gdanmitchell
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 p.2 #14 · Best photography workshop for first timer? | |
gdanmitchell wrote:
But the "seeing" part is what differentiates photographers, I think. On one hand, it is the hardest thing to write and teach about. On the other hand, progress in this realm is very rewarding.
Dan
vbnut replied:
I agree, but I think that "vision" is one of the things I struggle the most with in my photography.
Years ago a computer user-interface designer colleague that like me, was a hobbyist photographer, recommended the book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards to help learn/understand how to see a scene. Its a book about drawing, but in some ways its just as much about seeing. I checked it out from the local public library, and started reading it (and trying to do the drawing exercises), but I had to return it to the library long before I finished it. At the time I was too busy to continue, but I have more time now so maybe I'll try it again....Show more →
I hear you. Most people who try to "get into" an art struggle far more with this part that with the technical stuff. The technical challenges of succumb sufficiently to study and practice, but the aesthetic part can be a harder nut to crack, especially for folks coming at this from a technology-centric background. It seems mysterious and not subject to sort of objective procedures and rules that work in other realms that are not primarily about aesthetics.
(I acknowledge that not all legitimate photography has that primary focus. Photography can also be a different sort of pursuit.)
It frustrates some people even more when they notice people with far fewer apparent technical chops or even less advanced equipment who produce effective and moving art.
I never read the "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" book, perhaps because I was already beginning a career in the arts back when I first heard of it. But the concept, using the right/left brain metaphor for the affective/logical modes of thinking and creativity is useful.
A lot of what "creatives" do is not based primarily on logical, linear thinking. (To be sure, there's an element of that in art, but it is in the "necessary but not sufficient" category.) A whole lot of it, especially in the moments of creation, is about acting on well-developed intuitions. The "well developed" part of that is really important. And repetition. Obsessive repetition. A lot of obsessive repetition.
There's so much more that could be said on this subject... that I'm not going to try. (Some folks can thank be later. ;-) )
But it does sound like this might give a bit more focus to your search for the right learning mode or experience. I get the impression that you are not so much interested in "how to operate your camera" as you are in "how to see photographically."
You do have to be careful about workshops and similar that profess to teach "vision." But at the same time, there are workshops and classes (and alternatives to those) that can help you focus and clarify your "seeing." They typically involve some of the following:
1. Investigation of exemplary work.
2. Personal creation of some category of work.
3. Critique of the work.
4. Creation of more work following critique, applying what was learned from critique.
Lather, rinse, repeat. For years, really. ;-)
The "critique" part is often problematic. Too many think "critique" means "calling out what is wrong." Some end up focusing on telling aspiring photographers where they have failed. Period. That is tremendously harmful to most learners, and in some cases it even becomes abusive.
The concept of good critique is: Here's what I see that works well. Here's what I see that might be done differently, and here are some options and reasons. Take what worked, apply what you learned, do more work, and make it even better.
Finding a teacher, mentor, workshop leader who has skills to provide insightful and useful criticism is important. I'm afraid that this is also about the hardest thing to determine from "10 Best Workshops" articles and similar. It is often pretty useful to start to become part of a real-world photography community of some sort — the kind that forms around some photography clubs, some community college or even community photography programs, certain individual photographers and so forth. You'll learn a lot that way — about photography itself and about the opportunities for learning and for photography.'
And, yes, online communities like FM serve a useful function, too, though I think that it augments more than replaces the real world communities. (There were a few concrete workshop recommendation in this thread, for example.)
Good luck,
Dan
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