from the stuido

Conversations on photography

This fall, I will be hosting several conversations and discussions about the nature of photography and the creative process at my Whidbey Island studio located just outside Langley, Wa. Unlike some of my online classes or workshops that are more technically focused, these conversations aim to dive into how we approach our photographic process to make more meaningful work.

Registration is limited to 12 participants for each session. There is no charge for attending the event; coffee, tea, and snacks will be provided. There will be a waitlist, so if you can’t participate in a session you have registered to attend, please let me know so that someone else can have your spot.

The format for each session is similar. The studio will open 30 minutes before the start time for people to come by and mix and mingle. I will then present a 30 to 45-minute presentation on the photographic topic for that session. The remaining time will be spent in conversation around that topic. I will have a set of questions to jump-start the conversation, but we will just let the organic nature of the creative process lead us. The discussions are scheduled for two hours, not including our pre-social hour.

Feel, Imagine, Create

In my personal photographic journey, I found that I was hitting a wall. I had become very good at the technical aspects of photography. I made what were considered to be really “nice” photographs. They were well composed, pretty, and well printed.
As I looked more and more at my work, I felt something was missing. There was a spark, or dare I say soul, missing from my work. I realized that no matter how much I learned about my craft, I was stuck in a hole. I didn’t even know how I got in that hole, much less how to get out of it.

I started to talk to other photographers about what I was dealing with and found some of them in a similar position (or at least willing to admit it). They were also struggling to meaningfully create work and how to talk about that work.

Those conversations gave way to understanding the value of making with purpose, sharing with intent, and meaningfully talking about photographs and photography, both mine and others.

This conversation series is a selfish attempt to share that experience and find other photographers who share a similar understanding so that our (my)community of becoming better photographers can grow.

cre·​a·​tiv·​i·​ty

define: the ability to create

recognize possibilities

working through emtion

Conversations in Photography

Fall 2022 Series

Silly Dog Studios, which is the name of our place, is hosting these conversations in our working photography studio. We are located just outside of Langley, Wa on Whidbey Island. These are in-person events and will not be recorded or live streamed (maybe in 2023). Due to the size of the studio, sessions are limted to 12 participants.

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Session One

Approaching Photographs

Wednesday
September 7 2022

10:00 am- Noon

Our first conversation event is all about how to talk about photographs and critique photographs in a meaningful way. We will start off with a brief lecture on how to read, understand and evaluate photographs. We will then look at some well-known photographers’ work and practice our critique skills; time permitting, we might look at some individual work.

Session Two

Thinking in black and white

Wednesday
September 21 2022

10:00 am- Noon

The second session in our Conversations in Photography series focuses on the nature of black and white photography as a photographic art, medium and way of seeing. This two hour event includes a brief lecture, open conversation and critique of some pre-submitted work. There is no cost to attend the event, but space is limited to 12 participants.

Session Three

Color as content

Wednesday

October 19 2022

10:00 am- Noon

The thrid session in our Conversations in Photography series focuses on color, color photography and how color impacts our viewing photographs and creating photographs. This two hour event includes a brief lecture, open conversation and critique of some pre-submitted work. There is no cost to attend the event, but space is limited to 12 participants.

Session Four

Understanding Voice, Vision, Signature and Style

Wednesday

November 9 2022

10:00 am- Noon

The final session in our Conversations on Photography series focuses on four of the key elements that define how we approach our photography. In our conversation we will dive into the aspects of voice, vision, signature and style that make up our creative approach to photograpy. This two hour event includes a lecture and open conversation.  There is no cost to attend the event, but space is limited to 12 participants.

Photography is a visual language.

Has anyone ever asked you what you take pictures of, and you sort of don’t have a good answer? Maybe you say something like, I photograph stuff, people or landscapes.

Do you find it hard to explain to people what your photographs are about and how they matter to you? Do you ever feel like your photographs are more than just the thing in the frame?

You know your images have a deeper meaning, but you just can’t explain it. For many of us, it can be hard to answer these types of questions. We know that our photographs are important and more than just the things we photograph. One of the most significant challenges is understanding how images can resonate with us and others.

These conversations are an attempt to help all of us, through sharing, listening, and building a supportive and safe community, find how to connect the visual language of our images and our verbal language of how we talk about our images. Hopefully, we can see that we and our images speak volumes.