Newfoundland Photography Workshop: From a Photo Workshop Leader's Perspective
n July this past 2010 I led a workshop to the beautiful island of Newfoundland. It is affectionately known as “The Rock”. For those of you who have been there you will understand why this nickname applies.
It is always interesting to meet new participants when running a photographic workshop.
A lot of planning and energy goes into organizing the workshop and you hope that you have done all of your homework to make the trip a success for everyone. The meaning of success can vary greatly from client to client and some are easier to please than others. There is always that uneasy feeling of anticipation before you meet your clients.
What will they be like? Will we get along? Will I meet their expectations?
Will the birds and animals be where they should be? What about the weather?
As I pull up to meet the participants at the airport everyone seems to be happy and excited in anticipation of some great photography. The uneasiness quickly fades away as we all get packed up in the van and head off to our first location. Talk is light and usually about photography and where everyone is from and what they do. This is one of the wonderful parts of this business. Meeting new people with common interests and
forming new friendships.
We all arrive at our accommodations and get settled. There is quite a bit of ground to cover in Newfoundland from hotspot to hotspot so we all have dinner and then head out early the next morning in anticipation of some good light and co-operative subjects.
The next morning the fun really starts when we find our first subjects. The morning gives us some beautiful light and everyone gets some good images. A great start to a great trip. For me personally there is nothing more gratifying than seeing my guests experience capturing that shot of a lifetime or, at least, the shot of a trip. As it turns out, all the worrying was for nothing. I guess it goes with the territory. It’s all good. David Hemmings
