After two great photo workshops in less than a month, I'm tired, yet inspired.
I just got home from 10 days in New York for the
Eddie Adams Workshop, where it's always great reconnecting with old friends and making new. As the Rust Team producer, it was my job to find 10 great subjects for 10 great students. This process starts months in advance with a theme (this year's: "The Working Family") hundreds of google searches, cold calls and chasing leads. Then the week of the Workshop, I like to touch base with all my subjects, to remind them that a photographer will be hanging out with them soon. And that's when several of my stories fall through -- because subjects have forgotten we're coming and decided they're going out of town instead or they've simply changed their minds. Somehow though, it always works out, and some truly amazing people end up letting us, total strangers, into their lives for a few days.
The one thing that always surprises me though is my students. I try to learn everything I can about them beforehand, by looking at their websites, blogs and tweets. By exchanging emails, and asking about their strengths, weaknesses and what they hope to get out of the workshop. Yet, all I know of them is what I perceive and what they want me to know. So, really, I don't know them at all. Which means pairing them up with stories becomes a tricky and imperfect art. I try my best to match them up with something that's going to challenge them, and ideally push them out of their comfort zone and encourage them to make mistakes and take risks. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Every year, producing leaves me absolutely exhausted -- mentally and physically. And it leaves me wondering it it's worth it. I spend my own time and money to get myself there. I have some students that just don't get it -- that come in with their own agenda, that don't push themselves, that don't take direction, that make no attempt to connect to their subjects, that think their pictures are perfect just the way they are and that get defensive when you tell them otherwise... But then there are those other students that makes it all worth while. That push themselves to make pictures better than they ever have before. That try something new. That get "it." That surprise themselves and me. And that makes it all worthwhile.
Now, I may be biased, but this year's GeekFest was pretty amazing. Here's the abbreviated version: Sam Abell kicked things off with photo night at the Poynter Institute, giving us a glimpse into his mind's eye, then hung around for the rest of the weekend to delight us with his generosity and humanity. Photo guru Bryan Moss reminded us of the power of community journalism and the power in the purity of an image. Bob Croslin lit up a standing-room only studio. Alexis Lambert broke down media law and fed us cocktails. Damon Winter took us on the campaign trail with a beefed up version of his Pulitzer entry and a fun day-in-the-life timelapse, showing thousands of images (every single one, from one particular day) from multiple cities in a matter of minutes -- and the single image from that shoot that the NYTimes published the following day. Dai Sugano showed off some really striking, conceptual, though-provoking multimedia -- and reminded us that it should be fun. David Handschuh shared his personal story of being affected by 9/11 and reminded us that we need to take care of each other because all journalists deal with some level of stress. Photo rock star Allison V. Smith shared portraits and personal work and said life's too short to work for mean people. Nicole Fruge took us on a journey through covering her community and then conflict with the same motivations, ideals and story-telling sensibilities. And last, but not least, Pulitzer-winner Patrick Farrell reminded us that there's a certain courage in compassion, and touched us all with his humility.
Also, thanks to all of those who contributed some truly awesome photographs for the silent print auction we had this year, during a fun night of shuffleboard. Almost everyone who attended brought a print or bought a print. It was such an outpouring of community and support. And as the
update on Steve and Marian Coddington’s blog says, we raised $3,500 for a
really amazing family.
Other recaps were blogged in words and pictures by:
Mitchell Franz,
Rob Hart,
Julia Robinson,
Mike Henninger and
Deanna Dent.
