The internet offers a lot of information for free, but sometimes the best comes from the hands-on experience of meeting others. In her latest despatch from across the Channel, Kat Kluge argues why even established photographers can benefit from attending workshops.
A couple of weeks ago I had a rant here on this blog about the fact that everyone offers photography workshops these days, training others to compete with them and pushing down the perceived price of photography.
But I have a confession to make: I love going to photography seminars myself and spend a frightening amount of my money on doing so, even travelling to other parts of Germany just for a workshop.
Some of my friends and colleagues have insinuated that this passion of mine is a waste of money, a) because I’m already a photographer, and b) because there is so much information available for free online, on both German and English photo blogs and magazines.
And yes, it’s true that I could probably get all the tips and technical information online or in a book or magazine, but there is one thing I would never get if I didn’t travel between Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Leipzig, the Black Forest and North Sea – and that is the thoughts, ideas and perspectives of hundreds of photography enthusiasts around the country, adding to my knowledge of the market and filling me with inspiration.
I always stick around to talk to the other participants at the workshops I attend, and that way I’ve found out so many things, from landscape location tips in the areas I go to, to genuine gear recommendations and current trends worth looking in to.
You get a much more genuine feel for the German photography industry when you dive into it and talk to people face-to-face.
After my last visit to Hamburg, for example, I now know of a photographers’ collective that I’d like to meet, a place to go for eccentric street photography and a blog that is worth checking out for photography-related events when I’m in the area.
And I’m still buzzing from the joy of meeting like-minded lovers of photography.
I always leave workshops feeling more motivated, confident and excited about my field of work, and although I’ve spent a lot of money on re-learning things I already knew, not a single Euro has been wasted.
And I suppose all this money I spend gets pumped into the industry that I love, some way or another.
So maybe those workshops aren’t so bad after all.
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