I just finished my last photo workshop of 2022 in Grand Teton National Park and driving home, 
I had a lot of time to think about things and my thoughts turned to photo workshops and how they can help to grow and shape a persons individual artistic development.
When I first became serious about photography, more years ago than I can count, I was very much a solitary photographer. I enjoyed the quietness of creating art by myself as well as the time away to just be with me, to work through whatever issues were going on in my life as I enjoyed my beautiful surroundings. Above all else, photographing by myself allowed me to develop a deep connection with my subject and surroundings, listening to the nuance of the landscape and thereby creating more connective photographs. There were times when I would travel with my closest photo friends to certain locations, but once there, we would separate and I wouldn’t really talk with them until we were done shooting. I really loved being alone with my camera and my artistic inclinations, going where I wanted to, shooting what moved me at the time, without worrying about what others might think or what they might want to shoot. I was very happy being a solitary photographer!
Plus, as more and more educational materials were posted online, I felt that I could learn new techniques and tricks to bring with me on my solitary photo trips. I am a constant learner and enjoy growing my self and my art as the years pass, so the boom in online education was perfect for me! I could research where to go, new shooting techniques, new processing techniques, etc…the list was endless for educational opportunities. Because of my desire for solitude and the resources available to me, for many years, I just didn’t see the appeal or need for photo workshops. Years ago I felt that they were the antithesis of what I wanted to do as an artist. I would be in a group, told where to go, confined to a schedule and agenda, and not free to follow my own creative impulses. Not to mention the extra expense of the workshop cost.
It wasn’t until I met my now good friend, Jack Graham many years ago that my eyes began to open to the value of photo workshops and why they may be a great option for so many people. I have participated in many photo workshops over the years as a client from a variety of leaders and I have learned the value of photo workshops for me…your results may vary. Now as a workshop leader, I strive to provide as much benefit to each individual client so that they go home with a strong sense of accomplishment, growth and value for their time and money. As I drove home from the Tetons this past week, my thoughts turned to why I think photo workshops are a good idea for folks to grow their artistry, technical skills, and photo-related social circles.
Expert Guidance
Having someone guiding you in an unfamiliar location can save you countless hours of research at home. Time is money as they say and having someone who has intimate knowledge with an area is incredibly valuable. I have experienced, as you may have, that no matter how much research I do, I can’t get the “right” information that I’m looking for, or sometimes, that it is faulty for what I want to do. Knowing an expert in an area can guarantee that I will get the right information that I need to come home with the photographs that I want from a particular area. One thing I have learned too is to research workshop leaders and only go with those that I feel have enough experience in an area. That is why Jack and I only lead photo workshops in areas that we are intimately familiar with. We will not lead groups at locations that we have not explored and photographed dozens of times. My advice to you is to do your research before you plunk down your hard earned money for an “expert”.
Right Place at the Right Time
Probably the biggest benefit that I have found in taking photo workshops is being in the right place at the right time for the best chance at a great photograph. How many times have you researched a location and have fixed in your minds eye the perfect photograph that you want to get there. Then, when the day arrives and you’re on location, the weather doesn’t cooperate. Because you have been so focused on that one location and that one shot, you don’t know where else to go to take advantage of the current conditions. With an expert guide who is intimately familiar with the area, their job is to read the conditions and bring you to places that will be most conducive to getting the best photographic opportunities possible. It might not be the shot that you had envisioned, but it may be a whole lot better than if you were by yourself with no backup locations.
As a recent example, in the Tetons, the weather was ever changing since the mountains create their own weather and make forecasting almost impossible. I didn’t publish a written agenda for the workshop, but instead gave my group a morning departure time and rough idea of what the day would look like. Then, each morning, I was up well before the sun checking the weather and temperatures, deciding where we should start our day and then flow from there. Being very familiar with the Tetons, I knew where to take the group to have the best chance of finding landscapes, wildlife and intimate nature scenes as the weather changed throughout the day. It’s my belief that a workshop leaders job is to get the clients in to a position to make the best images possible within the given conditions!
See a Scene Through Different Eyes 
One of the most eye opening things about being on photo workshops is when we do images reviews, seeing how other people “saw” the same location that I photographed. It was truly eye opening the first few years. I always prided myself on being open and receptive and very situationally aware of my surroundings, however when seeing some of the images that others saw at a location, I soon revised my opinion of myself and realized I had a lot more work to do to really “see” at a location. I would be gobsmacked at the beautiful interpretations that others would present during the image review. This was a huge growth step for me seeing through other peoples eyes the same scene that I photographed. It taught me more about how to see and interpret my surroundings than any YouTube video ever could.
Make New Friends
Of course, being on a photo workshop, you are bound to meet other photographers. I can’t tell you how many instances I have of clients meeting one another on a workshop and then continuing to stay in touch and building a friendship that lasts over the years around the shared passion of photography. Because we are creating art, sharing beauty, and doing it as something we want to do, not that we have to do, oftentimes we find others who are very compatible with ourselves. During the workshop you can share a laugh over a meal, share creative ideas or just have a companion alongside if you need some help. Even though I still consider myself a solitary shooter to do my best work, I have found that I need the social interactions found on photo workshops to feed my creative juices in ways that I didn’t know I needed.
Shoot for Myself
The thing too that I’ve found on photo workshops is that I can still shoot for myself, shoot what moves me. As a group we may go to a particular location, but that doesn’t mean that I have to stay with the group and shoot with them. I’m free to wander off, as long as I’m back in time, and shoot whatever my creative energy points me towards. As a workshop leader now though, I do need to stay with my group to help guide and assist them in creating their images. But as a client, I am not entirely bound to stay with the group.
After all these years and countless photo workshops as a client and leader, I still find immense value in shooting by myself. However, I have really come to value, even more, the benefits of being in a group with an expert guide to help me capture the best possible images at a location within the given conditions. Being in the right place at the right time and seeing how others interpret a scene, that’s stuff you just can’t get from research on the web. Plus, the enjoyment of sharing a meal at the end of the day and talking about the days shooting and what lies ahead enriches the overall photo experience. I know that the added expense of a workshop can sometimes seem a bit much, but I believe the value is there and I will continue to be a client as well as a leader because it’s something I believe in for growing my creative knowledge, skills and abilities.
Couldn’t agree more John. You make a lot of great points. Seeing how folks view a scene from a different viewpoint is priceless.
Thank you Steve! Agreed on seeing others images…can be so amazing how others see a scene differently than you. One of the best things that has helped me grow as an artist.