In 2017, I participated in the Snap Camp wedding photography workshop organized by Snap Studio in Kawkowo, Masuria. The workshop was led by Marcin Kontraktewicz and Nat Kontraktewicz. These were two intensive days in terms of photography not only technically, but also mentally and business-wise. By the way, at such a long workshop, in a rather narrow circle of participants, you can make new friends and business contacts. The Snap Camp workshop can be considered, as a vacation, which is intertwined with the theme of photography.
Kawkowo in Masuria
Kawkowo is a beautiful place that consists of an old country house with as many as 10 rooms, 4 bathrooms yet many other rooms. The owners, who were responsible for our stay, prepared for us not only a space for study, practice and relaxation, but also wonderful local specialties.
Photos from the workshop
I have the impression that a lot of people come to photography workshops to expand their portfolio with photos from the workshops. For me, it’s a big zonk if this is their main source of promotion, because we have two problems here. The first is that these aren’t actually our photos that we put our all into. What I mean is that someone chose the location, the time, the styling for the shoot for us, chose the models and even set them up. In such a wonderful place as Kawkowo, the photos make themselves. The other issue is if 5-10 people come up with the same idea, and then a couple looking for a photographer for their wedding sees similar photos on several different sites, they will think something is wrong.
To deviate a bit from this scheme. I decided to shoot the entire day of the workshop, with one 50mm f/1.4 lens and only in black and white, to get a little peek into the backstory, which was just as interesting as the styled sessions. Of course, I also took some photos, from the workshop part, also in a similar atmosphere. However, with the flare photos, I left some color.
Don’t copy
He doesn’t want to give away the program of the workshop, but one of the things I learned from it is precisely not to copy other people’s ideas, because our photography will never stand out. Hundreds of photographers, nowadays, take such similar pictures that are hard to differ from each other, because they are done according to some fashion, like lately doing everything in orange. And the worst part is when someone still signs it as natural wedding photography, and the only colors that are in the photos all year round are yellow, orange, brown and the famous pale greens.
Such pictures remind me of the situation in the cell phone market, where one manufacturer copies shapes and patents from another. Some go even further and also copy the colors, typography and promotion of their products. By which the only thing that distinguishes them is their price and promotion budget. Because of which people can no longer distinguish them and, despite great promotion, after time they forget about them and in 2 years they choose another manufacturer.
