Starting a Workshop
By Mr. T
5 May 2008
1. BEGIN: Choose a day for the workshop about 1-2 months in advance so you can organize everything along with giving the models and photographers enough notice so they can make it to the shoot.
2. BUILD HYPE: Start talking about your plans to people, especially
photographers, and start looking for models. You never know who can help along the way so get the word out and see what evolves. Personally, I don't use craigslist to find models but it can be a useful tool. Just be careful in giving out your information and make sure you are safe in all aspects of dealing with craigslist people. I prefer to just talk to the people I meet in everyday situations that may be interested in the workshop (models & photographers).
3. INVITE: Look through your contacts on JPG for the ones that live in your area and ask them if they would like to join in on some fun picture time. I really like JPG for how great the art is and the people that use the site. When you are out and about and see some one with a camera, ask them if they would like to come to a free workshop just to make some art and meet some other photographers in the area. Invite them to join JPG as a way to share their work from the day and keep in touch with everyone they have met.
4. PAYMENT: Offer the models photo's from the workshop so their time and talent is paid for. It will ensure that they do a great job modeling and make the day go even smoother. **Make sure the photographers know they have to contribute 10-30 of their best photos in order to participate in the workshop. It is the only way to keep a workshop free for everyone.
5. MODEL RELEASE: Have model release forms for the models to fill out and sign so that the photographers can have the right to use the images in their portfolios. Also, create a contact form for every participant (models and photographers). This way you can easily contact every participant after the workshop and keep track of who participated.
6. COORDINATING: Continue to promote the workshop everywhere and send weekly emails out to all of the participants (models too!) to keep them informed of any changes and highlights that might be happening. On your own time - make sure you are planning out the locations and times for the day. Get directions and make sure the locations are a good fit for the photo shoot.
7. DAY OF: Plan to start by at least 11am so there will be enough time to shoot, especially if the shoot goes longer than a couple hours. Make sure all your models are ready at least a half hour before the start of the shoot so you can dive right to photographing. It is also great to have all the photographers meet 30 minutes before starting so everyone can introduce themselves and fill out any paper work.
8. BREAK TIME: Models and photographers burn out after a couple of hours. Choose a couple locations and have the idea/location about an hour into the shoot. The first hour gives photographers and models time to warm up and then the best photos come during the middle of the workshop. After that big burst of energy, make sure everyone gets a break. Finish up the shoot with any ideas people wanted to fulfill. Make sure everyone feels satisfied before calling it a day!
9. SUPPLIES: Bring water! Buy a case of water just in case your fellow photographers or models need some along the way. As the coordinator, it is nice if you bring a little extra the day of just to make sure everyone is comfortable and taken care of. This includes supplies. I bring my sundiscs, extra flashes, cameras, and batteries just in case.
10. SHARING: After it is all said and done, coordinate a date/time to share
everyone's work. We have been uploading photos to JPG two days after the photo shoot at 5pm. Having a coordinated time to share builds excitement and ensures everyone's work is seen by all the photographers and models. After the initial upload, I ask for the best 10-30 photos from each photographer within the first week after the workshop. These will then be labeled and sent to the models as a payment and "thank you" from all the photographers.
I hope this was helpful and if you are ever in Portland Oregon and want to take photos or want to come to a workshop let me know via JPG mail.
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