Roots Workshop blog

Hello all!

eric here. I’ll keep this brief. Just wanted to say a final hello/see you next year… I’ve been back in the real world [well, if you can call what I do the 'real world'] for a handful of weeks now but my experiences down on the Cape still resonate with me deeply. Every year I’ve been there I have come away so inspired and this one was no different at all. Listening to people speak so passionately about what they do and what they believe in, seeing light bulbs going off left and right, listening to the ocean underscore the evening critiques and presentations. The word idyllic comes to mind but not just because of the incredible setting that cradles the workshop experience each year – it’s all about the momentous energy and enthusiasm that we collectively create.

When the week began I told a very simple truth that when I was a student at the workshop [what feels like many moons ago - if you want to relive my experience there you can do so HERE] I left with a refined and much improved perspective on life. My image making improved tenfold and all that good stuff but I could see the world better. I began to see life through the most stunning of perspectives – my own. Up until then, my entire photo education had been based on other people’s visions of what photography – in particular weddings – should be. I found myself through the lens at Roots. I realized that what was important to me wasn’t flowers or macro ring shots or pictures of dresses or a bunch of people standing there looking at the camera. What WAS important to me was humanity – how precious every single gasp of joy is, how miraculous that we are filled with such a breadth of emotion that if it weren’t for the visual historians, would be ever fleeting. We are what we do and how we do it. Roots helped me to understand the creed which is the foundation for my documenting philosophy – Behavior defines character and environment shapes behavior. This year, though I was on the staff side instead of the student, the experience was no less palpable and rewarding. To see a new crop of eyes opened wider and lives changed for the better does a body good. Once people get it, you know you’re not alone and that this world will be better because of the experience that the 12 students had.

To the Staff :: You are beacons of light. What you give is palpable and we are in dire need of it. Thank you for realizing the wisdom in preservation and having the foresight to see so far beyond trends into the core of truth.

To the Students :: Thank you for all that you gave this week. You came from all over the place and did your best to check your insecurities and judgments at the door and because of that we were all treated to a spectacle of wonder I don’t think any of us had expected or could have imagined. You are what is good. Share yourself with everyone you can and continue using your craft to remind people why they are important.

To emilie :: It is so easy to pour thanks on those on the front line but were it not for you, all would be for naught. They are the faces we see out there in the field having the most direct contact with us. Nobody knows how many hours of sleep you miss working behind the scenes to make this indelible experience a reality for all of us. When I was in the AmeriCorps we called it Secondary Service – but more affectionately it became known as the Man Behind the Curtain. For what you have given and continue to give we all are forever in your debt. You are the pinnacle of wisdom, the  pure essence of kindness, and living proof that angels walk among us. Your little peanut is going to be the luckiest nut around :]

So for now, I most humbly present to you some images that I made from the week. I hope it can serve as a reminder of all you went through and an encouragement to keep finding the miraculous in the mundane.

ROOTS 2010 – a Visual Yearbook of Sorts.

Be Joyful. Seek the joy of being alive.

eric

PS – Next year’s roots dates are July 17-21. This year it sold out in 3 days and I would be very surprised if 2011 registration was even open that long. REGISTRATION BEGINS SEPTEMBER 7th AT 9AM!!

After the teams were done sharing their slideshows with the group on the last night of the Roots Workshop, everyone was able to exhale and let loose a bit as the hard work was finally done. We had yummy pies and ice cream, hosted the (now annual) Chubby Bunny competition (images from that will not be finding their way to this blog. Some things shall remain a secret from the week!) and everyone piled into our sponsor photo booth, Snapshot Studio (created by Roots instructor Jenn Domenick), for some fun.

The rest of the images can be seen here.

Thursday was the last day of the Roots Workshop, a day seemingly simple in scope, but always a hectic flurry of activity right up until our celebratory clambake dinner. It included final edits of everyone’s picture stories, choosing a song by sponsor Triple Scoop Music, assembling slideshows and individual one-on-one mentor sessions. And once we finished feasting on lobster, we waited for the sun to go down and viewed everyone’s body of work from the week on a screen under the stars (undoubtedly one of my favorite days of the year). There was lots of laughter, and even tears, as students and their instructors explained each photographer’s assignment and remarkable growth transformation in front of the group. I’ll be sharing those slideshows here, with a round-up on the week, over the next few days.

(This last picture taken by student Ian Riley)

Hello to all my friends out there in the World Wide Net!

so today was another day of the students out in the field shooting – taking everything form their critique the night before and putting it into action. I managed to get around to see everyone in action – and it certainly was something incredible to behold…  so, again, I don’t really have too much insight to offer you… like I said, we’ll profile all the students and their specific assignments in depth when the workshop is over – but you might enjoy the little taste of them in action below…

some serious dedication… they emerged with leeches, you know… but I’ve seen the resulting image and it’s bloody fantastic. Totally worth it.

getting dirty – most of the time an absolute requirement.

critiques…. Hmmmm… NQT. Not Quite There.

humor is always a key element to try to work into certain stories…

ok, i’m feeling rather zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

eric

Dear World Wide Email Net,

Today the assignments begin! fun times all around. I don’t have too much to write tonight – you’ll be hearing all about the actual assignments in detail when we profile the individual participants… so for now you can play a little guessing game. Planes, boats, donuts, theater… lovely day :] What do you think their stories are? One of the best things about roots are the mentor site visits – it’s a chance to collect yourself, go over the images you’ve shot so far, and then get some instant feedback on shooting your story…

the lighter side of critique

rooted love,

eric

Hey Intertubes. I’m back.

Yeah, I know it’s late again. Which means I’m prone to bouts of delirium and nonsensical ramblings… so forgive the verbosity and oblivian with which I might be writing these days. There’s just too much good stuff going on to waste my time sleeping.

Day two started with a wonderful breakfast from J, rockstar that he is. Then the edumacation started. The morning was filled with conversations, lectures, shooting exercises… all aimed at establishing a baseline to work from and feel out where everybody is in their craft. Monday morning is always one of my favorite parts of the workshop – it’s like a pat on the back, swift kick to the ass, and powershot of caffeine all rolled into one. Officially Cape Awesome up here.

Mark and Tyler [not really pictured] talked about working a scene and how to approach all of the students’ assignments while preserving the integrity of the moment. To be honest, their jokes were only so-so. I’m thinking about a B for jokes. Expecting better this week :]

next came the first shooting exercise of the day – these are aimed at helping the instructors see where the students strengths and weaknesses are and aid in giving the assignments that will push them to grow in those areas that may benefit from a little extra attention. It sounds all formal and academic, doesn’t it? Well, in typical Roots fashion, it’s pretty crazy. And hilarious. And high energy. And LOUD!

the next step in the process is to head back to the edit rooms and look through the images, break ‘em down, and talk about why people made the decisions to shoot like they did.

the next shooting assignment brought everyone out the the local fair to add a little more visual chaos to the mix. Groups split up and the mentors traveled around with students watching the shoot, offering suggestions, and even providing the occasional brilliant insight :]

so this guy. er… a little odd. not a Roots participant but definitely a big big big big big fan.

so after a looong day shooting we returned back and it was assignment time! The staff takes a lot of time deliberating and choosing all sorts of great stories for folks to tell… you’ll hear some specifics as the week progresses…

ps. there’s awesome bugs here.

lots of love,

eric

Hello world!

This is eric – I’ll be guest blogging on here for the week from sunny Cape Cod where we’ve just started the 3rd incarnation of the Roots Workshop. We’re pretty stoked about it – some fabulous participants this year as well as a stalwart crew of instructors and mentors… and, most importantly the best chef this side of the Bass River… So anyways, I’ll be keeping you abreast of the fun goings on, assignments, frivolity, and debauchery that is tantamount to the Roots experience. Kick up your feet, grab a cold one, and enjoy the ride! If you’d like to communicate with us, you can always leave a comment here, reach out via twitter @rootsworkshop or you can throw up a twitter search column using #rootsworkshop to get up to the minute  kicks – we’ll all be tweeting about the hilarious and often inapropriate quotes that occur here in the midst of Camp Roots… on with the show!

this is us. if you think i’m going to go through and name everyone and give links to their sites… well… it’s 1:00am.

as everyone slowly rolled in from all over the country, many took a late afternoon respite from the heat off our personal dock in the Bass River

after a wonderful dinner, we had our official meet and greet… for all of us being in a similar profession we come from markedly different places. the varied wonders of the human spirit…

as the night began to fall, everyone broke into their teams to discuss the week and so the mentors could be caught up on where the students are in their craft and what they are hoping to accomplish from this intense week. Having a meeting in a place like this doesn’t mean cramping into a conference room…

we are artists and purveyors of the human condition… sometimes subtly and sometimes full of animation

after that it was chill/prep time for the students while the faculty got together to discuss things that a faculty gets together to discuss. Like Patty Cakes. [True story]

the end of the first day is filled with anticipation, anexiety, wonder, but most of all, a childlike excitement that will be tried, tested, and challenged throughout he grueling week. We prepare to grow. We prepare to bloom.

all the love, mirth, and wonder I can muster at this hour,

eric

After the flutter of excitement with such quick enrollment in the fall, this blog has remained mighty quiet. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been a busy bee in the background preparing for this summer’s 3rd annual Roots Workshop! I’m excited to finally share our staff line-up and also our team assignments so that you might have the chance to learn a little about each other and extend an introductory hello to your group before meeting at the Cape. Unlike in years past, this year each team will have two team leaders- there will be no designation between leader and mentor- both will work together as equal entities to visit you in the field and facilitate critiques each night.

And so… without further ado, and in no particular order, here are our three teams for this July!!

———

TEAM 1:
leaders: Jennifer Domenick (‘08, ‘09) and Arnold Miller (‘08)

I go way back with these two. Jenn and I met while working at the Washington Post in 2001, and Arnold was my boss at the Cape Cod Times where I interned for two summers during college (and hence why Roots is hosted on the Cape!) in 1998 and 1999. Jenn is co-owner of Love Life Images in Columbia, Maryland, and Arnold lives on Long Island where he is the multimedia editor at technology powerhouse Newsday.

students:
Erica Pelaccia
Emily Sterne
Jennifer Badalamenti
Robin Shetler

———

TEAM 2:
leaders: Rachel LaCour Niesen (‘09) and Mark Dolan

Smart and savvy Rachel, co-owner of LaCour and online studio management software company ShootQ, is paired with Roots first-timer Mark Dolan, a bbq-loving bearded teddy bear who also happens to be my very favorite photojournalism professor from when I was a student at Syracuse University. He now teaches photography at the Southern Illinois Carbondale campus and is a fantastic addition to our staff.

students:
Amanda Herzberger
Audra Bayette (‘09)
Ian Riley
Amie Otto

———

TEAM 3:
leaders: Tyler Wirken (‘08, ‘09) and Mark Adams (‘09)

I first met both Tyler and Mark while teaching at the Foundation Workshop in Texas in 2007. Both have big personalities, extensive backgrounds in photojournalism and are currently running successful wedding photography studios in Kansas City and Atlanta respectively. Tyler co-owns Wirken Photography and Mark co-owns both LaCour and ShootQ, one of our generous supporters.

students:
Neysa Ruhl (‘08)
Whitney Fox
Elisha Tablada
Alison Britton

———

Also returning as workshop staff photographer is wedding photographer and Roots ‘08 alum, the always fun and insightful Eric Laurits, and my husband, photographer, Roots ‘08 alum and liveBooks rock star J Sandifer as cook.

So, yippee! I’ll be sending you more information as to what you should pack and such within the next few weeks. And look forward to seeing y’all real soon! Get ready to work hard!

You could win this:

Yes, this is a joke trophy, but its 2009 recipient takes her win very seriously. Earlier today, I presented photographer Audra Bayette with this handsome trophy (kindly made by Ray Messier at Creative Awards in Scarborough) from our goofy Chubby Bunny contest at Roots Workshop last July. It started as a spontaneous game in 2008 on the last night of our workshop with leftover marshmallows from s’mores (workshop staffer Jenn Domenick’s husband Ethan took the crown then) and, well, I guess with the implementation of a trophy you could say it’s now a tradition. Audra hopes to defend her own title when she returns for her second summer at Roots this July. I hear she’s been practicing.

Who wouldn’t want a trophy with a camera on it, anyway?

Think you’re up for the challenge? We are sold out for 2010 with a waiting list, and have already started a list for when we open Roots 2011 registration next fall as well!!

ps- Congrats on your recent engagement, Audra! So happy for you and Matt! I know a really cool place you could get married on Cape Cod this summer…

Meet the Roots Workshop class of 2010! Registration forms are in and this is our official list!

1. Emily Sterne Emily Sterne Photography Cambridge, MA

2. Amanda Herzberger Orchard Cove Photography Windsor, CT

3. Erica Pelaccia Erica Leighton Pelaccia Marblehead, MA

4. Audra Bayette** Audra Bayette, Photographer Scarborough, ME

5. Amie Otto Amie Otto Photography Ashburn, VA

6. Allison Britton A Britton Photography Woodbridge, VA

7. Robin Shetler Robin Shetler Photography Decatur, GA

8. Whitney J Fox emilie inc. associates Portland, ME

9. Neysa Ruhl* Neysa Ruhl Photography Cincinnati, OH

10. Ian Riley Ian Riley Photography Arden, NC

11. Elisha Tablada Love Life Images Columbia, MD

12. Jennifer Badalamenti Jen Lynne Photography Grand Rapids, MI

* denotes Roots 2008 alum

** denotes Roots 2009 alum