One of the things that will help you grow as a photographer and increase your enjoyment is to photograph with a friend or a small group of friends. I’ll do an article in the future on how to get the most from a photo workshop or tour, but this is like a small and informal workshop. Over the years I’ve shot with varying groups of friends, and I know it has helped me improve my photography just as I hope it has helped them. During 2020 (the year of Covid) I went on numerous trips photographing barns and rural Tennessee with groups of 1, 2, or 3 fellow photographers. In addition to helping our photography I think it helped keep us all sane and active.
One of my favorite barn shots of 2020 came from a group trip. We had a goal in mind, and a general area to explore. Most of our good shots came from just exploring backroads and keeping an eye out for good images.
While you can certainly photograph alone, and many do, there are lots of advantages to photographing with a group. It’s important to have a group of compatible photographers who enjoy working together. I also feel that a small group of four or less works best. Once that number increases beyond four, you get into having multiple vehicles, more logistical problems and it becomes more like a workshop (nothing wrong with workshops), but this is meant to be more fun and informal.
One of the biggest reasons to shoot with a group is that it forces you to get out and shoot, when you might not feel like it otherwise. Getting out of bed at 4 AM to go shoot a sunrise is hard; it’s easy (too easy) to roll over and go back to sleep. But if you have committed to meeting the group, you don’t want to feel like you’re letting them down. I can almost guarantee that some of the rest feel the same way, but for the sake of the group, they all make themselves get going too. Now think of how many times you planned a shoot by yourself, and decided it was too early, too far, too late or too boring and talked yourself out of the shoot. Now think of how many times shooting with other photographers forced you to get moving and go.
It’s not easy to force yourself out of bed at 4AM to be in position waiting for sunrise. Group motivation makes it easier; images like this make it worthwhile.
Some considerations in selecting the members of the group
Not everybody has to be at the same skill level. Within the group, everybody can learn and get ideas from all of the other photographers. Not everyone has to like all of the same subjects, but it is good if you share a core of basic interests. With that in mind, go with the group even if the shoot isn’t something that really interests you. You still may learn some new skills, or get some shots that surprise you. Pay attention to what the others are shooting. You may see subjects and viewpoints that you might have overlooked.
If others in the group shoot the same brand of equipment, it can be a great opportunity to borrow and test new equipment before investing. And someone who uses the same camera can be a great resource for learning the features and operations that you may not already know. Also on a more extended trip, shooters with the same equipment can do some preplanning to make sure there are backups for key equipment without everyone having to carry everything.
Making the outings fun and productive
Ideally everyone in the group is constantly on the lookout for good, subjects, location and weather that would make for an interesting image. Everyone does basic research, and more in depth research when the group chooses their location. I’ll say more about how to research a location in a later article. It’s important that this is a shared responsibility, so everyone shares the workload. If one person is constantly having to arrange the trips, they will feel more like an unpaid workshop leader.
I’ve mentioned several times that our photo trips almost always include food. And if I’m really honest, some of our trips are more about eating and photography is almost just an excuse to go somewhere good to eat. So finding a good place to eat is always an important part of our research for new locations.
It’s good to share and rotate driving duties, so no one is over used and abused. In our group, the unwritten rule is that on longer out of town trips, passengers kick in for gas or buy lunch. It’s also great if one person helps with navigation, so the driver can concentrate on driving. Also passengers should be looking for unplanned shots along the way. Many of my best shots came before or after reaching our main destination. Good pictures are wherever and whenever you find them. Also keep an eye out for things that might be good shots with better light or skies or at a different time of day. You may not get the shot this time, but keep it in mind for later.
After a shoot share and compare images. This can be by email, websites, or prints. It’s always interesting to see how others shot an edited the same or similar subjects.
Your group doesn’t have to be the same all of the time. The number and individual members will frequently vary. Just as variety in photography is beneficial, the different ideas and viewpoints of different group members can help spark creativity.
While there are workshops, and club fieldtrips (and they each have their strengths and advantages), I think you will really enjoy the more informal and frequent small group outings. They are more likely to get you out moving, and there is much more collective knowledge and creativity in multiple minds. In our own photography club, (PSC) I’ve seen several groups form based on interests and even where the members live. I feel this is one of the ways to get the most out of belonging to a camera club. Start small with maybe just one friend, and then gradual expand as you find like-minded photographers.
