Red Skies at Night

Today as a part of the Hawai’i Photo Expo weekend, we had a workshop with juror Brooks Jensen. Here is the synopsis of the workshop:

One of the most common problems that plague photographers is the persistent question, What should I photograph? In this seminar, the focus will be on finding and developing projects — often from the clues that can be found in your existing work. Discussions will include looking at participants portfolios and using them as springboards to project-oriented work. There will also be an emphasis on defining what kind of finished presentation might be best for a given project and even how to massage a project for a targeted audience.

Key: R20120610-143803

Brooks really did an excellent job with the material. I felt it was spot on to the description, and he was genuinely interested in helping people find their way toward project-oriented work, the dominant paradigm for successful working photographers today. I’m only just getting started in project oriented work for the past three years or so, beginning with the books and folios I have made. Before that I was (as he calls it) a “big pile of prints” kind of photographer. But I still feel I have a long way to go in this area. So I took some samples of my work that I had in mind for a portrait project, got good feedback from him and the group, got some great ideas for organizing it, and took copious notes of things and photographers that I should look into. By the end of the workshop my head felt full.

Really one of the best one-day workshops I’ve ever attended. If you get a chance to take a workshop with Brooks I would highly recommend it!