I recently returned from the Foundation Workshop in Allen, Texas, a workshop that trains photographers to understand photojournalism better, and gives them two day assignments that test their ability to see and tell a story. Each day of shooting on location is followed by an intense critique session from a team leader, with contributions from associated mentors and staff. The team leaders and staff are accomplished photojournalists and fine art photographers with a wide range of experience to share with the students.
Last year, I was a participant, with my assignment being a local animal shelter; this year, I was one of two mentors with Amy Deputy's team. Both times, it has been an amazing and enriching experience, and I have learned different things about photography and seeing from being a student and receiving critiques, and from being one of the people guiding and helping other photographers out as they go through a rigorous process of 1) tackling a real photojournalistic assignment 2) thinking and re-thinking the way they photograph and 2) getting (in most cases) the most intense feedback they have ever received on the way they shoot and the way they see.
In the end, many beautiful images and stories are produced, and you can see some of this work on the main site, and at the Foundation Workshop blog. However, the entire workshop is not a goal-driven competition to produce the best stories or best images, but a journey to overcome (in most cases) the barriers photographers place on themselves -- not getting close enough, not thinking about other ways of telling a story, not understanding a subject as well as one could.
One of the most wonderful things about the entire experience is the sheer number of talented and giving photographers on all sides. I was part of a very talented team, but I learned a lot as well from encountering other people from other teams in the hallway and sharing a quick insight. Even at breakfast with just a few hours sleep after a late night critique, other team members had plenty to teach me as they talked about their own businesses.
Amy, our team leader, set the tone this year with a portrait exercise outdoors after a half day of lectures. She took on several of the themes from the day -- making eye contact with subjects, learning to listen, and understanding what it feels like to be photographed. She had us all photograph each other with these themes in mind, and with the open question of "What would you do if you had no fear?" It was a gorgeous evening in Texas, and we sat out in the field of a nearby farm, as Amy directed us.
When it came to the actual assignments, students were on pins and needles wondering how they would fare. In the end, they all did beautifully, and in very different ways. Some of the most striking examples of work overall from the workshop can be seen on my own hyper-talented colleague (and co-mentor) Anna Kuperberg's blog -- but I'd like to share an image from each team member that touched me in a certain way, because they showed off the unique way of seeing of each person, the lyricism, the compassion, the humor.
Ann Johnson was one of several photographers to come to Texas from England, so she demonstrated a particular delight in seeing things in America (and suburban Texas) that she doesn't see much back home. Her assignment was a beauty salon, and her dry humor and colorful eye was a delight, as evidenced in this photo of Anna getting a pedicure:
Then there was Oscar, who had a tiger sanctuary as his assignment. This photograph only hints at the range of emotion he captured in all his wonderful photographs of the tigers and the people who take care of them, but is wonderfully symbolic.
Molly had a senior recreation center, and she challenged herself heavily to go beyond the obvious story of seniors having a good time with various activities -- she achieved a level of depth with her subjects that was heartening to see.
Jessica had a boxing gym as her assignment; plenty of visual stimulation for her, but she successfully honed in on the owner of the gym, Barney, and told his story in a highly nuanced manner. Jessica never stopped moving and worked as hard as anyone in pursuing her story.
Finally, Scott had a skateboard park. You couldn't beat this environment for pure action and eye candy! But Scott, interestingly, used his skills as a portrait shooter to get at the personalities of his subjects. He got lots of great action, but I really enjoyed how he told the story with memorable environmental portraits as well.
Though I wasn't at this workshop to take pictures in the same way I did as a student, I couldn't resist this capture while visiting Molly at the senior center -- this guy agonizing over a crazy large jigsaw with many similar colored pieces. Not a bad metaphor for the workshop -- the story is sometimes right in front of you, but sometimes it feels concealed beneath many small details.
I would like to thank all the great people on my team -- and Huy Nguyen and Bill Holland, who manage and run the workshop -- for putting together one of the best teaching and learning experiences for photographers of any discipline. (Amy's assistant David, another invaluable team member, agrees with me -- he's going to be a student at the workshop next year!) I'll be applying many of the lessons I learned this year to my own photography, and I'm happy to have made yet more talented friends in Texas this year!
