Roots Workshop blog

Roots is over.

I am totally sleep deprived (4 hours each night), bug-bitten (how do bugs reach those hard-to-reach places anyway?), and sad… I have a lingering emptiness in my gut missing my new friends.

Organizing a workshop is much more work than I ever thought possible. And although it wasn’t perfect (which is hard for me to accept, as I most definitely struggle with being a perfectionist! Is there a support group for me?!), it was definitely outstanding. I’ll be posting highlights of the students’ work here this week, but first, a few snapshots of the end of the week…

By late-night Wednesday evening, Greg was editing from the couch with his feet up, and appletini on the brain- literally.

Thursday was spent completing the final edits, picking music & assembling slideshows for later that night, writing captions & headlines for the newspaper layouts, and the general shock & awe that things were wrapping up!

Capt. Smith pulled up to our dock that afternoon to treat everyone to a leisurely river cocktail cruise. It was exactly what we all needed!

Eric, per usual, was very excited about this.


Tyler grabbed my camera for this image. Students, notice the cool repetition and balance?

Sam and Meredith share a laugh.

When we arrived back at the house, Jake’s Bake was waiting for us!

Our chefs treated us to an amazing clambake. Aren’t they so cute?!

And Wild Bill Corney provided some Buffett-style tunes.

The first course was chowder and clams.

Sam wasn’t so sure.

Down the hatch!

Eric, per usual, was very excited about this (wait, have I said this before?!).

Stephen crammed in a little last minute editing.

Dear friend Jenn digging in.

Andrea, right, is Arnold’s wife and 6 months pregnant with their second child. Her belly was too cute not to photograph. She’s talking with Linda, who has to be one of the kindest people ever.


The next course was lobster, sweet corn, sausage (or tempeh and/or swordfish & veggie kabobs for me), potatoes and cole slaw. This was a first for many of the students.

Yum!



After dinner, we set up for the slideshow presentations on the deck. Watching everyone’s presentations under the stars was a surreal experience, made extra special by some of the students’ subjects who came by to watch the show. One such person is Anne LeClaire, noted author and family friend. We took a quick picture with her husband to show my family (so here you go, Grandma! This is for you!).

I didn’t take any photos during the slideshows, mostly because I was either a) talking, b) engrossed in watching or c) crying. Eric jumped up on the porch roof to capture this overall.

Thank you all SO much for working so hard and sharing of yourselves with us and this experience for the week. I am so proud of everyone and can’t wait for next year (more on that soon…).

Workshop participant (and excellent friend) Eric (:e:) shared a few images from around the house and out on location today with several of the students (his assignment wrapped up yesterday).

Dan at the Youth Academy.

Sam and Vince at the Monomoy Theatre.

Meredith at the YMCA.

portraits on the workshop lawn.

I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday! This workshop is flying by!! Students are wrapping up their assignments today, and we’ll spend tomorrow assembling slideshows and page designs of their work for the Thursday night clambake and student presentations.

I’ll catch you up on some more images taken around the workshop house (I’ll post pictures of the students on their assignments tomorrow!).

I woke up to this on the fridge- just like home! Sorta.

This is Greg’s editing room inside the main farmhouse.

I scored these great presentation screens from Office Max by Epson that have such a simple set-up. They just expand like an accordian.

The man himself. Love that smile, Greg!

Exhaustion begins to set in… (this is James).

It’s important to try and eat healthy during such an intense week of work and very little sleep…

But when Linda came back from her assignment at the ice cream shoppe with more than 10 flavors for us to try, nutrition was quickly forgotten.

This is Arn’s “Arnie Shack” team editing set-up.

Linda’s edit.

Vince takes a try at the editing chair with Stephen.

Meredith listens in.

I love this image of Vince.

The light at sunset is absolutely amazing here (wait until you see some of J’s sunset images from his assignment!).

Greg, Eric and I went outside to take advantage of it. Greg took this picture of Eric shooting me filming (Arn brought Newsday’s video equipment and I’m having a lot of fun with it!).

And another angle.

Eric takes to the the tree.


And Dan and James jump in, too.

Some quick portraits Greg took of me.




The light disappears quickly and then we settle in for the night.

J spent the night at his assignment last night (to get a sunrise image today) so Greg took a look at his work this afternoon.

Things started off well…


And then J realizes he forgot to do something Greg asked him to photograph.

And J contemplates if he should go back to try again.

Overall, J did an amazing job and I’m so proud of him! I can’t wait to post his final project soon!

We’ve been going to bed at 4a the last few nights. Brushing my teeth last night (this morning?), birds were singing and I could hear the putter of the fishing boats on the river heading out for a day of work. Crazy!

Wow (!!) is truly the only word that comes to mind that best describes the past few days of the Roots Workshop.

This is where we are staying for the duration, Churchill Farm in South Yarmouth.


The farmhouse houses most the bedrooms and Greg’s team editing room.





The guest cottage and bunk house, where Arn and his team are staying, quickly dubbed the Arnie Shack.

Our gorgeous little private paradise.

J and I arrived on Cape early Sunday morning to hit the grocery store (three carts later, we finally had the fridges-there are 5!- stocked with breakfast eats, munchies, coffee essentials, and of course, beer). Mentors Tyler and Jenn arrived first, and helped situate the students as they rolled in, helping each choose a bedroom and settle in for the evening. Each student received a pail with Cape Cod treats and workshop information on their arrival (a sweet play on the overnight guest bags often seen at the weddings we photograph).

We spent the early evening getting to know one another on the back deck as J played grill master and treated us all to some yummy burgers and dogs and other summer favorites like cole slaw, watermelon and make-your-own sundaes.

Later, we moved into the main house for some brief presentations on how to better prepare for the week (by me), a general Q & A (by Tyler) and the history of photojournalism (by Greg). Late night, the teams separated to have a more focused chat on individual strengths and weaknesses, and goals for the week. And then the staff reassembled to divvy up the assignments to the student whose self-described needs best matched each assignment.

After going to bed after 2a, things got rolling very early Monday morning with several students leaving for their assignments before the sun was up (lobster men start their day at 5a, as does the homemade ice cream production at a landmark Cape Cod ice cream shoppe). Students departed the rest of the morning in staggered patterns, first filling up on bacon & eggs & shared anxieties with those who gathered to fuel up for breakfast.

Mentors spent the entire day driving the length of the Cape to pay visits to students at their assignments… summer camp, a wildlife animal rehabilitation facility, classic baseball game, historic P-town lighthouse, and even a nudist campground (where the student was only allowed if he participated… something we knew in advance and had to carefully handpick a student who might be up for this sort of experience. The student, Eric, was immediately enthusiastic about the opportunity and has been doing an amazing job!).

Like in the morning, students rolled back to the house in stages and the out loud critiques began with each team. This is an excruciating process for those who have never had someone else look at their work, frame by frame, and dissect every choice you made as a photographer in capturing those images. There weren’t any tears, but there were many “aha” moments as students- sometimes not even those whose work was displayed on the screen- increased their knowledge of composition, lighting, lens choice, exposure and when exactly to release the shutter to capture the best moment. It was intense! And again, a late night. One group didn’t end until after 4a.

(A daytime editing session:)

The process will repeat itself again tonight and then tomorrow, before assembling a final edit for slideshow and newspaper mock design on Thursday. It’s challenging to operate on so little sleep, but the energy of the group is contagious and I really think everyone is gaining more than they imagined from the experience already. I know I am!

J is here as a participant and is doing so well! He has an assignment to cover a lighthouse keeper’s house that is available for families to rent during the summer. Tonight, he’s going the extra mile and staying overnight with the family to get a sunrise image tomorrow. Tyler snapped this sweet image of me (on the phone checking in with one of the mentors) as J heads out this morning.

More soon! Now that everything is flowing smoothly I can concentrate more on taking lots of images of our retreat experience.

It’s hard to believe it’s actually here, but my Roots Workshop starts today! J and I are on our way to Cape Cod to greet everyone as they arrive for the week this afternoon at our workshop house. Check the blog for updates and photos throughout the week! It’s going to be insanely busy, but hugely fun! I will return phone calls and emails whenever possible.