Buxton March 2011

Ok, so what AM I on about Buxton? Well I have just returned from a week of full on residential training with a bunch of mega talented photographers, three gorgeous models and four hardy souls called trainers. We also filled a kitchen full of food and consumed about a lake of red wine. We think of it as creative lubricant ;)

So what does happen when you lock the aforementioned in a large country house in the middle of nowhere for a week with creative lubricant on hand?

Well the first thing we did was consume some wine.....did I mention we had wine? But then we did get down to the serious business at hand. Learning! As Mark Pearson commented to clients yesterday, people assume that because we are professional photographers that we know it all.....we don't, and who do we go to when we need an answer? Well this is our chance to leave any baggage at the door on the way in and bare our souls. And there were a few laid bare and hopefully a problem shared became a problem halved (or more since there were so many of us!)

The first morning saw the lovely Julie Oswin lead a group on shooting a bride in the landscape. This was a complete revolution to me as Julie set out to do the exact opposite of everthing I had ever been taught. I'd have been running for the shade while Julie popped Maria, our gorgeous bride for the morning in full sun, backlit! Wow, day one and first lightbulb moment! No longer shall I scurry for shade when there is light like that to be used!

From there we also explored in the studio with the wonderful Richie Crossley who is quite, quite mad as well as having a wealth of photographic talent and experience. It does not get much higher in this industry than Vogue Italy and that is the standard of Richies work. I've never been in safer hands and Richies giggles all week despite having a cold were a real highlight.

We talked long into the nights on everything from album design to sales and pricing and all the other business "stuff" that takes over our lives. If I had to add up the years of experience in the house last week it would be a very scary number indeed!

We shot boudoir with Paul Haley (who organised the whole week and deserves a medal!) We shot off camera flash with our resident DJ and image processing expert Sean McCormack. We were also blessed with great weather (it was still March and could have been freezing) and very hardy and super talented models who braved the elements to shoot editorial and art nude in stunning landscapes for us. Thanks to Steve and Richie for leading those sessions.

Back inside to end the week on a real high for me. I had some time with the gorgeous Lily and wanted something a bit special. I spoke to Richie and got some great advice about having a starting point and letting the creativity run from that starting point. So armed with his laptop and "inspirations" files I went hunting. It took me less than a minute to find my starting point, a Helmut Newton inspired shot and off I went. The style seemed to suit me and Lily got right into it and here is where it took us. (Thanks to Mac for the light holding duties :))

The value of the week spent with my peers simpy cannot be underestimated. I have learned techniques, I have learned business skills but most importantly I know a lot of very kind and wonderful people that I did not know this time last week. And for that I am extremely grateful.

More to come on the value of training and how to value training itself.