Tuesday, July 21

2008 Jerry Ghionis Workshop

Last week we went up to London to meet up with Jerry and Georgina Ghionis and their students on the 2009 workshop. This reminded me that I still haven't blogged about being on the 2008 workshop.

As I mentioned in my previous post I went on a course in Chicago with the Bebbs last year. Just before going on this course I received news that a place had come free on Jerry's course. The only problem was that I only got back from Chicago on the Saturday and Jerry's course started on the Monday. It only took me about two seconds to decide I couldn't pass up the chance as I had heard so much about Jerry's workshop. Then the day before the course was due to start we found out someone was unable to attend which meant my husband could also go on the workshop - result!

Attending a workshop like this is really quite a daunting prospect because you have to take along some images that will be critiqued in front of all these other photographers. I was so not looking forward to that part of the workshop. Anyway, we survived the critique and it was on to the rest of the course. There were two days when we had to go out shooting in London and we knew beforehand that out of these sessions we were going to have to choose one image from each day that would be critiqued straight out of camera. The two that I chose are below. During these critique sessions each person is asked to do their own critique based on what they have picked up so far on the workshop. When it came to my second image, of the bride and groom, Jerry asked whose image it was and I tentatively put my hand up from the back of the class. He said "don't say anything... I love it, love it, love it!". I have to say that after that I didn't hear anything else - all I could hear in my head was "Jerry loved my image - yay!"

One of the best bits of advice I read before attending this course was from Zoe Richards who is a photographer based in the North West of England. She said when Jerry is setting up shots, really pay attention to what he is doing rather than shooting away madly trying to great shots of the model. Each person has a chance to shoot on their own for 15 minutes with each of the two models anyway. It is much better to take shots showing what Jerry is setting up because you will be able to refer to them later on after the workshop.

One of the other great benefits of attending this course is that you meet such great people. Jerry, and his wife Georgie, are really lovely genuine people. And then there are the other attendees... and not forgetting Gill Taylor who is Jerry agent in the UK. She does such a fantastis job during the workshops and we were also lucky enough to have her as one of our models.

If you get a chance to do one of Jerry's course - do it!




3 comments:

Dove Photography said...

Fantastic, you are an inspiration and proof as to how important the right training is. Your photography has gone from strength to strength and I am proud to have been with you at the beginning. I am saving up for a 'Gerry' course... and lots of others. Cant wait for us to shoot together in August, it will be awesome...

xxxxxxx

Gill said...

Oh, Louise, thank you so much for your kind words ... and for that photo ! I completely forgot about that one - such good fun !

Gill x

Pure View Photography said...

Thank you Sheila and Gill for your comments. Sheila, you must must must do the Jerry course. You would love it :)

Gill, it really was so much fun - and you and Matt were such good models :)