For more background on this post, please refer back to week 5 entries on workshops.

For the purposes of this weeks work I elected to bite the bullet and run a teaching workshops in photography. This was in the general practice of photography for someone who has just started.

The idea of doing this made me feel rather nervous, as the ‘doing’ of general image taking had become somewhat second nature. “Its a bit like driving a car” I was once told .. “you soon forget you are doing the basics!”

The workshop was focused on the basic principles of photography and was based around a second hand DSLR given as a gift.

The workshops started with a basic run through of the cameras operation and then went into a more detailed understanding of image taking and all that goes with it.

Lasting around four hours, the workshop seemed to go down well and the subject went away happy, with a slightly less confused view on the practice (well thats what they told me anyway!)

What surprised me was the difference it made to my own practice. I found that, over the years, I had actually become somewhat complacent when it came to the basic fundamentals of photography and was working to some degree on automatic.

In order to deliver the workshop I found myself going back to basics and reviewing how I balance composition with exposure and why I choose the equipment I do. As well as having to try and articulate this into a way that could be understood by someone else. I found this process actually very challenging.

I found that I had a level of ‘auto process’ that had become instinct when it comes to capturing general images and that my basic fundamentals of photography were, to a degree, being often ignored.

By delivering this workshop – although only a basic one – I have been able to reconnect with the infant principles of my practice. It is hoped that this better connection with long established methods will allow me to better carry forward my practice and develop better work as a result.

Whilst not yet at the stage, I do feel that in time there is scope to establish an on-line blog / workshop video channel that focuses on teaching others about photography practice. I do feel however that this is some way off for me yet.

In any case, if this is an avenue I go down, any resource would need to identify with the many similar works now online and so would need to be very different in its approach if it is to be successful.