I'm just got back from the Valérie Jardin Street Photography workshop... and I don't know what to say. There are so many things running through my head, the experience, the photography, the learning... where does one start?
I could write on technical issues -- how street photography and environmental photography are two different animals, from your visual perspective to the settings on your camera; Or I could discuss the workshop itself -- the cold weather I had to be overcome, the enjoyment of meeting others with the same love of photography, and the impressions of walking downtown Dallas; And what about our esteemed mentor, Valérie Jardin... I could go on and on about her photographic experiences, her passion for sharing her knowledge, her love of teaching. I'm sure I will write about all of these things, but for now, I'm thinking about the workshop experience and how it affects our vision and our thinking. Workshops are something I used to do when I was first learning about photography. They were a way to get a new perspective on the craft from those that had experienced it first hand. Learning about photography in a state college with a small art department and even smaller photo program, you tended to look elsewhere for more in depth knowledge. The opportunities were limited, but well worth the effort. I met prominent photographers of the time, took workshops across the country when I was able to, and generally learned the craft by absorbing everything I could from a diverse set of image makers. These experiences molded the way I viewed photography and its (and my) place in the world. Pretty powerful stuff! So what happened? Why did I stop going to workshops and gallery events and talks and whatever else? I believe at some point, we all stop doing these things. We have to go explore our craft on our own, find our own voice in the midst of all the cacophony. In so doing, we have to forcibly let go of what others are doing, remove the training wheels so to speak, and venture out into the unknown. And that's a good thing. If we all were busy attending discussions on the state of photography, we wouldn't be out there actually creating images! And yet, there comes a time when we have explored our voice and, unfortunately, become complacent, satisfied that we have done what we set out to do and need do nothing else. We may even go so far as to believe there really isn't anything new to explore, or worse, that anything new is anathema to our view of the world. What a horrid way to live! I can say all this from personal experience. I left photography and all its digital evolution... I felt it had changed to the point that it wasn't photography anymore. I had come to a point that I felt satisfied with what I had done, and did not need these changes in my life. They had become the anathema to my view of how photography was supposed to be. I could not have been more wrong. Photography is not about technique, equipment, or subject matter. It is, as I have said so many times before, about communication. The workshop I attended could not have underscored this point more. Working on the streets and photographing people is so far removed from what I am used to that I was at a loss as to how to approach the subject. That's a wonderful thing! It demonstrates that there is ALWAYS something new to learn, something greater to see, visions to explore and communicate in a new way. Will street photography ever be a part of my repertoire? Can't say. But what I can say is, Valérie has opened my eyes to other ways of seeing, and that makes all the difference in the world. If at any time you think you've done what you set out to do, remember... you're not even close.
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