Do you have to be at a certain level in your own photography to get something out of Sexton's workshops? Like, how good do you have to be before you go? I'd like to go to some workshops if I can get my home life situated well enough, but I don't know if I'm "ready."Originally Posted by Brian Ellis
Of the four I attended, one was a field workshop ("Photographing the Southwest" or something like that), the other three were darkroom workshops with a field trip on the side and some instruction in use of a large format camera and the zone system plus a portfolio review of each participant's work. I think that if you've ever made a print in a darkroom you could handle the darkroom workshops, you don't have to be at some highly advanced level.
The field workshops could pretty much be done at any level. While most of the people attending use a large format camera, that isn't a requirement. When I took the first one I was using a 35mm camera, when I took the second one I was using a Pentax 67 camera. Nobody laughed at me (though they might have laughed at my portfolio). You certainly don't have to be any great shakes as a photographer to attend any of them.
Brian Ellis
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
I am biased but Ray McSavaney is local and will be teaching two workshops in 2012, one will be in the desert southwest photographing ancient native American ruin sites and Monument Valley while the second will be in the Fall in Colorado working in Aspen. In addition Ray is local to you in Los Angeles and would likely do one on one printing lessons. If interested let me know and I will get you the information. In the interest of full disclosure, I am Ray's workshop assistant. I have also taken great workshops from John Sexton, Alan Ross, Howard Bond and others. If there is a photographer whose work you admire, contact them and ask about any workshops, chances are good they teach them and there is no better person to learn from than one whose work you respect.
I agree that Ray does an excellent job. But I'd mildly disagree that the best way to find a workshop is to seek out someone who's work you admire. Not every excellent photographer is also an excellent teacher. While you probably don't want to take a workshop from a street photographer if you're a landscape photographer, I think that doing what the OP has done here is very important - ask around.
There are a lot of outstanding photographers out there who's work can be admired. There are fewer who are also excellent teachers. And some of the excellent teachers aren't well-known photographers. E.g. Craig Stephens, who is or used to be on the faculty of the Savannah College of Art and Design, isn't very well known but his workshop at the Maine Photographic Workshops (or whatever they call it now) was one of the best I've taken.
Brian Ellis
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
There are many workshops, but take advice and instruction form those whose work and opinions you respect or admire. Asking around is great and is smart but you don't know any of us so you have to take it all with a grain of salt. Some may really like one teacher while others will think they suck, at some point you just sort of take a chance. A good source for a variety of workshops is the Ansel Adams gallery in Yosemite or Santa Fe Workshops or Maine Photographic Workshops (I think those are all still around). It comes down to what you want to get from the experience, what you want to learn, areas you may want to visit and I am sure many many other things. There have been many excellent suggestions for you here but there are many more. Seek and ye shall find.Good luck and have fun, in the end it is all about having fun!
Another vote for John Sexton. I took one of his workshops 17 years ago, excellent experience.
Michael and Ray are both fantastic. Eric, please give Ray my regards. Thanks. Joe.
check out Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee's workshops:
http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/Vi..._Workshop.html
Ain't that the truth! Taching is a talent and it requires passion and enthusiasm. I've been in workshops where the time flew and came away with a new understanding or a different way to approach a problem and I've been in a one day workshop where I couldn't wait to get out.
All that to say that a John Sexton workshop has been on my radar for a while.
Come to Utah. Let me and Robert Hall take you around Great Salt Lake for a few days. We'll camp and shoot and eat and camp and shoot and eat and....you get the idea.
We won't charge you an arm and a leg either. Plus we're super cool and totally awesome instructors.
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