I am slowing dipping my foot in video. Not into videography, just into a mix of photos with a splash of motion. 

The only thing I could do upon my return was to post this short Instagram post: “Once I process what the heck actually happened during the @parkerjpfister workshop I will expand. All I can figure out right this minute is that Parker’s workshop is far from a workshop. It’s a mix between getting hit by an 18 wheeler while laying down on a couch during a deep psychological therapy session and sitting in a sand box like I did as a kid! (And then doing it all again the very next day!)”

Four weeks later I’m still processing my time in the badlands. 

Parker on day four

Parker’s workshop is not your typical photography workshop. Photography is a part of the process of course, but it’s really not about photography. They tend to be about discovery and self awareness. In the past I believe Parker has used the phrase “non-workshop workshop,” which basically sums up my experience to a T. To me, this workshop was a deep dive into the process of making. 

Portrait of me was taken by Susie

The process of 

Making yourself accountable 

Making difficult decisions 

Making mistakes 

Making you feel 

The process of

Making new friends 

Making yourself uncomfortable

Making playful choices 

The process of

Making art

Making amends with yourself 

Making a safe space to create 

I will continue to honor the essence of this workshop in my own art making and the way I look at the world. 

Thank you RJ  for the photo!

Links to the makers that sent me images of the whole group, the fireside chat, my portrait and a few others that I think you need to look into! These links have content that is just outstanding work. I am a better artist because of these new friends. 

Dan and on1 software   RJ   

Scott   Adam  Suzanne  Olivia 

Devin  Dena  Jim  Ed 

I have been working on some thoughts about “The Why”. What is a why and what makes it so important to me? I believe that I have always known “why” I do or do not do certain things, or why I love the things I love. But after mentoring this one particular photographer, I started to understand why I believed in ” the why”. It turns out that it is not about the why, but about “my why” or YOUR “why”. To love what you or I do, I believe it is imperative to understand the “whys”.  

It was in the middle of our first discussion about “Why do you want to be a photographer?” that brought it all home for me. I have been in the business of photography for 25 years, and I have always loved it! (You better love what you do if you do it for 20+ years…. or 5+ years even) But it was just a few months ago that I realized it was not just loving the profession or the art of photography. No, it was my “why” that continued to drive me to do photography for so many years! You can love a song, a lyric. You can love the way someone pronounces a word or a certain language. So doing something that you love is a rather silly reply to anything you do for a decade or longer. It is the WHY that drives us to be the best we can be. It is the WHY that makes us want to do the thing we love to do. 

So, the screenshot I have posted here is just one of my WHYs for doing photography. I posted this image on Facebook 14 years ago I guess. And just the other day the mother of the gentleman in the photo was moved enough to tag me in her reply as it showed up in her FB memories. 14 years ago. 14 years ago and the image still makes an impression. Wonderfully enough the two in this photo have had several wonderful children, and I have also been lucky enough to capture more great memories for them. 14 years later! 

My why, for doing this photography thing, is not due to my love of the medium. I love the smell of fixer and developer, the sound of a mechanical shutter, and the weight of a large format camera. I love holding fiber-based prints in my hands and when one of my subjects holds an album designed just for them. I do love to talk gear and to talk to other photographers. That is still not a reason to do photography for 25 years. It is all about the WHY.  My why is connection. My why is giving to future generations.