Earlier this month I hosted a creativity workshop for photographers in Cape May, NJ. Preparing for the workshop really got me thinking about what creativity is all about and what makes a person creative. It was an interesting exercise, I hadn't thought a lot about creativity since I was at an ASMP leadership conference in Aspen almost 20 years ago when one of the speakers claimed to have the only PhD in creativity. About all I remember from his talk was that creative people tend to get motion sickness easier because those are next to each other in the brain.
Anyway, it occurred to me that creativity isn't about talent or skill but more about the willingness to make mistakes and try new things. I find many new photographers see something that interests them and make one image of it and move on. Most pro photographers shoot the same thing many ways until they get the best shot they can. I realize amateurs and pros may have different goals in their photography but trying different settings and looking at things in unusual ways can be quite rewarding.
The journey is more important for me than the outcome. If I spend a morning in the woods and let my mind explore whatever is around me, I've had a great day. If I don't make a tremendous image, that is fine, I had a beautiful morning in the woods. I find that when I focus more on the journey than the result, the result usually comes shining through. I wrote a little more about this on my blog and we'll be talking a good deal about it in my Expanding Your Vision Workshop, June 23. I've discovered that many places in life I feel much more reward when I allow myself to enjoy the journey and not worry so much about the outcome. This journey that is our life is way too short, we have to make an effort to enjoy it along the way because the final outcome isn't too promising. Enjoy the journey! |
| | | Some workshops are now available live online |
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I'm having a ton of fun creating and hosting photography based workshops. The destination ones are exciting and challenging. I'm making three trips to Iceland this year and next year I'll go three more times and make two trips to Italy. I do several workshops in Vermont, including my favorite, the Vermont Fall Foliage Workshop. What makes that one special is that I can host it from my house in the quaint Vermont village of Woodstock and thus I can make the workshop pretty inexpensive.
But the majority of workshops are based in New Jersey and are not long enough to make it worthwhile for people to travel. Some are one day, some are a few hours. I've been experimenting with making workshops available live online and it is working great and now I'm offering photographers the choice of attending in person or live online. Online attendees can see and hear everything the in-person people do and they can talk with me live, it is just like being there except you don't have have to be in New Jersey and you don't get my M&Ms, although I'm working on that. I'm using a high end service that has is easy to use, has great audio and video and allows me to record the sessions so you have unlimited access to watch them in the future.
Some topics don't work so well online and I'm not going to offer online versions of those classes but the online feedback has been great and it is full steam ahead. I really enjoy doing Lightroom classes and they work great online. I'm offering a free Intro to Lightroom Seminar on June 21 that will be online only. My Advanced Lightroom Workshop is June 24 and the next Getting the Most Out of Lightroom class is being done in three sessions July 11, 18 & Aug. 1. I hope you can join me online if you can't be come in person. |
| | | Photography Get-A-Way weekend in Vermont Way too often I think I have a wonderful idea and my brilliant wife, Robin, shoots me down. But even she thinks this one sounds great - hosting a fun, relaxed, long weekend in Vermont where photographers can get away from life and just enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Green Mountain State. We will go out and photograph some of my favorite locations and even have a picnic lunch beside a private pond! I still have spaces available, it is going to be a great weekend so I hope you can join me June 29-July 2. You can read more about it here. |
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Venice in March, Tuscany in May 2019
The response has been great and seats are filling fast as once again I'm teaming up with friend and photographer Ron Lake and we're heading to Italy twice in 2019. First we go to Venice during the most exciting time of year, Carnival! The workshop will feature the beauty of Venice at Carnival time, models wearing masks all around the city ready to be photographed and a spectacular fireworks show on the final night. The bridges over the canals are lit and make for brilliant color night photos. If you want to have some real fun and make great pictures, join us Feb. 28-March 6, 2019. Read More... Then we are going to Tuscany in May when red poppies are growing everywhere making the countryside look different than during the summer with the wheat fields. We did a Tuscany workshop two years ago and we'll go back to the best places but we're adding places Florence and Chiante. Read about the details here.. |
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Upcoming workshops
• July 20-26 Iceland Photography Sprint, Reykjavik, Iceland - SOLD OUT |
| Upcoming Art Shows
• June 16-17 Brookdale Crafts Festival, Montclair, NJ
• July 14-15: Westport Fine Arts Festival, Westport, CT
• Aug. 11: A Taste of Woodstock, Woodstock, VT
• Sept. 8-9: Woodstock Art Festival, Woodstock, VT
• Sept. 15-16: Anderson Park Arts & Crafts, Upper Montclair, NJ
• Oct. 9-10: Stowe Arts & Crafts Festival, Stowe, VT
• Oct 16-17 Brookdale Fall Crafts Festival, Montclair, NJ
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| Personal mentoring
If you want to improve your photography, learn more about your camera, get a better handle on Lightroom or Photoshop, or need help with your photo business, then I can help you with one-on-one mentoring that is customized to fit your needs. Read more.. |
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