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Expo where I signed up for a seminar on “Seniors” thinking it meant old-timers like me. Nope.
Embarrassed, I left when the first slide showed teens in cap and gown. One weekend I spent in awe
watching Ray McSavaney, a master photographer in his tiny L.A. darkroom. Another field trip drew
me to the cemented L.A. River banks to create abstracts from graffiti paintings. Local teachers
introduced me to available light portraits, infrared B&W, Polaroid film fun, and encouraged me to set
up my own new bathroom darkroom. By now, I was well into the Mira Costa and Palomar College
scenes, enjoying their field trips and extended weekend journeys to Death Valley, Cerro Gordo,
Monterey, and Sebastopol. Clearly, it was time to look beyond my local horizons.
Lesson # Two: Take advantage of local classes and workshops.
I was hesitant to enter the arena, figuring (wrongly) that everyone would know more than I, etc. etc.
(You know the story). So I found a friend and we both signed up for our first class together - 3
hours of daylight instruction on night photography. I was on my way.
After sifting through a lot of choices, I lent my support to local galleries and subscribed to serious
magazines and journals, all of which offered enticing workshop ads. I discounted the “too-good-to-
be-true” offers and avoided those which were obviously in the biz of selling prints or books. But soon
I bit. My pocketbook drained and my experience gained as I collected a personal gallery of my own
from faraway sounding names - Provence, China, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Montana, Colorado. I
was packed and ready to head for Tibet on 9/12/01, glad that circumstances changed and I was at
home during those terrible days.
For me, this workshop/tour format proved to be a safe, interesting, fun way to travel with compatible
people who loved learning from experienced photographers. On two occasions I hired knowledgeable
photographers to teach me on a one-to-one basis. This was money well spent. Other images in my
personal gallery are the result of week-long classes. At one particularly beneficial workshop, I learned
in one week of 15-hour days what would most likely have taken a semester elsewhere. I’ve trekked
to Santa Fe, N.M. many times, returning with enough enthusiasm (not to mention lists of “must
haves”) to cause my husband to wonder why he ever introduced me to this hobby.
Lesson # Three: Investigate reputable sources of workshops and/or instructors with a successful
history.
Insist on good communication so that you know exactly what to expect: a typical daily schedule, total
costs, materials provided, equipment to bring, experience level of fellow learners, and what follow-up
is provided. I’ve found that a really special leader spends ample time critiquing participants’ work -
often the most important and memorable part of the class.
Not all of my experiences have been A+ to be sure. One well-known “hot-shot” refused to speak or
let anyone else speak while he “worked” (Ha! It was more like “ripped” or “stabbed”) his negatives.
Another well-known photographer spent too many after-hours in Joe’s Bar with little oomph left for
us learners. I once threw digital photography to the winds after a two-week course in Photoshop
after which I finally realized that it had something to do with layers! I decided to stick with the wet
darkroom. In another really scary episode in Montana I’ll never forget, I faced a real, live, 250-
pound brown bear from a distance of 18 inches! Whew!
Lesson # Four: Keep Shooting, Keep Learning, Keep Sharing!
This wonderful world of photography requires serious dedication to learning ever more, a keen sense
of humor, willingness to keep changing, and a few bucks set aside for that next roll of film (or Smart
Card).
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