You love some photos because they are “good”, and you love some because of the subject. While I do like the technical aspects of this photo, it’s one of my favorites of 2012 because of the women in the photo. I made this frame while leading my annual Costa Rica Photography workshop. Jody DeWeese and Kathy Veitch are swapping stories along the Rio Frio after a long day of shooting.
As a photography instructor, it is rare to have the opportunity to see you students’ work progress beyond a class or two. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Kathy Veitch for a couple of years now, and it has been a lot of fun. She makes some beautiful photos, and I can’t help but feel a little bit responsible 🙂
Kathy was in a class of mine (Digital 101 I think) here in Atlanta a couple of years ago. She was the type of student you remember, in a good way. She was always enthusiastic and eager to learn. Kathy is the student who asks questions if she’s not following you, and gets excited when she “gets it” and learns something new.
I was was glad to hear that Kathy and her sister Dianne would be attending my workshop in Costa Rica later that year. Kathy’s enthusiasm definitely followed her to Costa Rica, and Dianne was just as much fun. Dianne left her camera in a taxi in San Jose so she had to borrow someone’s extra camera body for the workshop. That could have bummed anyone out, but Dianne stayed up-beat and had a good time. Her camera was actually at the hotel waiting for her when she returned to San Jose!
Kathy and Dianne returned to Costa Rica with me this year too. Kathy requested the same cabin they had last year, so I put them in the “Congo” cabin once again. The “Congo Girls” kicked it up a notch this year. You can’t help but have a good time when you travel with these ladies, and they made some of the best images of the trip.
Jody DeWeese and her husband Jeff have been clients and friends of mine for more than twelve years now. I only get to see them a few times a year, but it is always a pleasure. Jody just started pursuing photography as a hobby this year. She started taking classes and shooting pretty much any spare second she has. She would come by my office on her way to photo class and show me her homework and tell me what she was learning. One week she mentioned that she might be ready to come on my Costa Rica trip. By the next week she was booking plane tickets!
Jody jumped into every situation with both feet. I think the workshop was a great way for her put what she had been learning to use. I know there were some techniques that she hadn’t quite gotten the hang of, and it was good for her to have a couple of instructors on hand while she was shooting. I saw her work improve as the week went on. She definitely won the award for making the most images on the trip 🙂
These two ladies exemplify what I love about leading photography workshops. Attendees of all different skill levels all looking to improve on what they know and how they shoot. As an instructor I enjoy the challenge of helping everyone take whatever next step they need to take. Making new friends, visiting with old friends and sharing my love of photography and travel… it doesn’t get much better than that for me!
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