Rodney Lough Jr.

[Lilly of the Nile]

Lilly -
Please have a little patience with this crowd - at times it can be a bit cynical. But part of that is justified by the fact that there have been too many instances of stealth postings with hidden agendas.

Thank you Louie! this is very good to hear. I work at a trucking company as the front office person so i've got pretty thick skin. ha ha.

I've done LF workshops with both Tillman Crane and Chip Forelli, and I can enthusiastically recommend both of these guys).

I will look them up, thanks.

But perhaps we could help you more if you could describe where you are coming from (experience level, etc) and what you are looking for in a workshop.

I, probably like many here have developed my own style - or at least i'd like to think so, so having my work look like someone else's isn't my priority.

I'd like to see how other people are drawn into a composition as a way of exploring my own style. i think of it like going to a cooking class, i might not have a cooking show or my own line of cook wares, but i'd like to know the way the recipe can be put together.

technically, from the camera 4x5 standpoint, there hasn't really been anything i haven't been able to figure out. Ansels book(s) have been great. I had to read some pages more than once before i figured them out, but the results were lessons well learned.

I have a lot more to learn. i guess i'll stop learning after they bury me.

You questioned the size of Lough's workshop. In workshops, smaller is always better. Frankly, 12 is a pretty large group and doesn't provide a lot of the individual, one-on-one instruction that makes a workshop really effective.

A question that should always be asked in thinking about a workshop - will the instructor also be photographing? In a LF workshop, there is nothing wrong with having the instructor do demos, but if the instructor is concentrating on his own photography, he is likely to not devote enough time to looking over the shoulders of the students.

Another important question - how is the workshop conducted? Will the instructor give specific assignments? How will the feedback process work? Will you develop your negatives and make proof prints to show to the instructor, or will the instructor go with you to examine how you frame potential subjects and discuss how you decide on exposure on the basis that the negatives will be processed after the workshop?

Your right on all these points, i think that maybe i will give his studio a call. I used to live in Portland so maybe the 'home town' connection will get me a little less hype than i might otherwise expect.

Surely, both guys are great photographers, but there are lots of others who are just as good - and perhaps even better. Try not to get hung up on who is "the best".

I know, I know. working with a bunch of 'red necks' all the time keeps me on my toes, and so i tend not to take anyone else's crap - regardless, which is why i'm probably so quick to defend the 'under dog'.

thanks Louie,
Lilly

[Joseph Kayne]

I would suggest that you look for the well recogionized color "Masters." I would suggest Charles Cramer. I hear he gives a wonderful workshop. While not familiar with Mr. Lough, there are many other color landscape photographer/teachers out there that have garnered recognition far and beyond Mr. Lough (to be taken with a grain of salt since I am not familiar with his workshops). There are also many other black and white teachers with greater recogintion and experience, such as Ray McSavaney, Bruce Barnbaum, John Sexton. I hear Sam Abell is a wonderful teacher, although he does not use large format. Check out all resources before deciding on one photographer. I hope whomever you choose, that it furthers your pursuit in large format photography!

Joe.

[Lilly of the Nile]

I hope whomever you choose, that it furthers your pursuit in large format photography!

Joe.

Joe, that's all I'm hoping for as well.

I visited your website and this one: Aspen Boles & Willows,Late Autumn, Colorado #99001038 - it STUNNING!

lilly

[Eric Biggerstaff]

"noticed from your site, at least it looks like to me, that you do primarily b&w? is that why you know about Clyde Butcher but not Rodney Lough Jr.? As Clyde is considered the current b&w master, while Lough the current color master?"


Lilly,

In response to the above, I don't consder Clyde to be the "current B&W master" at all. His work is outstanding and he surely ranks up there at the top of his field, but no more so than several others. I can think of a couple dozen whose work I admire equally as well as Clydes and a few whose work I like even better.

Also, I don't consider Lough Jr. "the current master" of color. I went to his site and his work is lovely, but no better than a few dozen other color landscape photographers out there doing the same thing and photographing in the same locations. He is a VERY skilled self promoter and marketer (man I wish I had that talent!) but there are photographers whose color work I admire more, some of whom are contributors to this forum.

While I have not read the Pop Photo article (not a magazine I read often), if the writer did call Lough and Butcher "the master" then that was a mistake in my opinion and I would not get to caught up on it.

Your original post was a good one and I hope we have given you some ideas to consider. Going on your first workshop is exciting and can be rewarding if you find the right fit between what you need to grow as a photographer and what you are looking for in terms of an instructor.

Taking time to ask some honest questions about your level of ability and where you want to go with your work, then taking more time to research as many of the available options for workshops as you can find, will increase your chances of having a rewarding workshop experience.

For sure, if Rodney Lough Jr. is someone whose work inspires you to get out there and make some images, then give one of his workshops a try. Learning and growing is as much about the attitude the student brings to the workshop as it is about the person teaching the workshop. If you are positive and having fun, you will learn and grow no matter who the instructor is.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

[Harley Goldman]

I ran into Rodney one morning in Yosemite and a buddy and I shot the breeze with him for quite a while. He was a very nice guy, but did have a very high opinion of his own work. My buddy and I got a good laugh over it later. He said something to the effect that his work made Mangelson's work look like crap. Other than that, Rodney was a nice enough guy.

When I got home, I looked up his website. He has some nice work, some very cliche work. Overall, it did not blow my hair back.

[roteague]

When I got home, I looked up his website. He has some nice work, some very cliche work. Overall, it did not blow my hair back.

I can't say I would consider his work cliche, but I will say that it doesn't do much for me either.

[lostcoyote]

He was a very nice guy, but did have a very high opinion of his own work. My buddy and I got a good laugh over it later. He said something to the effect that his work made Mangelson's work look like crap. Other than that, Rodney was a nice enough guy.

heh, saying that another person's work is crap in public sounds more like something an egomaniac would say

When I got home, I looked up his website. He has some nice work, some very cliche work. Overall, it did not blow my hair back.

i've always not understood what it means to say that a person's work is cliche. does that mean copying another person's style or a style in general?
i've been to photo dot net and there is so much oustanding work being put up over there, it's hard to tell the difference sometimes - especially in color landscapes, i end up feeling like photographers (and very good ones) are sorta like musicians in that the good ones seem to be a dime a dozen (no offense intended here - i am a dime a twnty five dozen photographer myself) and the ones that set themselves apart are the ones with exceptional marketing and networking skills.


what does it mean to be a master anyways. i know a couple of photographers whose work is parallel with that of some of the accepted masters of the field... their prints certainly look and feel like masterworks, yet... they are not considered masters because they have not had enough exhibits, enough publication, etc. is "mastership" more about being part of an "old boys club" where quantity of good work is a more important factor than quality of just a few exceptional pieces?

i guess these days, anyone can make a claim that they're a master. if yahoo is good enough for american society, then so be it.

[jetcode]

I can't say I would consider his work cliche, but I will say that it doesn't do much for me either.

There are many artists that image in this style, Rodney has some prints from 8x10 film that are drop dead gorgeous, I think you have to want a piece in that style and IMO there are many artists to choose from

[Brian Ellis]

I think it's safe to say at this point that no one here has taken a workshop from Mr. Lough. I've taken many workshops, probably 12-15 ranging from two days to two weeks including one from Clyde Butcher. I've almost always enjoyed them, usually learned a lot, really liked spending time in the company of other serious photographers and being immersed in photography for the duration of the workshop. But the best aspect of a really excellent workshop for me is coming away from it feeling inspired and with a renewed dedication to photography. The best instructors can do that.

[Sheldon N]

Not to be mean here, but I think this whole post is self promotion by Rodney's wife, Leanna.

I agree with Justin about the post from 2003 by "Leanna Normine", which is written in very much the same style as the content posted by "Lilly" here. It also happens that Leanna joined the forum back then the very same day and only posted about how great Rodney was.

Also note that all the content posted in the last day or two on Photo.net by "Lilly Nile" is gone, and her member ID is also deleted. It seems that the moderators at Photo.net didn't approve of her joining the forum and then spamming the same day with multiple posts about how wonderful Rodney Lough Jr is and how we should all check out his workshop now that he's been featured in Pop Photo.

Personally, if this is all true I think this speaks very poorly about Rodney and makes me highly question whether anyone should consider taking a workshop from him. I know that people need to self promote in order to make a living at this, but going out and creating false identities/posts to drive website traffic and get people talking about Rodney is low, IMHO. Maybe it's true that any publicity is good publicity. Heck, I've never heard of the guy before and I practically work next door to his home gallery.

Ultimately, it's up to QT and the moderators whether they want to let this thread continue and keep Lilly as a member here at this forum.