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| Photo by Jeremy
Shockley |
| Workshop student
Jeremy Shockley made this photo of ranch life more interesting
by framing it through two fence posts. |
JACKSON, Wyo.--What's the difference between a good photograph
and a great one? That was, in essence, what the students at the
Photography at the Summit workshop in Jackson, Wyo. came to learn.
As a member of the faculty at last week's workshop, I came to teach,
but I'm sure I received more wisdom than I imparted.
Rich Clarkson, the former director of
photography of National Geographic, launched his Summit
workshops years ago, inspired by the photojournalism workshops run
by Cliff Edom at the University of Missouri. (It
was Edom who coined the term "photojournalism.") Clarkson's idea is
to bring together legendary photographers -- this year including
William Albert Allard, Jody Cobb,
and David Alan Harvey of National
Geographic, nature photographer Patricio Robles
Gil, photojournalist James Hill, former
National Geographic editor in chief William
Allen, nature photographer Tom Mangelsen,
sports photographer Dave Black, and Time
magazine photo editor MaryAnne Golon -- and have
them review and critique work done each day by students. Most
students shoot the local landscape and abundant wildlife; others
focus on people stories about the residents of Jackson. In addition,
the faculty presents nightly projections of their own projects.
What makes it really work is the give and take with the students.
Last Friday, the final day of the workshop, I gave a presentation
that served as both an overview of American Photo and a
look ahead at the future of photography. I quoted the famed
Harper's Bazaar art director Alexi
Brodovitch, who once commanded Richard
Avedon to simply "astonish me." I asked, is it possible for
photographs to astonish us now, in a world so suffused with imagery?
Here's what I learned by looking at the student work: The answer is
yes. Every day, I was astonished.
Here are my five selects from the final day's critique session:
John
Keys captured the inky black stillness of the Snake
River one morning; Tim
Fitzgerald shot a hill outlined in fog; Jeremy
Shockley made a memorable portrait of cowboys by
shooting through a corral fence; Karen
Schuenemann got a picture of two moose necking; and
Al
Hubbs made a neatly composed photo of geese gliding in
for a landing.
I addition, I threw in two more shots of the faculty: Rick
Morris's image of David Alan Harvey (in back) and
William Albert Allard; and a shot Tom Mangelsen
made late one night when Allard was playing pool. Did I mention that
students and faculty often stay out late at night?
If you are interested in learning more about the workshops, visit
http://www.photographyatthesummit.com/ . | 
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