Wedderburn workshops, 2007

Alan Blacklock

I went to the first of the 2007 Wedderburn Workshops in August. Going I wondered why I was doing this because landscape isn’t my primary area of photography and I knew of Tony, only by reputation, not by personal association.

So, we all get to Wedderburn and the scenery is OK and I think, oh my goodness, this is going to be a bit of a mission. How on earth can these other guys come up with great imagery and all I can see is a run down shed at Wedderburn.

Gonna have to give this some thought.

Tony explained in his introduction that we are to experience the why of photography not the how. This was accomplished through critiques, practicals, feedback rounds, more critiques and lectures on imagery, its form, development, its associations and exemplars. These structured classes all helped to put the “why” of photography into place.

I was personally introduced to that great photo gadget called the 2 fag time delay. Consider this, you arrive at a scene, stop and look hard at the scene for the same length of time it would take to have a smoke. Set the gear up and consider the possibilities in front of you for the same length of time it would take a to have another smoke, then start shooting. It is a great idea that works well. Stand there and absorb the ambience and rhythm of the surroundings, the camera is an extension of your brain and is solely a means a capturing the feelings you have for the scene. You have to know your gear, this isn’t a workshop for the “hows” of photography this is a very serious workshop for people who are very familiar with photo equipment.

It is now some three weeks since I attended. My only regret is that I didn’t do the second workshop as well. What a great way to consolidate the lessons learned and to grow my personal photography.

That’s my take on the Wedderburn Workshop.
I went, not quite knowing what I had let myself in for, and I left with new insights on my explorations in photography.

More importantly, I found a friend.

Elizabeth Mather

Kia Ora Tony.

Just wanted to give you some feed-back now I’m back into normal life and can reflect on the experience. The measure of success for me of any course I attend is what I take away with me and the change I feel within myself. I have certainly come away from the wonderful few days I spent at Wedderburn on the photographic course with a shift in the tectonic plates of my brain. A positive shift which has opened up a new reality of seeing which I’m sure will influence my photography. It has also stimulated in me a desire to read N.Z poetry and explore N.Z music and combine these elements with photographic presentations. Above all the course has stimulated in me to find a way to explore and express my relationship with my environment and what it means to be a New Zealander. I think that will keep me going for quite a long time!

So Tony a big thanks for helping nudge me along the creative path once again. I value your wealth of knowledge and your approach to the making of images. I certainly feel enriched from the experience.

Shalom
Elizabeth

 

Warwick Mather

Greetings Tony

I have intended to email you since the workshop to give my reactions to it, but somehow I have either not felt unpressured enough or I have not been in a quiet enough space within myself. I also came back with my mind full of the experience of the week and needing some time to shine a light through it to start to comprehend it all. In the quite short time of the workshop, there was much absorbed through the lectures, field trips, presentations of individual’s images, informal discussions with others and indeed the impact of the Central Otago environment itself. It all added up to a substantial growth spurt packed into a powerful and concentrated hit. I have, since, pulled down from our library a large volume of the History of Photography and started again to delve into it with a renewed interest and an increased awareness of some of the major movements in art. As much as anything else of a specific nature, the lectures pointed to some areas to start to investigate further. They also deepened my sense of photography’s connection to the wider field of the visual arts.

Both Elizabeth and I were absolutely delighted to be in the heart of Central Otago in the middle of the winter. We love New Zealand’s landscape and I have always had a real affinity with the wild and less inhabited areas, the mountains, wild beaches, bush, rivers …. I have realised for a number of years now that I feel my best when I am out in these “wild” places.

I am still working through the processing of the images shot during the week. To my surprise, my Mac has not looked at me horrified and said ” … but these were shot using a Canon !!!!!! ” Thanks for standing me by with your gear while mine was throwing a tantrum. Another lesson learnt there too about the need for a backup in such important situations.

Again, thanks for all your thought and care with what you offered us at Wedderburn. No doubt I will be in touch again before long with some further thoughts.

Take care

 

Ian Walls

Why did I come on this workshop?

In the last year or so I’ve been to 3 similar workshops, two with Tony and one Freeman. Each time I’ve been given a creative jolt, come away inspired and with my computer full of images that I’m very happy with.

Perhaps I’m becoming a workshop junkie but I’ve really found this to be a great way to grow my photographic skills and find my own style.

So my three aims were:
1. Develop my creativity and be inspired
2. Appreciate and hopefully capture a feel for the Maniototo
3. Have fun

Tonys style of teaching creativity was simple - he showed how his creativity works and he showed us the results. The images from Sitka were awesome.

The lectures fitted the aims of the course and provided a necessary change from the big skies. Had we not had that different focus I think that we would have all had sensory overload.

I’ve had the visual dairy talk before and I have to say it hasn’t worked for me. Previsualising images, to me, seems OK for an advertising shoot but I couldn’t get it to work on the bigger scale of trying to develop a style or vision. So Tony tried something different - he showed us his VD. I’ve come away with another thought.
Instead of preplanning pictures use a VD to precharge my subconscious.
In a non specific way I need to think about the sort of images I want to make and the message I want to tell. Then, when I’ve got my camera in hand, I just let things happen. I’m sure that was what he was saying all along, it just took a few ways of hearing it for the message to sink in.

The photography and art history message was clear. It was to show us some of the ways that creativity has developed and demonstrate the twists and turns of various styles over the years. Find something of you in there and run with it was the unspoken challenge.

I’ve come to realize that a huge part of landscape photography is being in the right place at the right time. Tony made that happen for us so all we had to do was be inspired then point and shoot. The next step for me is to find inspirational locations myself and then tell their story.
No doubt to me the best thing about workshops is the group of people who are there. Something special happens when a group of nutters get up really early and go and stand on a cold hilltop to make pictures. We all see it differently and we all learn a huge amount from seeing each others visions.

One question I’ve asked myself after this workshop is “If the others in the group were so important to the experience how come you didn’t make any pictures of them??” Of the hundreds of photographs I made during the week only a handful have any people in them. At St Bathens that hard case black dog with his tennis ball was a significant part of the experience. I played with him for quite a while as did several of the others - so why didn’t I make any pictures of him?? I think that the huge landscape in the Maniototo became a bit all encompassing and I didn’t look at other things that were right in my face. A lesson in itself perhaps. A suggestion Tony - make us break away from the big sky sometime, divide us up then say “You and you go and make portraits of each other” or “make photographs of the pub” or whatever.

So was it worthwhile?

Absolutely. The hints on DX optics and the art history lessons were useful but not key to the experience. For me the learning came in little snippets along the way - a push in a certain direction from Tony, an observation from one of the others in the group or even the odd self generated revelation (!!).

Would I do it again?

Last year at Tonys first workshop I was in a completely different place on my learning curve and I learned different things. I had a vague idea of what I was looking for before each workshop. I have a never ending and unanswerable question floating in my head - “why do I photograph?” I came away having made a couple of steps towards the answer to my question but having learned lots of other things.

Will I do it again……….Great Barrier Island I hear????