Photo workshops and tours
I don’t offer any. None. I write about photography, shooting the landscape and occasionally the sad state of affairs in the “outdoor photography world”.
The biggest ripoffs today are the photography workshops and tours being offered by desperate photographers doing anything they can to generate an income. There’s nothing wrong with trying to make a living but there’s also nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade. Workshops and tours? If you can look at a photo and decide for yourself if you like it or not, workshops are a complete waste of time.
As someone who earned a living for many years behind the camera I come to this with a little knowledge. I trained for two years in photography school and during that time, those that were good at the beginning were also good at the end or our time in school. Conversely those who couldn’t take a photo at the beginning couldn’t after two years of instruction. You can’t spend a thousand dollars for a weekend with someone and expect to be better or have any special insights into how things are done. If these photographers were so good at shooting, they’d be making a living shooting. The best shooters that I know are too busy shooting not dragging tourists through the mountains which by the way is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel.
My advice for anyone wanting to improve their photography? Read. Read. Read. Develop a voracious appetite for all things visual. Study as many different photographers as you can and get out and shoot for yourself. The more often you shoot the sooner you’ll get into your groove.
Spend your money on getting outside and shooting. Money spent on extra lenses, filters, gadgets and tours is for the most part money thrown away. The ultimate in stupidity is actually paying someone to critique your work. A few hundred dollars for advice to “improve” your photography? Obviously P. T. Barnum was right, suckers are born every minute. Don’t be a sucker. Keep your money in your pocket. You’ll get there just as fast or maybe even faster.
