Back in April, Curtis and I took a weekend-long photography workshop up in Point Reyes. Neither of us had taken any photography classes or trips before, but I wanted to try it out because it's an interest we both share, and because Point Reyes is truly my happy place. With this workshop we got to stay inside the actual park, at the Historic Lifeboat Station. The accommodations were "rustic" but we were serenaded by the ocean and dozens of elephant seals. It was unique to say the least.
The whole workshop focused on beaches. We probably visited five or six beaches throughout the weekend, each with their own characteristics and charms. Our instructor, Gary Crabbe, was familiar with each one and had an intuition for which ones would be best to go at which hour of the day, based on the weather, to get some interesting pictures. He was pretty hands off in terms of instruction, but very approachable when we wanted tips or advice.
Most of the attendees were retired and pretty serious about photography as a hobby. Photography is one of my hobbies, but it's not one that I devote a lot of time to in terms of learning new techniques and understanding the ins and outs of what the camera can do. There was a lot of talk that completely went over my head. At the end of the weekend we did a group critique, where each person submitted 8-10 images and the instructor went through them all and offered his opinion. It sounded a lot scarier than it was. The instructor was overwhelmingly positive and mostly offered ideas of how to crop it more effectively, or what he thought would have improved the composition. It was fun, and very interesting to see what other people captured.
I'm glad we were forced to go through our images right away and pull out a few favorites because despite my best intentions, I haven't touched the nearly 2000 pictures I took. This is frequently what happens to me. I love the process of taking photos, but going through them, choosing the good ones, and editing them is just so much work, especially because I already work at a computer all day. I will eventually get to it, but for now, here are some of the photos I shared with the class:
For more details about the class, and to see images from other students that day (including a great one of Curtis), check out Gary's blog post. Overall, I'm so grateful I got to spend this weekend in Point Reyes. It was challenging at times---getting up early, enduring high winds, and trying to avoid sand in the eyes--but it was a rare opportunity for me to focus on something completely outside my usual sphere, and to be pushed creatively. Without a doubt, I need that more in my life.
If you're in the area and enjoy nature, I would definitely recommend browsing the offerings from the Point Reyes National Seashore Association. They have photography workshops like this one, as well as classes on birdwatching, botany, writing, painting, and more. I really hope to do at least one more workshop this year, so let me know if you want to join me out there!
The whole workshop focused on beaches. We probably visited five or six beaches throughout the weekend, each with their own characteristics and charms. Our instructor, Gary Crabbe, was familiar with each one and had an intuition for which ones would be best to go at which hour of the day, based on the weather, to get some interesting pictures. He was pretty hands off in terms of instruction, but very approachable when we wanted tips or advice.
Most of the attendees were retired and pretty serious about photography as a hobby. Photography is one of my hobbies, but it's not one that I devote a lot of time to in terms of learning new techniques and understanding the ins and outs of what the camera can do. There was a lot of talk that completely went over my head. At the end of the weekend we did a group critique, where each person submitted 8-10 images and the instructor went through them all and offered his opinion. It sounded a lot scarier than it was. The instructor was overwhelmingly positive and mostly offered ideas of how to crop it more effectively, or what he thought would have improved the composition. It was fun, and very interesting to see what other people captured.
I'm glad we were forced to go through our images right away and pull out a few favorites because despite my best intentions, I haven't touched the nearly 2000 pictures I took. This is frequently what happens to me. I love the process of taking photos, but going through them, choosing the good ones, and editing them is just so much work, especially because I already work at a computer all day. I will eventually get to it, but for now, here are some of the photos I shared with the class:
For more details about the class, and to see images from other students that day (including a great one of Curtis), check out Gary's blog post. Overall, I'm so grateful I got to spend this weekend in Point Reyes. It was challenging at times---getting up early, enduring high winds, and trying to avoid sand in the eyes--but it was a rare opportunity for me to focus on something completely outside my usual sphere, and to be pushed creatively. Without a doubt, I need that more in my life.
If you're in the area and enjoy nature, I would definitely recommend browsing the offerings from the Point Reyes National Seashore Association. They have photography workshops like this one, as well as classes on birdwatching, botany, writing, painting, and more. I really hope to do at least one more workshop this year, so let me know if you want to join me out there!
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