Truth in our industry

A photog friend of mine just forwarded this to me and it's quite the read. Very interesting points of view.

Gary Fong's take on it: The Crowd is Rioting


And the thread itself: http://www.truephotota​lk.com/truth-in-our-industry/

Too much time and too much thinking on the hands of too bored people = ambiguous blogs about rhetorical nonsense.

Like ravens the masses flock to pick apart the pieces...327 comments...holy MAN. I read the first couple of paragraphs and it reads like a dramatic he-said, she-said argument between whoever that is and some dude called "DJ"

Who says Photography is not without its own "Snake Oil" salespeople?

Oh ya it's a LONG read. I think I went through 2 cups of coffee this morning during the read :P

But as someone who recently heard one of these "rockstars" speak it was interesting to hear a different perspective

The gentleman who hosts/moderates a photo group to which I belong probably makes 75% of his income off workshops.

One major difference is that he was a successful commercial and fine art photographer for 30+ years before he started offering workshops.

It's the ones who come out of the woodwork without a reasonable CV that you have to watch out for.

I think this all brings up a good point. I've never been one to fall for "workshops" in the first place.

We're digital photographers, nothing is dying, no film is being wasted, and so on. We can experiment freely, and no $1500 workshop will be a panacea for mediocrity. I honestly don't think that a 48 hour workshop or 12 hour workshop is going to help anyone in the long run. I don't think that there is anything that can't be learned on the internet with regards to studying images, post processing, and reverse-engineering images. Read strobist. Read forums. Follow the blogs of established photogs, and your work will improve quickly. I think the blame falls on both parties...the workshop givers for scamming these people, and these people for falling for it. Open your eyes!

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #9928273
Who says Photography is not without its own "Snake Oil" salespeople?

Lots and lots of snake oil. Like from every single compact P&S out there that indicates its sensor size as the outside diameters of a Vidicon tube that would have the same size photosensitive area.

You know what I mean. The ones that say something like sensor size = 1/2.3".

I will disagree. I have attended two workshops and found both beneficial. But both were given by acknowledged leaders in their genre, and nationally recognized.

Yea, next thing, even Ken Rockwell will be teaching workshops. Oh wait.....

mikekelley wrote in post #9928503
I think this all brings up a good point. I've never been one to fall for "workshops" in the first place.

We're digital photographers, nothing is dying, no film is being wasted, and so on. We can experiment freely, and no $1500 workshop will be a panacea for mediocrity. I honestly don't think that a 48 hour workshop or 12 hour workshop is going to help anyone in the long run. I don't think that there is anything that can't be learned on the internet with regards to studying images, post processing, and reverse-engineering images. Read strobist. Read forums. Follow the blogs of established photogs, and your work will improve quickly. I think the blame falls on both parties...the workshop givers for scamming these people, and these people for falling for it. Open your eyes!

If you're declaring that all "workshops" are scams, or worthless, you are totally mistaken. Its like anything else...Buyer Beware. First, attending any workshop will not automatically make one an accomplished photographer. Secondly, if the person leading the workshop is doing his or her job, the attendee should come away with new skills, a better idea as to what makes a compelling image, and quite possibly some very good images. Before anyone attends a workshop, some homework is in order:

1.) Does the workshop presenter have an established body of work/track record?
2.) What will the workshop encompass?
3.) How many people will be in the workshop?
4.) Will there be any one-on-one time?
5.) Will the head honcho lead the workshop, or will underlings/assistants?
6.) What is/are the deliverables?
7.) What's included in the price?
8.) Are there any add-on costs?

Some, not all, workshops can be very rewarding. If an attendee can come away with some new skills and a better understanding with regard to techniques, etc then I would consider the workshop a success.