I went to Wuzhen, China for a photography workshop. It was a chance for me to get out of Beijing, have a break from motherhood in between two weeks of my husband being out of town, but most importantly to try out my newfound photography skills that I have been working on the past nine or ten months.
I can't say that my results were all disappointing. If I compare the results from this weekend to the very first weekend photography workshop I took last year, I'd definitely say there was improvement. But, I also cannot say that I was as pleased with my results as I was hoping.
The good news is that I saw a glimpse of my own personal style. One that I like. The other good news was that I now know what I need to do next to take my photography to the next level. The part I find frustrating is that I think I already knew what I need to do to improve before I even went on the weekend.
Hearing it from someone else made it that much clearer, though. It also helped me decide that I need to stop pussyfooting around and get serious. I need to find a story that is important to me and tell it in photographs. I need to get permission to be somewhere and then concentrate on my photography rather than worry about how much longer I should stick around the random person before I feel uncomfortable and bolt.
You see most of my practice has been wandering around Beijing with a friend(s) looking for people or things to photograph. You see, for a shy person like me, even in a place as friendly as Beijing is to a caucasian woman with a camera, this can be intimidating and nervracking. It's 90% all my own hang-ups and I know this, but it is still a huge challenge. One I have made progress on, but still is always hanging over my head while I shoot in these situations. Very likely, preventing me from relaxing and most importantly THINKING while I click away.
Since I've recieved this feedback, there's been a switch with in me. I'm not sure what it is and only time will actually tell if it is a permanent change. So far it feels different.
The other positive thing about getting that feedback on my individual photographs was that I knew he was right! I had told myself those same things in many an internal conversation. Problem was, I also convinced myself of the opposite and sometimes an outside party would agree.
Without hearing it from someone with professional credibility, I didn't know which side to believe. Now I do.
Som of my other photos are 'good,' per se. Nicely framed, in focus, reasonable lighting, most often an interesting subject, but beyond that - ho hum! Now these are my words, not his. But let's be honest! The thing I love about photography is those magical photos. Those perfect photos that are more than just a snapshot. That are even more than just a good image. Those complex images that take more than just luck. That is what I want to be able to achieve. I have a good foundation, but I am not there yet.
And as disappointing as that is to make that realization. If I were already there, then the goal wouldn't be as compelling. It would be far too easy to achieve. So I continue.
Many of the photos I have liked over the past few months, I have been pleased with because they had achieved something I wasn't able to do before. They were one small step in the right direction. There are still huge flaws with those photos, but they are the ones that mark improvement.
Sometimes it is easy to get stuck on the glory of those small accomplishments and forget that I still have a long way to go.
I have a lot more to say on this topic. But, for now I will let you check out the photos from the weekend I've selected to share. Pursuing photography is a long process. Whether or not I ever make it my profession or if I just pursue the ultimate photograph in my free time, it is something I want to do.
