Photo Reflections

I just returned from a fabulous retreat. A retreat to a Lodge with no cell service and limited (very limited) WiFi... I've been there before, two years ago. It was only four days and three nights and an easy hour and twenty minute drive from home. Maybe it was the last five miles of dirt road... or the quiet... or the scenery... or the people? No need to analyze. Bottom line, I needed the break and I accomplished some serious, excellent decisions and lasting learning.  The program was provided by Carl Heilman II Photography - Wild Visions Inc. (check Facebook) and the place was Elk Lake Lodge.

I was tempted to hunker down in the lodge near the WiFi and write a couple of times and it just didn't happen. I got distracted by my photographs, the programs, the people, the amazing and breathtaking photo ops! I've attached just a few and will continue to post them as I get them processed.

What shifted? And How?

• Alignment on equipment. When I arrived I had a tech savvy, light weight Nikon 5200 (18-55 Standard & 70-300 lenses) and a Canon 7d (70-300, 100 & Wide Angle lenses).  The Canon won out when the Nikon lenses stopped focusing (coincidence? I think not!). It may be a no-brainer for most folks but the Canon is HEAVY and I was afraid I just wouldn't use it. Once I came to my decision, I still had the luxury of time to actually read the 7d manual and practice and I'm officially in love!
• Alignment on processing software. When I arrived I was convinced I had to learn Lightroom and was finding it very anti-intuitive and frustrating. After hours of conversations and experimentation I have decided, finally, to focus on the trio Bridge/Camera Raw/Photoshop.  Learning three programs is somehow easier than one... go figure!
• Carl, after looking over my shared closing images and watching me for the 4 days declared me a Street Photographer. I'm a street shooter... I didn't know... I hadn't even looked it up online but I found myself having much more fun taking candid photos of the photographers and odd / weird perspectives than the actual landscape proper. After all these years it somehow feels perfectly awesome to have a "label." I don't have to try to "do it all...!" "Street photography, also sometimes called candid photography, is photography conducted for art or inquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places." I would just add to that natural places work too... I think the keyword is candid! 
• I feel at ease with my equipment and my "goal." I remember when I took this same workshop in 2015 I had a similar feeling and then I jetted off to Colorado to assist with and attend Mom's wedding. All that info and comfort escaped my feeble brain after two weeks of distraction. This time I plan to hang onto it by a daily walk and shoot.
• I met some amazing people that I have a feeling will become long term friends. Thanks to Carl's laid back vibe, it was safe, and I wasn't afraid to ask for help and I gained so much from stretching beyond my comfort zone. Overall, the experience was extraordinary... check out the place, again, stunning.

​Thanks and Yeah!!  So much more to come =)

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