Photographer Paul Elledge has given more workshops around the U.S. and abroad than he can remember and in many ways, they are as much a learning experience for himself as they are for his students. Students have a way of asking questions that “…can lead to self-evaluate,” as Paul says and to question personal choices. There’s also a payback when he learns a former student, who was able to put some of what she learned into practice, has found success. Paul now has two very different workshops coming up, and Workbook is pleased to announce that in conjunction with Chicago ASMP, we are sponsoring the first of the two: Insight + Inspiration – Developing Your Creative Style and Brand, a three-day workshop slated for April 9-11.
It’s the workshop Paul says”he could really have used when he was starting out.” There will be plenty of discussion about developing a creative voice, but also how to build a business model to sustain it: a sort of mini MBA+MFA rolled into one three-day workshop. It’s the real world going on behind the scenes of a successful photo business that he wants to discuss. He admits that it was a mystery to him early in his career and wants to help students lay a solid foundation in order for their creativity to thrive. He’ll delve into everything from dealing with clients to technical issues, using his own projects as case studies. With 35 years of experience, Paul will have plenty to say about balancing the yin and yang of this challenging and exciting business. If you’re in Chicago, we hope you’ll join us.
But if you are looking for more of an experience with a little less structure, then The Photo Moto Workshop will take you on a journey both literally and figuratively. With the classic road trip as the overarching theme of this workshop, you’ll explore the Italian culture of Sicily the way the locals do; on a scooter. If Jack Kerouac had taken a trip through Italy, this is how he would have done it. There will be time for discussion and critique in groups and individually, but this time, Paul plans a more loosely structured day to allow for different types of interaction with students. He will make himself available in whatever capacity students need as they go about shooting pictures. Paul has learned that some will want the interaction, and some will want less or none. At any rate, he’ll be taking you on a journey of discovery, and like with all great road trips, it’ll be more about the journey than the destination.
Paul has honed his workshops based on trial and error, and when we asked him if there was a workshop he himself attended and found particularly useful, he referenced one on motorcycle racing, his other abiding passion. Photography may be second nature to him, but as a lover and racer of motorcycles, that workshop taught him the value of being around people who are “doing it” and made him more aware of what and how he can offer what he knows so well.
