The Work And Shop Of Photography

For the past week and half I’ve been travelling through India, with a group of photographers, on a workshop led by Matt Brandon and Piet van Den Eynde.

This workshop has been a good experience for me. I wasn’t looking for a formal learning experience, but I did want again to be in a learning environment, pushing myself photographically & gaining inspiration from others who are doing the same.

And, this workshop has certainly delivered on that front

I’m not sure how it goes for photographers, but in the music world, there is no shame in being a lifelong learner. Specialist coaches, masterclasses and performance psychologists are just part of the structure that exists to support musicians who are already trained and able to perform at a high level.

And, of course, in jazz, blues and other genres, simply playing with a new group or combo and learning new material can be its own form of education.

One thing I have thought about, in the lead up to the trip and on the quiet nights I’ve spent alone, has been where my photographic work is going. I only took up photography in 2009 and in the following two years things moved very quickly. When I relocated to Singapore in 2011, although music still took up most of my time, I was earning more, a lot more, from photography (portraits, prints and commissions) and writing (reviews and columns) than music.

So, the pun in the title of this post is actually, for me and also for many others I suspect, the real existential dilemma in all this; how to marry the work with the shop, the craft with the commerce.

And, that isn’t something you entirely solve in two weeks away in an exotic location. Although, good conversation under distant stars can help move the thoughts along. For now, I’m thankful for having this experience to fuel me over the next months, along with some more photos I hope to share in the coming weeks.