In Reply to: Teaching Photography: Best Practises ??? Do's & Don'ts ??? posted by L.Kirby on 04/19/01 at 7:00 PM:

Workshops vs. Classroom or Schools?
Making the most from a photography educational experience.
James H Egbert, 2003

As photographers, we try to solve mysteries. Not everyone understands that, but we do. A good photographer is always asking questions and answering them as fast as he / she can press the shutter. In fact, whenever possible, most of the questions are answered before the camera is even brought up to the eye.

As far as I’m concerned, the best place to answer these questions is at a photography workshop. What is a photography workshop? Good question. A photography workshop is when photographers get together at the right time and the right place with the right instructor. It is a win-win situation. Every photographer has
questions and this is the time to ask them. Whenever you get a number of people
with the same interest together, something good usually comes from it. Answers to
questions are a good thing.

As a nature photography instructor, I always start my first class by guaranteeing that the students will become better photographers. To some that may be a bold statement, but in actuality it is an accurate statement. Not that I am that good, but the idea of spending the next forty eight hours with other photographers, thinking like photographers, and acting like photographers, is sure to rub off on them in some aspect. Ask questions and search for an answer, which is learning. That is how
someone becomes better at whatever it is they do.

Think about it. If someone is willing to pay money to show up on a Saturday morning
at 5 am, my job as an instructor is half done. Another aspect of a photography class,
or workshop, is that no matter how good the instructor is, the students dictate how much they learn and how they interpret the lessons. I have been lucky enough to have many up and coming photographers and beginning photographers enrolled in my classes and they play a major role in the success of the class as a whole.

Everyone learns from working together. It is usually the simple things, such as how
someone holds their camera, how they set up their tripod, which filter they choose, or how they “work” at getting an image. If you observe other photographers solve their problems, you too will become a better photographer. Learning is a shared experience. Y that I mean, I have a vast library of knowledge and experience to
share and teach, but as each student progresses through the levels of proficiency
they develop their own styles or ways of accomplishing things. It is when other
photographers watch and learn that questions arise and the real learning begins. AS the leader, teacher or mentor of the workshop I too have learned a few things from my students. Not necessarily about photography, but more about how people learn. Each of us retains information differently. In my last class at Rocky Mountain National Park, I had a wide variety of levels to teach, from the absolute beginner to seasoned enthusiasts. While one would get lost in the techno jargon of how most
people learn in a school or classroom environment, another thrived on the rocket
science language. I had to use this to my advantage. I like to teach my classes more
as a facilitator and guide rather than a lecturing instructor, spouting off one term after another and approaching everything from a formulated approach. I consider my classes more of an open forum and exchange of ideas, while still managing to spill in just the right amount of pre-designed lessons. My biggest problem like any other nature photographer, is that I have to think fast on my feet and react to changes
that are outside of my control such as weather, environmental issues or changes in lighting conditions. This is, after all, what a nature photography workshop is all about!

So, what is the difference between a photography workshop and a photography
school or college class course? Well, that depends on the classroom. It also depends
on the type of photography course you are looking for. If you are hoping to improve
your studio or darkroom skills, then getting outside and shooting will not be of much
help. A workshop is best suited for photographers of all different skill levels that
want to improve their “hands-on” working skills in location photography. From basic camera operations, to the more advanced skills of controlling light and improving composition, workshops give photographers the chance to get out and try all the different techniques they have read, or heard, about with other photographers, at the right time and location, and, hopefully, with the right instructor.
Ask questions. What do you need to improve your photography Do you have a
“personal vision”? Do you understand the techniques of bracketing, multiple exposures, and compensation? What type of photography are you interested in? Will a nature photography workshop be useful if you shoot with a digital or point-n-shoot camera? Why spend money to go out and photograph something that you could do
without cost on your own? Ask questions, call or e-mail the instructor, visit the location, talk to other photographers and/or students, and find out if a workshop is the right answer to your questions. Chances are, you will find that a workshop is the right choice.

First Workshop of The Year I held my first photography workshop of the “summer” (mid-May) at Garden Of The Gods park at 5 am. There are several great photogenic locations through out the garden park. We started at 5:30 am: the right time. True, it was fairly, dark at that early hour but that is not the point. No, in fact, it is the point. Location photography
means being somewhere and dealing with whatever conditions you are confronted
with at the time. Yes, we were there in hopes of capturing that “golden light” of early morning, but one cannot always rely on the weather or any other conditions. It was only a slight problem. On top of being dark is was overcast and foggy in spots. More problems!

Solving problems, answering questions, too many times beginning photographers put
their cameras away when it rains, or it is foggy, snowing, or early in the morning, etc… Their loss, right? True, I probably would have had more people show up if it were a nice sunny morning, but that is not my goal. My goal is to put photographers into different situations, give them different “assignments”, and help them work at becoming better photographers – no matter what their present level is. Rain, fog,
drought, or snow? No problem. The fact is, weather happens, and yet photographers must learn to deal with whatever Mother Nature tosses at them. Within the first hour of the workshop, the weather took many turns, and we had to just roll with it and make up as many
opportunities as we could. From a personal viewpoint, I knew that at any moment
the weather could take a dramatic turn and offer our class something better than what could be imagined. It has happened many times on my own early morning adventures. Always go to a workshop unless your life is in danger due to the
weather. How many shots of the garden while it was still dark or raining, or snowing do you have in your files? Take a look in any photo magazine and note how not every nature shot is done on clear and sunny days, rather, some photographs are captured in the middle of storms, offering a new element into the equation called, mood or emotion!

Learning to deal with any situation is one of the best lessons I can offer a student. Learning exposure, compositional rules and equipment usage and selection are all elementary to learning how to really be a nature photographer. The old Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared” fits the nature photographer and nature photography instructor as well.

Lastly let me remind you, that we as nature photographers how a certain responsibility to protecting the environment we work in. Remember always, to take only photographs and to leave only footprints behind. First of all the main reason for getting out there so early before actual sunrise was to scout out location in the conditions many of the top nature photographers work in. While it is true I will find a majority of my favorite shooting locations in the middle of the day, at this point I wanted my students to see the locations before they were
splashed with light and vivid color. It was important for them to discover their imagination. I walked them around in the dark through the twisted juniper trees and rock spires with just enough light for them to make out shapes. As the day progressed, it got light enough for everyone to see the possibilities in composition. The fact is composition is by far the hardest part of art or photography to teach.
Composition is a personal discovery and form of expression for each artist or photographer. Through out this time I lectured on techniques, alternative compositional rules and equipment use and care. As it was, the day turned out to be
a good for many questions with no certain answers – limitless possibilities.

That is the role of the instructor. I put the pieces together by placing photographers
together at the right location, at the right time (which is anytime photographers are gathered together!), and giving them a number of “situations” that presented limitless possibilities. I had scouted locations, talked to the park officials and guides, and brought along a few “tools” to help place the students into situations that pushed them both artistically and technically. I asked them to solve different
problems and even set-up situations that caused them to ask questions and work
together to solve the problem. That is what photographers do. That is also what teachers do. After all nature photography is all about being in nature and showing all the facets of nature’s wonders.

Is a photography workshop what you need to become a better photographer? Good
question. The simple answer is a resounding, “Yes.” A good photographic workshop will place you in situations where you can learn many new things, meet other people
that share your passion, and gives you the chance to share what you have learned by answering questions for others. What have you got to lose? Another good question. Finally, if you plan to take a photographic workshop you need to consider many things. It is important to stress that no one should ever rely on only one
source of information. There are countless workshops that offer countless opportunities for you to learn from and enrich your photographic knowledge. It is wise to consider taking a variety of workshops from several operators. After all, everyone has unique techniques, inner visions, and ways of interpreting this art we
call photography. There are many different workshop providers and guides available
each with their own flavor and style of teaching, yet we all seem to have one thing in common, and that is the love of photography and sharing it with others.

Writer Bio: James H Egbert is a professional nature photographer and Nature Photography Guide and Instructor. James leads several workshops throughout the Rocky Mountains and South West every year for Through The Eye Of The Beholder Photography Workshops & Safaris.