alison Wright (http://www.alisonwright.com/) is an excellent photographer of people. I learned a lot about lighting techniques, and also about removing elements of a scene that you don't want in the picture, such as a blue Wal-Mart bag in the background, before you shoot it. She taught us that you have control over what goes into your picture, and that it often takes tremendous patience to sit and wait for the picture you want. I hadn't done that before. I expected to be able to "shoot from the hip" and get great shots every time. My #1 priority right now is to work on having patience.

Mikkel Aaland (http://www.shooting-digital.com/), author of "Shooting Digital" was there, and he taught a section on digital photography. Another (cute!) photographer/web developer named Jeff Pflueger (http://jeffpflueger.com/aboutjeff.php) showed us why having a web presence is essential, and gave us great tips for setting up a website.

The photo editors for Sunset, Islands, and Spa magazines were also there, teaching and giving consultations. David Elliot Cohen (http://www.america24-7.com/bios/projects.shtml) rounded out the faculty, at least for the Photography part. They showed us more of the business side of photography, giving us a good idea of what editors want and what the markets are. The business part was invaluable. But I did learn that even the best photographers don't make a whole lot of money.

I'll tell you what the general consensus was of my work, though: I lack people. Over and over again the group saw my landscapes or architecture and mentioned how the picture would have been strengthened by the presence of a person, small and symbolic, to give it "punctuation". It became a joke as I showed a series I took at the resort I stayed at in Mexico, because from my shots it truly seemed to be deserted. Finally I showed a shot of skinny dogs lying prone on the beach, and Alison exclaimed, "There really WAS a nuclear explosion!"

So the main things I took away from the conference that I'm going to work on to improve my shots are:

1) I am in control of what is in the frame. Move three steps to the right, crouch down, climb high, etc. to get the best shot. Also, it's OK to move things out of the way, as long as you put them back. This isn't *strictly* photojournalism, where you have to record everything untouched.

2) Look for "punctuation" in a scene. Perhaps it's tiny taillights at the base of a mountain, or a person reading the sign on a building, or a child with its hand out on an aquarium. These things will make the photograph so much more compelling.

3) Good shots are not accidents. They are created. You look at a scene, and plan it out, anticipate when the light will be best, when or where a person is going to move into the best position, etc. Sometimes you go back at a different time of day. You're rarely going to just pass through a place and snap a great shot. It takes thinking. And waiting. Even action shots require thinking and planning.

4) Photography is all about the light. I already knew this, but the conference brought it into the forefront of my consciousness.

5) Oh, and this: Your portfolio is only as good as your weakest shot. Only show your best.


That will be $500, please. ;)