15 years earlier, photo workshops were not yet a thing. You could register for a picture excursion on a cruise liner or other trip for which you had no guideline, but devoted, stand-alone picture workshops were not really prevalent up until around 10 years earlier. Today, there is barely a corner of the world or topic that is not served by a picture workshop.
You can book a trip in Kansas that does storm chasing, go to Antarctica, or discover how to shoot (picture) basketball. You can go to Fairbanks, Alaska to stick out in minus 25 degree temperature levels hoping for an aurora borealis. There’s a man in Washington state that does forced-march backcountry treking adventures for the ex-Marine mindset to enter remote wilderness areas; this journey is only for those who wish to be monumentally unpleasant. If you think his website, he sells out each.
And, there’s a very popular professional photographer who will remain nameless– were I to mention his name you ‘d recognize it immediately– took 47 individuals to Italy one year at $6,700 a person. That workshop did not repeat.
Types of Photography Workshops
What has progressed are essentially 4 kinds of picture workshop companies.
Workshop Type # 1. Substantial student factories that hire guides to take groups. Travel plans and schedules are stiff. You have no concept who’s leading your group. Yes, they provide you his/her name, a two-sentence resume, and a little photo of somebody you’ve more than most likely never become aware of. There is a degree of potluck involved here. You can get a fantastic guide and a meaningful experience, however the rigidness of schedules and travel plans means you may well walk away from establishing shooting opportunities that did not fit the schedule. Cry in your electronic camera bag.
Workshop Type # 2. Folks who lead their own workshops to an area in which they are experts . Travel plans are really fluid and, particularly in landscape workshops, react to weather quickly to decide on shooting areas. Specific attention is usually great.
Workshop Type # 3. Shop workshops, extremely specialized in both subject and geographic places, and vary greatly in specialty; studio picture, boudoir, outdoor portrait, sports, birds, Kodiak grizzly bears, wild horses, flowers, studio devices, high-fashion or glamour featuring scantily dressed “models”, the list goes on.
Workshop Type # 4. Tours. They use no photography direction, only a trip or car-pool to various shooting locations in a geographic region. Often they drive busses of 28 individuals and pick up a few minutes in this or that guidebook vista. These are not always bad, feel in one’s bones what you’re entering. These are terrific to quickly acquire an orientation of topography for future solo expedition, but do not count on having the ability to sporadically change the schedule since you notice a shooting setup. Ain’t taking place.
So … Google:” [place] or [subject] image workshops” and you’ll probably discover a number of options from which to select. Therein lies the dilemma; how to choose.
However in order to get to that response, let’s discuss you. What is it you want to achieve in participating in a workshop?
An outside photography workshop. Image by Sebastiaan ter Burg and licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 NL.
Types of Image Workshop Students
There are 3 standard types of workshop trainees.
Photographer Type # 1. Those who want to discover the art of photography, both from a technical and creative point of view. They are newbies, perhaps recently retired, who want to elevate their game. They have good equipment, based upon what the cam store salesperson suggested, and a number of good lenses, but truly have actually not mastered their equipment and wish to enhance. They have a thousand questions and are eager to discover and absorb every tidbit of knowledge they can build up. They exclaim with glee at discovering a brand-new shooting method or technical faster way. (The majority of workshop students are this individual)
Photographer Type # 2. There are those who do not require help with their equipment. They’ve mastered the technical elements of their hobby, they simply desire somebody who understands the geographic region or subject of the workshop. They have excellent equipment and a number of good lenses in a range of focal lengths. They wish to make their own decisions and just require a guide to reveal them the shooting places. Typically they are quiet, ask no questions, are not particularly outbound, and remain to themselves. Or, the outbound, friendly ones in this category are happy to answer technical concerns about devices for other trainees and delight in adding to the overall experience. This person is the workshop leaders’ favorite student.
Professional photographer Type # 3. And after that, there are professional photographers who desire time far from their partners or an out-of-town expedition with a friend. They take a trip in picture workshops for the perceived security in numbers. They laugh it up, speak about every topic except photography, and although they are not the least bit interested in photography, they make a general effort to shoot every now and again just adequate to perpetuate the ruse. Do not get me incorrect; they fit right in keeping the mood light and unwinded, and get along and sometimes the life of the celebration. Fun to have around, but simply not particularly interested in photography. This type is rare, but they are out there, so you understand.
Now, there’s not a single thing incorrect with any of these fundamental trainee types. I offer these observations only to point out that photography workshops are a people organization. And it follows that the people who perform workshops are as differed as the trainees who register. In order to avoid dissatisfaction and a waste of time and cash, it’s important to develop the skill of selecting a workshop that will fit your requirements and character.
You clearly understand what you desire, I’m sure you knew which of the 3 types of trainees you were as you check out the descriptions above. So … How can you know, or at least how can you dramatically minimize your opportunity of dissatisfaction when selecting?
A wedding event photography workshop on a beach.
How to Choose a Photography Workshop
The first thing; look at the site. This is the center of deep space in sizing up a workshop. You’re going to try to find the following attributes:
# 1. Quick filling with apparent use of current web advancement technology. Old, fixed, outdated Dreamweaver and even FrontPage sites developed for 640 screen resolution are obvious. Move on when you see this.
# 2. You must right away see what they are focusing on. It ought to leap in your lap right away. If not, move on. Anyone who puts up a site and can not convey right away what they are offering is running a train wreck workshop. If you have to play detective to determine the standard stuff, move on to the next possibility.
# 3. Navigation of the site is likewise a very close third location in significance. You need to be able to quickly find details on area(s), accommodations, duration, season, optimum group size, cost, cancelation policy, and FAQs. Many workshop sites conceal the expense till the very end, often even in their online shopping cart which is way too late to expose that crucial details.
# 4. There need to be easy-to-find contact info for both phone and email. Examine to see if the bottom header of the website shows the present year.
# 5. Take a look at the galleries; if the description says “Our most recent trip” and the shots are all 3 or 4 years old, not good. Same for the specific class offerings. If they are still publishing classes for dates that have actually clearly passed, carry on. If they do not care about their own site enough to keep it current, they will not care about you in the field.
Contact the Photography Workshop
Next, if you find an operator who looks intriguing and passes the above qualities, send out a dummy-question email and call the telephone number to see how you are treated. If your e-mail goes unanswered for more than 36 hours, or your call is either not answered immediately or the message is not returned the very same day, it’s an indicator of how you are going to be treated on location.
Let’s say your telephone call and email are responded to; how do they treat you? Specifically on the phone, are they focusing on your questions, do they react with interest? Are they patiently listening as you frame your concern? Are they making the effort to make sure all your questions are addressed and not attempting to end the call? Do they remember your name?
Now, all this might seem like little things, however this will be a sign of how you will be treated in the field when you get there. If you are looking for guideline and attention, this might not be for you if you notice a disconnect. On the other hand, if all you desire is a tourist guide, you may still find this workshop might work for you.
So, your option strikes the bullet points, you register and submit your deposit or full-pay. Look for a confirmation within 24 hours. You ought to have information about workshop travel logistics, schedules for the very first conference, lodging choices, and so on. If your choice of workshops passes the above requirements, you probably will have no problem with the rest. However, if you do not get a confirmation within 24 hours, submit a gentle tip that it hasn’t been gotten and you need to get their attention.
Professional photographers on a street in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Rates of Photography Workshops
There are some things I would like to keep in mind about the prices of photography workshops.
All-Inclusive vs Workshop-Only
Now, as for the concern of “all-inclusive” or “workshop-only” in the price. Some people like the all-encompassing where all lodging, meals, and transport are included. I can’t encourage you on this concern. However what I can state is, don’t be afraid of workshop-only rates. YOU manage the quality of your lodging. You can control your meals, especially if you abide by an unique diet.
Drive your own automobile, be it your individual vehicle or a leasing. You may find you are in the wrong workshop or an emergency occurs in your home and you have to leave early. Or the opposite, you had the time of your life, you discovered heaps and you want to extend your visit and explore on your own.
Frequently you can conserve money doing it a-la-carte due to the fact that if rates is all-encompassing, you can wager the operator has built-in cost cushioning to represent the unforeseen. This is not an abusive practice or a bad thing, it’s the necessary function in order to ensure the operator can provide what was guaranteed and to hedge against the unanticipated.
Be careful of Workshops That Are ‘On Sale’
One extra point on prices; anytime you see a workshop go “on sale”, indicating the operator is discounting his rate, it’s a sure indication he’s having difficulty filling the class. Generally, the class size is presently just hardly sufficient to avoid cancellation, so they discount to include bodies in order to not have to do refunds. This might be a chance to conserve cash, but also be aware there is a stronger possibility of cancellation. Make certain you check out the cancellation policy completely before plopping down your money.
Don’t Be a Rude Scrooge
Another consideration on price; Photographers can often be infamous skinflints. Cheapos in the extreme. Part of the appeal of the whole hobby for this person is having the ability to engage in the activity with a minimum of expenditure; they purchase only secondhand devices, make things in their garage “that work”, travel in off-seasons, and so on. So, they try to find the least pricey workshop and openly slam online if they believe something is overpriced.
Leading a workshop has become a very pricey business. Lodging costs are skyrocketing, gas and travel expenditures, food, cars and truck rentals, insurance, advertising, and even online payment processing are all increasing to dizzying levels. In national forests, the requirements for permits to run a workshop are absurd. Numerous workshop operators are taking out of national forests for that really reason; for example, in Yosemite National forest, completely 50% of workshops that utilized to run prior to the COVID-19 pandemic have actually chosen not to renew their licenses for 2022.
If you desire a good experience from an enduring workshop operator who has a long history in the geographic area or subject matter, simply pay the guy (or female). If you can’t afford it, save your pennies for when you can. Do not send destructive or unpleasant emails or dicker on price.
However, one genuine concern may enable you to save some dollars; find out if they permit your non-photographer wife or other half to accompany. Some do enable it, and it deserves asking to avoid paying complete price for somebody who just wishes to go with their spouse.
Well, there you have it. Put this info to work and it’s a winner you will not regret your choice to sign up for your next workshop.
Image credits: Header picture by Phil Hawkins, and stock photos from Depositphotos