I had the chance to do some creative shooting with some good friends last week. Basically I set up 4 assignments for us all to have for 2 full days of shooting and to end each day with several hour intensive late night critiques from what we shot during the day (our early night was 1am :). We went into the first day not knowing which assignments we would have and the one that I happened to pick out of the jar was Valerie of Southern Fete. I had an absolute blast following her around and she was so great to let me tag along with her. We went from florists, to cake vendors, to shoe stores (everyone in Lafayette I believe), and everywhere in between. It was extremely eye opening seeing the day through a wedding vendor whose day looks so different than mine. Valerie is also planning her wedding so it was interesting to see how she blends what she does as a wedding planner with the process of planning her own wedding. The approach for shooting it was 80% documentary and 20% portrait.

The whole purpose was to have a time for creative growth (as well as get some constructive criticism) without going somewhere else to attend a workshop. I don't have anything against workshops, I just think that sometimes that we put too much emphasis on "going to" a workshop when really everything you need is right in front of you. Not to say that what you would learn at a workshop were the same things that we learned, or even of the same quality, but what I was looking for did happen.

I really tried to think to myself what everyone is looking for who attends a workshop. Really what is it that I am looking for when I have a desire to go to a workshop? It is very simple. GROWTH. Growth from where we were yesterday. Growth to photograph someone who we wouldn't normally photograph, or in a way that we wouldn't normally photograph. Growth that pushes me outside of my comfort zone and makes me really think before each time I fire a frame off.

Thanks so much to Val for letting me intrude on her life for two days as well as everyone else who participated in our creative shoot ( Jamie Orillion, Ooti Billeaud, & Dan Sutton).

I hope that it is something that I can do again sometime.

Just a few of my favorites from the two days...

Blessings. Jason

Leica M9 | 24mm Summilux