The application process is now open for this year’s lucky attendants, and if you or someone you know has a passion for photojournalism, then you should definitely apply if you’re eligible. It’s like church for photographers in a barn full of hopefuls being coached by the absolute best in the industry. And it’s tuition-free. While most workshops require thousands of your dollars to attend, this one accepts you based on merit and not your ability to pay. Eddie Adams said “I just want[ed] to get all my friends there and make it the best damn workshop they’ve ever been to,” and make it something that he wanted to attend. And he did. And it’s totally fulfilling, encouraging, exhausting and inspiring. I was star-struck by the faculty and staff and in awe of the amount of talent that surrounded me. It kicked my ass and opened my eyes to so many things even though my eyes could barely stay open as I only got about 10 hours of sleep the entire four days I was there. When they say it’s an intensive workshop, they mean it’s an intensive workshop. Portfolio reviews go well into the mornings with some of the top editors and photographers in the world and it is a gold-mine as far as networking goes. I can not stress how amazing this opportunity is.

On that same note, if you like documentaries or are interested in photojournalism and haven’t seen An Unlikely Weapon: The Eddie Adams Story, then go, now, find it, and watch it. I get goosebumps every time I see it and it’ll definitely inspire you if that’s something that you need. On my first night at the workshop they debuted this documentary and I’m not quite sure there was a dry eye in the room. Mostly because we were surrounded by his colleagues who miss him dearly (he passed away in 2004), but also because for me at least, I felt like in a way we were watching something that we were just about to be a part of. And it was really really important. Most of you who read this already know my ties and the many webs of connections it has weaved in my life, but if you’re considering applying and have any questions, feel free to get in touch! I’d love to tell you more about it.

Our class photo—I’m in the front row, left side in the grey  to the right of the green:

Update: Our photo session was featured on The Bride’s Cafe!

The Still Image With Crash Taylor is also a super helpful site because Crash interviews the world’s finest photographers and asks how they make certain images which is a question that most of us wonder when looking at a captivating photo. Each post contains the location, what type of camera and lens, lighting, creative process and post-production which is pretty much everything you need to know about how to make a picture. I think it’s really great when photographers share information…it keeps the industry at a higher standard.

Here’s one of my favorites from our First Look. It rained on our wedding day but we sucked it up and took photos outside anyway. My mom would’ve killed me if she knew I was out in the rain after getting my hair done and potentially dirtying up my gown before anyone even had the chance to see me in it but it was totally worth it. It was the only alone time that Jeff and I had together our wedding day (with the exception of our photographer being with us) and it was very much needed.

Photo by Tec Petaja

Another great film photography site that has launched today is They Shoot Film: A Photo Collective by Patrice Esser (hi, Patrice!) and Garrick Fujii. Looking at the different images of different spaces on this site really took me away for a bit. Do take a look.

RESTON, VA

“To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.”

Also, “Do something everyday that scares you.”

Today I have done something that has scared me which may lead me to doing something I never did. I’ve had a couple of really important meetings in the past few days that could potentially change my life for the better and it had me terrified. And no matter how much encouragement I could get, deep breaths I could take, prayers I could say, reading these words were exactly what I needed to give me the confidence to trudge forward and roll with the punches. So maybe you need some encouragement too…I hope reading these words will help.

Jeff and I have just about everything in common, and no that doesn’t make things boring, it makes things so much more enjoyable because there isn’t much we need to compromise on. Except for food. He could be a little more adventurous when it comes to food…but I’ve got to give him credit for trying more now than he would when we first met. Baby steps. It’s so much fun having someone be totally okay with me having a camera in their face anytime I want, to understand and have patience and want to learn the same things together, and to venture off the beaten path making a long road trip even longer just because we’ve spotted a beautiful photo location. The latter is what happened this weekend. We were on our way out of town and hauled camera equipment just in case. And I’m glad that we did. This is my favorite that I took (to view larger, click on image). A few more are on flickr.

BEDFORD, VA

Title quote from Brida by Paulo Coelho.

ROANOKE, VA

I stumbled upon this quote by Steven Furtick, Lead Pastor at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC on my friend Cameron’s tumbler via Joshua Blankenship. Now I understand why it’s called “the web.”

This quote was first posted on these gentlemen’s internet estate at some point last year and was one of those “things that I read then write in my moleskine.” I was prompted to thumb through my quad-ruled pages today looking for it after reading a post by Philadelphia children’s photographer, Kristen Kalp, entitled “On Haters,” referring to those who think they can do better in regards to various aspects of photography, and really, the entire creative world. Definitely give it a read then check out her Greatest Hits section for some useful marketing tips. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but one of the main things I’ve learned from my apprenticeships with big wig photographers is that you need to be a better marketer than photographer in order to have a successful business.

Bon appetit!