Film is Not Dead Workshop and my new family.

My review my be bias. I met Jonathan almost a year ago at a wedding in Utah. At the time I swore away with shooting digital. A couple years of struggling with digital and computers took its toll. And the hand that pulled the trigger on killing digital for me just happened before I went to Utah, a complete mess on my hard drives erased over 4 years of pictures.

Its funny how timing works. I started shooting film again. I started following Jon more and more. I shot more and more. When I learned about Jon's workshop I had to go.

I don't know if calling it a "workshop" fits. A secret society may be stretching it. A family is what I like to feel about the whole thing.

You take Jon. One of the dying breeds in this world. A real honest caring MAN, a room of 16 people from all over the country who are told right from the beginning to "leave your egos at the door" People who really truly want to learn, people who help, people who care. Take Jon's wife who cooked every single morning and afternoon the most ridiculous breakfast and lunch I have ever had for 3 straight days. Add an online forum of some of the most helpful film photographers from all over the WORLD. On top of that, throw in getting to talk face to face with one of the representatives from the best film lab in the universe Richards photo lab. THEN backdrop it with my #1 favorite small town in the U.S. Park City.

If you can comprehend all this, you only know the half of what the workshop is all about.

The Film is not Dead group really is a family. In so many different ways we would all care about each other. We watch each other grow as photographers, we comment, we critique, we learn.

Some people may have gotten different things out of the workshop. What I took away from it is pretty layered. I learned about how to become more refined in my vision, I learned that above everything else vision is the only thing that will separate anyones photography from one another. I learned to have patience. To have passion. To value my vision. I learned from Jon and everyone that has experienced a Film is not dead workshop that keeping things to yourself, that pretending to know it all, that acting like you are the only person with a camera will eventually just make you old and alone and a pretty crappy photographer.

Lastly, I know its hard to comprehend, and I have read it before on other reviews. But Jon holds NOTHING back. NOTHING. We all know a photographer or 2 who acts like they are then next big thing. Well I would consider Jon pretty successful. And the man will answer any single question you ask him. I cannot even figure out how to make that clear enough.

He has nothing to hide. Period.

I want to thank Jon for everything. For the hugs in the morning for quick talks on the patio. For Callie and the food. And to all the photographers I shared the workshop with.

I will never forget it.