The Side Dish: Photography Workshops at EVO '12

Happy Tuesday!

I feel like I have been gone from my blog forever even though it has only been a few days. Life has been pretty busy around here. My 17 year-old cousin is here from Italy and we have been cramming in as much activity as possible before he leaves at the end of this month. He is working at Peter's office during the week, so I am able to stay on top of daily responsibilities, but our weekends have been jam-packed. I need a nap! 

Today, I am back with my third and final EVO '12 conference update. After this post, I promise I will bring back the food.

This year, I wanted to focus most of my learning time at EVO on improving my photography skills. I still have a long way to go, but I am having fun learning, even if it can often be frustrating. Some days, it is just easier to whip out my iPhone, snap a photo and upload it to Instagram instead of futzing around with the controls on my dSLR. Luckily, both workshops I attended were plentiful with tips for both "iPhoneography" and traditional digital camera photography, so it was the best of both worlds. 

"Elevate the Everyday" presented by Tracey Clark

The highlights:

• Look for the light and let it be your muse. Use light to define things.

• "Once you see things differently, you will always see things differently."

• Change your perspective. Use different angles. Get out of "snapshot" mode. You can bring a lot of emotion to a photograph through the use of a different perspective.

• Give yourself time to play with your skills-it is essential for your creativity.

• "Do not underestimate your own vision." You will bring more of yourself to your photographs by following your vision.

• Bring a perspective to the table that no one else would think of-that is when things become compelling.

• The more you observe, experiment and play, the more intuitive photography becomes.

• Be deliberate with your shots-you will be more mindful and intuitive.

And the best advice from Tracey to all of us was: "Do what you love and do it unapologetically."

Here are some of the photographs I took after Tracey's fantastic workshop:

Photography Workshop & Field Trip to Downtown Park City

This workshop was presented by Diane Cu and Todd Porter of White on Rice Couple, Jenn Tilley of How To: Simplify, Casey Mullins of Moosh In Indy, and Cristi Dame of Weeds to Wishes. 

Each photographer gave a brief presentation about a different aspect of photography and told us about their particular style and approach to photography. After the presentation, our group boarded a bus to gorgeous downtown Park City, where we divided into small groups led by each photographer and we walked around for an hour taking photographs and getting pointers from our group's photographer. It was some of the most fun I had all weekend and I didn't want the afternoon to end.

The highlights:

Todd Porter {on iPhonography}

• "Don't be an app junkie." Find iPhone photography apps that work for you and the photography style that you like to practice.

• Do not get wrapped up in editing your photographs. Tweak them just enough but do not go crazy.

• Some iPhone apps Todd recommended: SnapSeed, Camera Plus, Bleach Bypass, Noir, Filterstorm, and Instagram {my faviorite!}

Diane Cu {on Perspective, Story & Being a Witness}

• Change your perspective and challenge yourself to think outside the box when photographing a subject.

• "Some of the most imperfect photographs have meaning."

• When photographing people you do not know, start slow to build trust.

Casey Mullins {on photography equipment}

• Quit thinking that buying the most expensive equipment will make you a better photographer.

Cristi Dame {on "taking off the training wheels"}

• Give Manual mode a try. It will help you gain control, give you more precision and more creativity in your photographs.

• "Take your camera on a date." Explore different settings, lighting and subjects.

Jenn Tilley {on Moments & Stories}

• Love imperfect photos and embrace the imperfection. Flaws can make a photograph beautiful.

Here are some of my photos from our field trip. I walked in Diane Cu's group and practiced taking photographs with my iPhone:

 

Both workshops only added to the knowledge I am gaining each day towards becoming a more mindful photographer. Practicing photography is one of my greatest joys in life, but something I tend to do infrequently and inconsistently. I have days where I am completely running on autopilot and the thought of taking a photograph never enters my consciousness. Attending these two workshops was like hitting my internal "reset" button so that I can slow down and be a better observer of life around me. 

I hope you enjoyed all the photography tips I gleaned from these talented photographers. It was a true pleasure being able to learn from them.

I will be back soon with a new food post. In the meantime, go take some photographs!

Love,
Flavia