Make Time to Review Your Work

Alumni, Workshop  Comment
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Images (left to right, top to bottom) – Jim Graham, Andree Laliberte, Ginette Vachon, Barbara Myriam.
This week’s workshop participants are all longtime alumni of my workshops. It’s a small intimate group – Ginette Vachon (Swiss based veteran world travel photographer), Andree Laliberte (Canadian installation artist), Barbara DeAngelu (Columbian mystic and Photoshop beta tester), and Jim Graham (Maryland based Pulitzer nominated photojournalist). They know each other before they arrived, either directly or from online exchanges.
After two days of being overstimulated by dramatic environments (continental rifts, volcanic coastlines, geothermal lagoons, steam vents, and paint pots, moss covered valleys) and working in challenging weather (wind and rain) this group had the wisdom to slow down. Recharge, Regroup. And focus. We reviewed (shared images and feedback) each other’s work. We reviewed the work we’ve done so far in Iceland. We identified what’s working and what’s not. We made an action plan for the coming days with a list of things to watch, things to try, and specific work to concentrate on to ensure that the images we come away with are not only technically good but also advance our individual visions and bodies of work. Now that’s focus. That’s time well spent. In a stimulating environment, few have the discipline to take this time. But taking this time helps you make quantum leaps.
At the end of the day, we went back to one of the first locations more informed and more focussed.
Find out more about Focus on Nature here.
Get Priority Status for all 2009 workshops now by emailing einar@focusonnature.is.

Get Local Information – Part 3 – Ellert Gretarsson

Destination - Iceland, Workshop  Comment
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Focus On Nature’s creator Einar Erlandson enlisted professional photographer Ellert Gretarsson to help guide us on location in Iceland. Ellert recently won the … in the … He’s enchanted with the colors of nature. So, he guided us to his hot spots in Iceland. It rained all day. We got soaked. And came away with gold, and blue, and red, and green … you get the idea. He was able to describe how the colors changed in varying weather and light conditions. It’s clear that Iceland is not only incredibly rich visually but that it’s also highly changeable. It’s going to take more than one trip to Iceland to experience all that Iceland has to offer – maybe a lifetime. When local’s share their experiences you learn, experience and share more. My advice? Get to know the locals. And have fun doing it!
Find out about Ellert Gretarsson here.
Find out more about Focus on Nature here.
Get Priority Status for all 2009 workshops now by emailing einar@focusonnature.is.

Access Collective Intelligence

Workshop  Comment
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Good workshop leaders know how to activate collective intelligence.
Access to collective intelligence is one of the most important aspects of workshop experiences. You go to the same locations using the same (or similar tools) and come away with different images. We all see the world differently. When you see the way other people see and what they have to go through to get there, your visual horizons are expanded.
We cordially engage in daily contests. Winning image of the day gets posted here. At the end of the day, we buy a drink for the person with the best image from a particular site or for the day. It’s all in fun and it drives us forward to try harder.
Can’t make it to a workshop right now? You can get some of this type of stimulation and feedback by photographing with friends.
Find out more about Focus on Nature here.
Get Priority Status for all 2009 workshops now by emailing einar@focusonnature.is.

Get Local Information – Part 2 – Ragnar Sigurdsson

Destination - Iceland, Workshop  Comment
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Focus On Nature’s creator Einar Erlandson enlisted professional photographer Ragnar Sigurdsson to help guide us on location in Iceland. A native of Iceland, Ragnar Sigurdsson, is a highly successful stock photographer (Getty, Corbis, Jupiter ) specializing in arctic images for over 25 years. “If it’s cold I’m there.” Where? Siberia, Greenland, Lapland, Canada, Arctic, Antarctic, and of course Iceland. He just got back fromChucotka  Siberia flying in a giant MI8 helicopter.
You should see his ATV. If anyone can get there, Ragnar can. He uses a specially modified military vehicle; 44″ inch tires, heating, stereo, computer holder, GPS, air pump for deflating and inflating his tires, 220W power supply, strobes, and more. Strobes? Yes. One of his signature style is using strobe on in remote locations. (Oh, and his French cognac is excellent.) Life is indeed an adventure made richer by those you share it with.
Find out about Ragnar Sigurdsson’s and Arctic Images here.
Find out more about Focus on Nature here.
Get Priority Status for all 2009 workshops now by emailing einar@focusonnature.is.

Get Local Information – Part I – Einar Erlandsson

Destination - Iceland, Workshop  Comment
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One of the things that makes a workshop in a foreign destination great is local knowledge. Focus On Nature’s Einar Erlandson is an Iceland native – his family history in Iceland goes back over 1000 years. Iceland’s more than geography to him. It’s his personal and family history. He knows all the nooks and crannies to get into, the backroads and the sideways that take you to remarkable places you’d never find without a lifetime’s worth of experience. He’s taught photography for years and knows not only how to make successful images but also how to help others learn to make their own successful images. That kind of insight and guidance is invaluable.
Even though Einar Erlandson is an Icelandic native  enlists local photographers who’ve lived their whole lives here to add to his extensive body of knowledge of the terrain and its history. They’ve seen new islands emerge; seen volcanoes wipe out villages; seen Rekjavik grow.
From your trusted information sources, you want to more than experience – you want specific kinds of experience. Focus On Nature enlists the help of many local professional photographers. Professional photographers know what conditions make good photographs. They know not only what’s interesting, but also if a location is interesting photographically. They know when to go; weather and light can dramatically change a location visually. And they know what types of images have been made at those locations – and they’re willing to share it all.
Bottom line, when on location, enlist local knowledge whenever you can. The time spent getting to know locals is worth its weight in gold. And you make new friends!
Find out more about Focus on Nature here.
Get Priority Status for all 2009 workshops now by emailing einar@focusonnature.is.

Focus On Nature Begins

Workshop  Comment
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15 years ago, Einar Erlendsson had a dream. Start a photographic workshop program in Iceland. Offer people from all over the world an opportunity to experience a unique land. Immerse them in its culture, history, geology, climate, and biology. Help them make more compelling images. Inspire them to share their experiences with a wider audience. Tonight that dream came true. The first workshop began. (Vincent Versace and I coteach a special weekend workshop before my weeklong workshop Illuminating Creativity – Icleand starts.) It was an emotional moment for all of us – but, of course, particularly for Einar who navigated over a decade of obstacles to make this a reality. He’s got a lot of great ideas for unique workshop experiences that will develop rapidly next year. Driving on glaciers? Exploring ice caves? Diving in underwater caves? Walking in volcanoes? It’s all coming soon.
Focus on Nature has a  dual meaning and a dual purpose. It’s not just designed to promote photography. It’s also designed to promote the environment and sustainable land use practices. It’s a message in line with the spirit of the Icelandic nation – the largest exporter of geothermal technology in the world. There’s a lot more that can and will be said on this subject. Stay tuned to the Focus on Nature website.
15 years ago, Einar Erlendsson had a dream. Start a photographic workshop program in Iceland. Offer people from all over the world an opportunity to experience a unique land. Immerse them in its culture, history, geology, climate, and biology. Help them make more compelling images. Inspire them to share their experiences with a wider audience. Tonight that dream came true. The first workshop began. (Vincent Versace and I coteach a special weekend workshop before my weeklong workshop Illuminating Creativity – Icleand starts.) It was an emotional moment for all of us – but, of course, particularly for Einar who navigated over a decade of obstacles to make this a reality. He’s got a lot of great ideas for unique workshop experiences that will develop rapidly next year. Driving on glaciers? Exploring ice caves? Diving in underwater caves? Walking in volcanoes? It’s all coming soon.
Focus on Nature has a  dual meaning and a dual purpose. It’s not just designed to promote photography. It’s also designed to promote the environment and sustainable land use practices. It’s a message in line with the spirit of the Icelandic nation – the largest exporter of geothermal technology in the world. There’s a lot more that can and will be said on this subject. Stay tuned to the Focus on Nature website.
Find out more about Focus on Nature here.
New dates for 2009 are now available.
Vincent Versace August 10-14
John Paul Caponigro August 17-21, 2009 Iceland workshop here.
Stephen Johnson TBA.
New instructors and dates will be announced soon.
Get Priority Status for all Focus on Nature workshop here.
Or, get Priority Status for all 2009 workshops now by emailing einar@focusonnature.is.

Vincent Versace Lectures in Iceland

Destination - Iceland  Comment
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So what’s the first thing you do when you arrive in Iceland?
Eat Thai food and take in Vincent Versace’s evening lecture at the University of Rekjavik. Of course! Actually, who knew?
Vincent gave a passionate lecture to stunned crowd for nearly two and a half hours. Was this stand up comedy? Confession? Or, philosophy? Yes!
Half the time I thought, “This guy’s crazy. He’s absolutely possessed.” The other half of the time I thought, “I must be crazy. I agree with almost everything he’s saying.” What comes out of his mouth is very different than the words that come out of my mouth. The images that he makes are very different than the images I make. And I find that extremely stimulating. Nevertheless, in spirit, there’s a real felt kinship. Vincent has made something Ernst Haas said his personal mantra, “Don’t take pictures. Be taken by pictures.” It’s truly great advice. And Vincent has a lot of good ideas about how we can all let that happen.
Vincent’s a trained improvisational actor. It shows in his presentations. It shows in his pictures. A woman from the audience asked him about his relationship with the people he photographs. The images seem extremely candid. Did he feel he was intruding? Vincent’s answer came kinetically. He left the room and reentered it in a way that changed the audience’s relationship to him. Then he asked his questioner to do the same. And he continued in that vein. Vincent has a big heart and you see it not only in the way he relates to an audience but in the way he relates to his subjects and how they relate to him. And you see and feel it in his pictures. That’s much more important than craft. And not talked about enough in photography.
It was a thoroughly unique evening and thoroughly enjoyable.
Find out more about Vincent Versace here.
My lecture’s next – Thursday, August 21st at 7 pm at …
So … if you’re in Rekjavik, stop by.
Find out more here.

Iceland – Prelude

Destination - Iceland, Workshop  Comment
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(That’s Stephen Johnson on his recent trip to Iceland.)
I’m flying to Iceland today to scout for my upcoming workshop.
During my stay I’ll present a free lecture in Rekjavik hosted by Canon.
August 12 and 13 (Saturday and Sunday) I co-teach a free weekend workshop with Vincent Versace.
August 14 – 18 I lead my workshop Illuminating Creativity. This is a field workshop, a variant of my workshop by the same title, much like my Fall Foliage workshop, with a majority of the time spent on location in the field. Participants and I will engage many exercises to stimulate creativity and encourage versatility when coming up with solutions to visual challenges. I’ll tell you about many of them and show you our solutions here in the days to come.
Stay tuned!