Earlier this month I had the pleasure of attending The Northern Awesome in Manchester to hear some of the leading lights in the wedding photography industry explain their process and give tips on making your business more successful for the year ahead. I have not attended too many photography workshops in the past but as part of my development as a wedding photographer I wanted to go and see how I could improve not only my technical ability but also the service that I offer to clients. When choosing a photography workshop it is important to do your research as each one will offer something different. Some photographers would like a more practical workshop whilst others would prefer a more conference styled workshop where you just sit and take notes. The reason I chose The Northern Awesome was to gain more knowledge from a business point of view and I was amazed at the whole experience and also with the amount of information I was able to take away with me. For me this workshop was perfect and gave me exactly what I wanted, I have also coupled it with a more practical based workshop in February, this being with the amazing Neil Redfern.
I have listed below 5 of my top tips below for getting the most from the workshop you have chosen and I hope you find them useful.
Do your research
I mentioned this earlier but I cannot stress how important this is. I spent a LONG time researching the vast amount workshops available to photographers, especially in the wedding industry, and I found this to be the most suited to what I wanted to gain. I also follow the photographers who were speaking and so had an understanding of what they were talking about before attending.
Travel light
As I travelled quite far for this workshop (flying from Southampton to Manchester) I wanted to take as little with me as possible. The Northern Awesome was a knowledge based workshop rather than a practical so I didn’t need to take any equipment. It is always good to check with the organisers about what you will need with regards to equipment so as to not take things which will just sit in your bag.
Bring something to take notes with
Always take a notepad and pencil. Actually make that 3 or 4 pencils as they always break don’t they, what is with that?? If you are more comfortable with an iPad or computer use that but for me a notepad and pencil works just fine for taking notes quickly. The information is generally coming to you at an unbelievably fast pace and so the easier you make it to take notes with, the better it will be for you.
Don’t be afraid to speak to people
It can be very daunting to turn up at a workshop and not know anyone but you are all there for the same reason, to learn. You are all in the same boat and are all probably wanting to achieve the same thing which is to get the most from the day. By speaking to people attending the workshop they may have picked up on something that you missed or vice versa, so for me it is an integral part of the day.
Share your past experiences
Everybody has different experiences to share and I find it is a nice way to break into conversations. Sharing your past experiences and also asking about others is very important and whether that be other great workshops to attend or an amazing venue you have photographed recently it tis very important to share these with your peers. All this will help to make a connection with the people you speak to at the workshop as well.
I hope the top tips above were helpful and please feel free to comment below if you have any questions or would like to share your experiences. If you need a bit more information on attending or organising a workshop please feel free to head over to Eventbrite’s website here.