I don’t get it. I just don’t get it. Why would people pay to go on a workshop where the leader actively photographs? They are subsidizing the leader’s photography at THEIR expense!!! Workshops are teaching opportunities, participants are supposed to be there to learn. And, at least the way I understand it, it is the leader who is supposed to be teaching. How can they teach when they are photographing for themselves?

And how do participants let the leader photograph? How do they tolerate that? They paid good money to have the attention of the leader, to learn from the leader’s experience and knowledge. None of this can be done when the leader is taking their own pictures. No workshop participant should tolerate the leader taking his or her own pictures. It is wrong and indefensible.  Participants should demand a refund based on the amount of time taken up by leader photography.  Leader photographing 25% of the time? Demand a 25% refund. Half the time? Demand a 50% refund.

Now I am not talking about teaching photography where the leader uses photography to demonstrate a technique  or show participants a certain composition. But when a leader starts photographing without any teaching it is wrong. And when a leader steps in front of everyone to get their own pictures or to get them first it is doubly wrong.

So before you sign up for a workshop ask if the leader is going to be photographing. Then ask them to justify that. When they stumble around say thank-you and find a workshop company that won’t tolerate this nonsense. Don’t pay for someone else to take pictures. Leaders are there to help you get the pictures they would’ve gotten. Simple as that.