Choosing a Wedding Photography Workshop

posted October 20, 2011 in Photographer Resources

I was the student in high school that asked lots of questions. Kids would laugh. Years later, I learned there is no such thing as a stupid question. We go to class to learn. Turns out, I learn by asking questions, challenging conventions, and asking those hard “why” questions. Good news: these same qualities are shared by great journalists, therapists, and inventors.

Choosing a wedding photography workshop can be daunting, especially with so many offerings available. Workshops can change your philosophy, workflow, approach and philosophy of what you may call your hobby, your art, and your business. Some might be influence in a more efficient and productive way, other workshop experiences can easily discourage or leave a bad taste in your mouth for something you once loved. Choosing your teacher and mentors is a freedom and indulgence as a creative entrepreneur. I only wish I had the same freedom in high school history class.

I’ve been a longtime proponent of the following quote by Mark Twain: “Never let school interfere with your education.” Steve Jobs and Bill Gates subscribed to this same notion.

Some workshops that can leave participants in tears without even talking about a photography or business. There are those that talk mostly about vague generalities about how to find the perfect client, others geek-talk lighting ratios and debate export 16-bit vs 8-bit RAW conversions. Some workshops inspire. Others teach how to find a balance and save time. Some tell you what you want to know, while others show you how to break conventions. And some are self-serving and promote their next workshop while Tweeting real-time. Seen then all.

So today, I share my top ten tips on how to approach choosing the best wedding photography workshop. Hope you enjoy!

1. Understand how you learn best.
Understanding which workshop is right for you depends on your level of ability, your learning style, and personality. These are all HIGHLY personal. Do you learn best in a traditional classroom setting with PowerPoint? Or hands-on shooting workshops? Or a blend of both?

2. You get what you pay for.
As with anything in life, educational investments are not cheap, but they shouldn’t create unhealthy debt. My advice? For $18.42, buy you Scott Bourne’s new book, “Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer.“ Read it. Mark it up. Then bring all your questions to your next workshop.

3. Recognize not all photographers know how to teach.
That’s unfortunate. Just because you are a “big name” photographer, doesn’t mean you can motivate and inspire students sitting in front of you for 90 minutes during a powerpoint presentation. THAT takes a good teacher. Unfortunately, when we have few learning opportunities as focused as a photography conference/retreat… we want to savor the learning experience as much as possible and take away a year’s worth of knowledge to chew on.

4. Love their work.
Choose your workshop instructor well. Ask yourself before signing up: would you hire them to shoot your wedding or portrait? If not, bail. You want to surround yourself by people that inspire and challenge. Will they inspire honest sense of confidence, or make you feel worthless? Will they motivate or cause insecurity and doubt? Just because you have a $100 coupon off an 8-hour seminar is offered for “only $99,” doesn’t mean you should attend to save a $100, cause you spent $99 in the process.

5. Photography workshops don’t have to be wedding photography workshops.
Not many wedding photographers attend non-wedding photography workshops. This is sad. We all crave belonging in a niche called community. I get that. However, we don’t have study in the same community to learn, otherwise our work starts looking the same.

6. Ask lots of why questions.
These are often the hardest questions to answer, forcing those on stage to really dig deep and (hopefully) think. Communicating answers to these questions requires the a special skill. Good instructors can make complicated topics easy-to-understand without using the word “awesome” in every other sentence. Learning doesn’t have to be frustrating. There are so many tips and tricks that can be shared in a workshop environment.

7. Be honest with what you need to learn.
There’s a difference between what is nice to know and what you need to know. This will vary depending on your skill set. If you are a creative lighting master, you may not need to hear how to use Speedlights. If you struggle with workflow, perhaps polishing infrastructure demands needs. There’s much more to taking good photographs to running a successful business.

8. Balance testimonials.
Talk with people that have attended the workshop before. What this the first time it was offered? This will speak help predict your potential outcome.

9. Calculate the real costs.
Education isn’t cheap. A $1,000+ tuition isn’t everything. Don’t forget travel costs and incidentals which add up quickly. However, more importantly, you are away from your family and away from your work. Taking 3-days off in a row can make the next two weeks miserable if you are playing catch-up. Kudos to all-inclusive workshops that include meals, lodging, and drinks.

10. Meet your teacher first.
Email the potential workshop instructor them with a question or two. See how they respond. If they treat you like how their clients will want to be treated, they will respond with a thoughtful response and you’ve taken the first step in establishing a relationship that will mutually beneficial. Or introduce yourself at a conference if you happen to see them. Comment on their blog. Or simply pick up the phone and speak with them. One sign of a good instructor is they make themselves available (think office hours in school).

I hope this helps you in making one of the most important decisions in your creative business. You might also be interested in reading my 11 tips of how to get the most of a professional photography shooting workshop and my photographer resources articles with tons of tips and tricks geared for the aspiring pro.

Here’s a video short created by Matt Brue at Capture Studios from last week’s Elevate workshop in Minnesota… which exhibited many of the great tips discussed above. Yes, I make on-screen cameo debut, nodding while wearing my favorite grey Under Armour sweatshirt:

[vimeo width=”900″ height=”506″]http://www.vimeo.com/30733025[/vimeo]

And a few shots of new friends that helped to create great memories:

If you have any questions or would like to add to the discussion, please leave a comment below! I hope this help you photographers choosing to elevate yourself to the next level!