A couple of weeks ago I hosted my first photography workshop at The Lace Market Hotel in Nottingham.
I have been thinking about running workshops for a while. I am so enthusiastic about photography and have always fancied myself as a teacher so it seemed like a natural progression of my career. I knew I had to try it.
I was thrilled to have sell out within a few days and to have a waiting list. With people travelling from as far as Scotland and London to hear what I had to say, I put a ridiculous amount of pressure on myself to deliver something amazing. As the day approached I was naturally a bit nervous.
As we were setting up on the day, the butterflies were making themselves known. One by one, people started to arrive and before I knew it the room was full of faces looking back at me. Once the initial introductions were out of the way and I’d got stuck in I felt much more comfortable. And you know what? Yes, some of the concepts of photography are inherently tricky and yes it was difficult to gauge the level of detail to go into without alienating people, but overall I was pleased that it worked. Seeing the look on someone’s face as they show me their understanding of something I’ve just explained to them is priceless. Hearing that I have inspired someone to get out and take photographs or turn their camera off auto was pure brilliant.
I could relate so much to the delegates experiences and frustrations with their cameras, I’ve been in their shoes. There were nods around the room as people admitted that they too had swivelled the dials not knowing what they were doing but hoping for the best (and to the casual onlooker seeming like a pro at the same time)!
One of my main aims of the day was to help the group to understand why sometimes a picture doesn’t turn out as you had expected and what to do about it. I explained what the technical terms mean and why they are important. I wanted to make the content about photography on different cameras not just DSLRs, because once you understand photography, you can apply that understanding on a phone, compact or DSLR. I wanted everyone whatever their ability or equipment when they walked in to be able to leave and take better photographs than before.
This course wasn’t about turning everyone into a pro in a day (if only it were that easy) but it was about taking your time to become a thoughtful photographer. To me that means taking the time to learn about how a camera works and how to use yours to take advantage of what it will do best. Importantly this approach also allows you to predict when it will struggle and know what to do about that.
Thanks to my brilliant first ever delegates I have more ideas on how to make it even better next time. So, if I organise another for the New Year, perhaps in Nottingham and another further afield would you like to come along? Where would be good for you?
Email me if you would like to be kept informed about dates and locations, I’d love to hear from you.
Blush inducing feedback from my Beginners Photography Workshop
“My husband has been trying to explain aperture, ISO and shutter speed to me for ages, but today it just clicked”
“I feel like my love of taking photos has been rekindled”
“I feel much more confident to know where to start when moving off auto”
“A very engaging and encouraging teaching style”
“A brilliant pace, very clear and concise”
“I found settings on my camera that I didn’t even know were there”
“The course was very accessible for all beginners, whether you had some knowledge or none at all. It was explained beautifully. I finally understand why certain photos look better than others”
“A natural teacher”
“I can’t wait to get out there and take photos”
