Last week, I wrote on how to select a workshop, but I suspect most people don’t appreciate how much goes into the workshop they finally attend. While I can’t speak for others, of course, it must be pretty much the same scenario.
About a year ahead, Arnie, John, and I work out the destinations and times of year for the workshops we’ll run. These are places we know well from past travels, places that we love to photograph, and therefore places where we can infect our students with that same enthusiasm, something that is critical for the workshop experience.
At that same time, we scout hotels, inns, B&Bs, etc. to find a place where everyone can gather for the classroom part of the workshop. I always try to negotiate a lower room price for our participants to help keep their costs down.
Not only do I need to find a place that will potentially accommodate all of us, including instructors, for the workshop, but I need to find a place that will serve us a complimentary breakfast, have a secure area for our printing and classroom time, a place where we will not bother others. I need to find a place for the reception, a place that will allow us to eat and enjoy some wine while getting to know each others while again, not bothering other guests or clients.
The three of us also discuss different photo locations, because Mother Nature has a mind of her own, and we like alternatives for different times of day!
At a recent workshop, we were promised rain. A couple of our participants asked, “What happens if it rains?” I looked at them with a twinkle in my eye and a smile.
“Yes, what happens if it rains?”
“I mean, what will we do?”
Arnie or John, or perhaps both, jumped in at this point, “Photograph, of course. What else?”
I continued.
“Do you mean to tell me that if you went to Australia or some other once-in-a-lifetime destination, and it rained, that you would not photograph? I don’t think so. Besides, when it rains, you get those wonderful, saturated colors.”
Our participant saw our point and smiled good naturedly. It did rain, of course, and he got some great photographs.
There are two scouting sessions, one a year ahead, and one several days before the workshop begins. Often, locations change from year to year, and one can never rely on the suitability of a location a year later. Maybe, for example, it was written up in XYZ magazine, and there are now hoards of other photographers there at the same time! Ugh!
We put in a lot of miles and about a week’s worth of hotels in our two scouting sessions. It’s fun, but it’s also tiring, as some locations don’t pan out, and we have to find substitutes. Sometimes, those substitutes are not obvious.
For example, last fall, it was our last day, and we didn’t want to go too far afield for that morning shoot. We got up pre-dawn, and as we drove in to our location, basically a junk yard, I could mentally hear our group saying in the three cars behind, “Where is she taking us?” (I checked with them after they had gathered great images, and I was right!). The location was a gold mine for subject matter, and they were amazed at what they found.
There are supplies to replenish, and we prepare materials for our participants that they can take home, and believe me, it takes a lot of time to print them all up, burn disks, etc. Before I do that, we review the materials to see if we want to tweak them, always seeking ways to improve them.
The printers and monitors need to be packed up in their original boxes. If we are flying to our location, they need to be shipped ahead because of weight restrictions and the fact that TSA is not always delicate in their handling of items at security. We won’t even address some of the baggage handlers who, I think, take their inspiration from the American Tourister gorilla!
The reception arrangements need to be made, food and wine ordered, etc. We encourage people to share cars, and that takes reminding and facilitating. A couple of e-mails go out, reminding people of what they need to get the best experience out of their workshop.
We haven’t even mentioned the plethora of e-mails and phone calls, as people have questions even before they sign up for a workshop. Those are time-consuming, but they are also fun, as it is a way we get to know our participants even before we meet them in person.
Once we get to the workshop location and have done our second round of scouting and making final arrangements for our reception and printing station, our group arrives in dribs and drabs. Most elect to take advantage of our bonus afternoon of shooting with us, so we have to be ready to greet them the afternoon of the reception.
We take them to a nearby location, as we need to be back in time for the reception and to greet those who haven’t joined us in the afternoon.
Once the workshop starts, it is non-stop for us. We give lots of individual instruction, both in the field and in the classroom, so we get up earlier and go to bed later than everyone else to make sure we are properly prepared. We are always trying to answer at least half a dozen questions at once, to spend plenty of time each day with each of our participants, and above all, to make sure each person is having fun. We haven’t even related the non-workshop questions or concerns that we address.
It is paradoxical, because while it is exhausting for us, it is also very energizing. As soon as the last person leaves that last day, we miss . We miss their enthusiasm, their energy, and their triumphs. There is nothing more exciting for us to see our students progress in their photography and printing, to see them grasp some of the principles we are trying to teach them.
Next week, I’ll be writing from Virginia, where we are holding our first workshop of 2008. I hope there is an Internet connection when I need it! Don’t look for a post until Saturday morning! And if you don’t see one, you’ll know that in the mountains of western Virginia, it just was not possible. I’ll post it Monday!
As always, we welcome comments (see Comments link below).