Next week I’ll be doing something that’s been on my wish list for a long time.
I’ll be traveling to Dallas to attend the Foundation Workshop.
I’ve been to lots of workshops for wedding photographers, but this one’s different. No brides, no models, no white dresses.
The workshop was started by Huy Nguyen of f8 Studio. Huy is a former photojournalist who worked for papers like the Chicago Tribune and the Dallas morning news. Huy’s specialty is, obviously, documenting weddings as a photojournalist. The Foundation Workshop is designed to give wedding photographers who have no photojournalist experience some of the skills that newspaper photographers use every day.
The easist way to do this is to give the particiapants ‘real world’ newspaper assignments. Everything from the local skate park, animal shelter, a local family or even a greenhouse.
The first day of the workshop is all theory and shooting instruction. Then things get interesting. The next day you go out your assignment and cover the story. Your pictures are then critiqued by your team leader and then you go out the next day and cover the exact same assignment. Hopefully with the critique and instruction from your team leader and mentors, the second days pictures should be much better.
The final day is spent editing and creating slideshows for the final dinner to be shown to everyone.
The line up of staff (which outnumbers students!) is amazing! Years and years of experience shooting for major papers (and even a Pulitzer winner!) and hundreds of weddings. Even the students have some awesome portfolios. This workhop books up years in advance (just like wedding photographers!)
I’ll be honest, I’m really excited AND scared sh*tless. But, whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.
For anyone trying to get a a hold of me, I’ll pretty much be out of the loop for all of next week. I’ll have access to my email/voicemail, but I won’t have a lot of time for checking in.
See ya in a week!
