Teaching, Learning and why I’m doing both

The following is cross-posted from the Genesis Workshop blog. The workshop presenters are sharing our thoughts on what we’re hoping to get across as we teach the workshop. Here’s mine:

I’ve been a photographer for a few years now. It’s a weird job. Really, it is. The only thing I can compare it to is being a musician. It’s equal parts technical knowledge and creative vision. Most of us aren’t Annie Lebovitz, just like most musicians aren’t Bruce Springsteen. While most of our friends see our job as kind of cool and interesting, when you tell most strangers you’re a photographer they give you a ‘Sure you are, buddy’ type of look. But, much like musicians, there are a ton of people for whom photography is a hobby, tons more who pursue it as a part-time career and just as many who’d like to do it for a living. For good reason too. It’s a GREAT job. But this parallel also comes with some unexpected results. With a measure of success, lots of up-and-coming photographers want to know who you are, what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.

Photography isn’t unlike most other professions. We have workshops and conferences to try to learn things to improve our photography and business skills. The strange thing about photography is that many people who give these seminars have been in business for a shorter time than many who actually take their workshops. I’ve seen lots of photographers who work for a few years then start working less to ‘focus more on teaching.’ That always seemed weird to me. Not because I don’t think they should, but I just never saw photography as a pursuit that can be mastered in a few years… maybe even a few decades. Because of this, I’ve held off holding any other workshops simply because, well, I’m still learning. And I want to keep learning for a long, long time.

I guess that’s why teaching at Genesis seemed like a different opportunity for me. As we’ve put the workshop together, we’ve been of one mind in that we’re really not interested in standing on a pedestal and declaring how awesome we are, then trying to sell a bunch of our secret sauce. There’s certainly nothing wrong if there’s a market for it, but that’s just not how we want to teach. As a person who still considers himself more student than teacher, I plan on exploring questions more than I plan on dispensing answers.

For me, this is simply a matter of deconstruction. As photographers, we make instant and complex decisions behind the lens, in front of a computer and in the way we interact with people that ultimately affect if we make good images, show our work in the best light, and get clients to like us. So, as I start to prepare for Genesis, I’m realizing that the topics can’t simply be an explanation of what I do. After all, who can sit there and describe why and how they make every decision they do? Rather, I hope to create a series of questions that resemble those I ask myself on every shoot and with every client. Through this, I think our attendees will be able to learn not only how and when to question themselves, but also to see that there’s lots of answers to these questions… and that even if mine aren’t always exactly right, it’s part of the journey that ultimately sharpens our skills.

Throughout our 3 days, I’ll be presenting a set of challenges and questions that I face, showing how I answer them given my circumstances, but most importantly, challenging the attendees to come up with their own answers. Answers that fit the business they hope to build and the photos they hope to take. This way, when someone leaves Genesis, they’re equipped with much more than simply an ability to copy me. After all, I’m just a student too.

If you’re interested in attending Genesis, as of this very second there are still a few spots left. Hurry :)