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Friday, May 25, 2007

Workshops For The Pros

Workshops aren't just for amateur enthusiasts. You can take your business to a new level by attending an intense, professionally oriented program.

Making the move to a fully digital workflow can be like trying to merge onto the information superhighway in a brown Dodge with a yellow door and white smoke pouring out the back. You sometimes feel like you're only seconds away from getting creamed by a semi with Digital Asset Management written in 10-foot letters on the side. To get turbocharged and start your trek to the fast lane, you need to get some high-horsepower help.

There are plenty of ways to learn about going all-digital. You can buy a book, several books probably, and try to learn it all yourself. Or you could see if there's a class at the local community college where you'd sit with a room full of people who are trying to take pictures with a compact digital camera so they can sell stuff on eBay. Or maybe you have a neighbor who has a computer-whiz child and you can take lessons for a few dollars an hour. If none of these possibilities sound particularly appealing, it's because they aren't, and once you eliminate them, your choices start to get pretty thin.

One thing you probably haven't considered is a workshop, but you should. Workshops are usually thought to be oriented to amateurs or other well-heeled photographers who are looking for a guided experience in an exotic locale. Less common are workshops that are more geared to high-level photographers and pros who are looking to get up to speed on digital technology in an intensive atmosphere, where you can learn without being bogged down by students who don't know what an ƒ-stop is.