A Creative Reset At A Photography Workshop
After losing my mother, I took a step back from my career and life to reevaluate my direction. I set a few personal philosophies for myself: do the hard things and approach everything with an open heart, a beginner's mindset, and an abundance of curiosity. Over time, I realized I had become a bit guarded, especially in the photography world, having distancing myself from peers and missing the camaraderie of fellow photographers. Determined to find myself as a photographer again and rebuild those connections, I decided that perhaps attending a workshop was in order.
The last workshop I attended was my own. I had a rather significant speaking engagement at Imaging USA Nashville in January 2020 and then spoke for the lighting brand Geekoto at WPPI Vegas just weeks before the lockdown happened due to the pandemic. These experiences were pivotal, but they were also the last big events before everything changed. I knew I now needed a reset since nothing had quite been the same since 2020 in my world when my then 13 year career came to a screeching halt. Now, stepping into someone else's workshop felt like a fresh start — a chance to shed the old me and way of doing things, to reset and rediscover my passion.
There was only one workshop instructor I knew I needed — Kara Marie. Kara and I go way back, when we Bothe regular contributing writers for an old online publication for boudoir photographers called The Business of Boudoir. Though the last time we spoke had been around a decade ago! But I had watched from a distance as she really blossomed as a photographer, educator and as a woman. Kara teaches how to “fuck it up,” encouraging experimentation, making mistakes, and losing a bit of control. This was EXACTLY what I needed most. I had become stagnant, bogged down by routines and perfectionism. I needed to shake everything up…including the camera, apparently. Ha!
The workshop was about breaking free from old habits for me. Kara's philosophy liberated me from the fear of mistakes, inviting me to embrace creative chaos. This shift was incredibly freeing, allowing me to actually PLAY with photography again and take risks I wasn’t taking when I had a paying client.
Connecting with other photographers was another highlight. Loved being in a room full of other creatives who were all “in the zone” creating. The models we worked with were an absolute joy to photograph. It was the most beautiful collaborative dance between everybody there that day!
Reflecting on this experience, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone, to evolve and hopefully form new bonds within the photography community. The workshop allowed me the freedom to explore and play, better formulating my plans for the future. And while I admired Kara Marie way back then, I became even more fond of her after this workshop. She is a total doll!
Kara Marie’s workshop was a transformative experience, reigniting my passion for photographing women, inspiring me to evolve and reinforcing my values of curiosity and openness. Thank you, Kara, for this enlightening experience, and to all the photographers and models I met—I am grateful for your camaraderie and creativity. Here's to more experimentation and beautiful imperfections in the future!
