The summer after I graduated college, I attended my very first photography workshop! I attended hundreds of others at Heck Yeah Photo Camp, hosted by Ben Sasso & Katch Silva, in the beautiful Joshua Tree National Park. This was a 3-4 day workshop hosted at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, in the middle of the desert, in the middle of August. Was it hot, you ask? Why yes, yes it was.
This trip was also my first time flying alone on a plane and, admittedly, my mental health was also in the worst state it’s ever been in. But, I gathered up all the courage I had left, and I headed out on this incredible journey. Upon arriving at the retreat center and after checking in, I had some time to wander and explore. The very first picture here, is one of the first things I stumbled upon during my little exploration of the surrounding area. A rock in the shape of a heart, painted red. In a time when I was freaking out about my future, that was just the symbol I needed to know that I was in the right place, everything was going to be okay, and pursuing my passion is what I needed to do.
The following morning, we all got up before the sunrise and headed into the heart of Joshua Tree National Park for some sunrise adventures and photos. During the drive it was still pitch black, and I could hardly see anything. Finally, we arrived at our destination, and I saw all the incredible boulders and trees that make up Joshua Tree’s beauty. We all climbed up the giant boulders together in the light just before sunrise, and proceeded to capture amazing portraits while the sun was rising. I have never seen such beauty in my life before. I’m pretty sure I shed a few tears.
The rest of the workshop centered around several presentations during the hottest part of the day, and then free time to take photos during the evenings. I got to meet and see presentations from some of my favorite photographers, including Ben Sasso & Katch Silva, Sara Byrne, Jose Villa, Sean Flanigan, Jordan Voth, Phil Chester, Ryan Longnecker, Ryan Muirhead, Ed Peers, Stephanie Williams, and Sam Hurd. Ben, Katch, Sara, Jordan, and Phil all have the style of photography that I try to model within my own work, and getting to meet them and hear them speak was incredible. I’d say that Ryan Muirhead was the most impactful speaker to me though, talking about his own personal struggles and how he uses photography to cope with emotional pain. I was one of several people who had to step out at the end of his talk with tears in their eyes to regroup.
The last day of the workshop, they gave us the opportunity to put everything we learned into practice. They had several models and couples set up and styled for everyone to photograph. This was one of my favorite parts, as the place, people, styling, and lighting were all magical. This was a good time to interact and chat with any of the speakers too! Very helpful to realize that even our biggest inspirations and idols are people just like us. Overall, this whole experience was incredible, and everything that I imagined it to be! It helped jump start my own healing process, and encouraged me that photography was a career that I could indeed pursue and succeed in, with a lot of hard work. It also made me fall in love with the desert.
