As a photographer in a very saturated market it is sometimes very diffcult to keep a hold of what makes you….well; you. Its hard to stay inspired and creative whilst being bombarded by some exceptionally talented photographers from around the world and thinking to yourself “i’ll never achieve that!”. I think it’s a feeling we are all guilty of at some point, in any profession, the fear of missing out, the anxiety that comes with social media platforms of other business pages and industries that clog up all our newsfeeds!
It’s draining and creativity zapping and I knew myself that I was falling into the trap of it all and needed to get some inspiration and motivation to focus me once again. I had heard of Photography Farm elements workshops before and when I seen they were coming to Dublin I knew this could be the drive I needed – a really creative photography workshop.
So here’s how my two days went:
Day 1: Flash ah ha!
Day 1 was all about Flash with Adam Bronkhorst. I have always been a natural light photographer and use flash very sparingly, so I was a little apprehensive about how the day was going to pan out. There was a small group of us for this day (a couple more joined the next day) and it was a true education for all of us! Whatever ideas or pre-conceived images I had about Flash were turned on their head! Adam showed us how to makes flash work for us and not against and for this I thank you!
Day 2: Styled shoot and talk
The first part of the day started with a styled shoot led by Paula O’Hara in the stunning Smock Alley Theatre. The theme of the shoot was Shakesperean and Paula talked us through her process and how she and the rest of the team get involved so that they all had a clear vision of how the shoot is going to look. Observing how everyone meticulously set up and prepared was wonderful and I think everyone of us there felt privileged to be part of it! As we shot and watched and shot some more, Paula openingly talked through how she works with light as well as Models and couples. There was a great atmosphere during the whole shoot, it didn’t feel like a room full of photographers competing against each other but more like fellow creative individuals all working in their own unique way.
The second part of the day was spent with Lisa Devlin about finding our voice as a photographer and how we need to be confident in our own voice and not be deterred by what we have seen by other photographers! No more fear of other photographers work, appreciate it by all means, learn and grow from it, but don’t compare! Focus more of your energies and time on your own creativity as a photographer. It is that simple and sometimes it takes you to remove yourself from your own little work bubble to realise it! This truly hit home for me, I left feeling inspired and motivated in my own skin as a photographer and for this I can not thank Lisa and Paula enough! xx

And not forgetting all of the incredible team at Smock Alley! xx

Credits:

Photography Farm styled shoot with Paula O’Hara
http://www.photographyfarm.co.uk/

Location: Smock Alley Theatre http://www.smockalleytheatre.ie/
Model: Juudit at Distinct Model Management http://distinctmodelmanagement.com/
Styling and creative direction: http://www.paulaohara.com/
Floral designs: http://www.annmarieoleary.com/
Food styling: http://smythandbarry.com/
Make-up: Anita Conroy http://www.powderroomstudio.ie/
Hair: Rebecca Donnelly https://www.facebook.com/TakumiHairGorey
Dresses: Myrtle Ivory and Sharon Hoey
http://www.myrtleivory.com/
http://sharonhoey.com/