STORIES. WE ALL HAVE ONE.
Someone send a runner
Through the weather that I'm under
For the feeling that I lost today
Someone send a runner
For the feeling that I lost today
You must be somewhere in London
You must be loving your life in the rain
You must be somewhere in London
Walking merrily
-the national
"I knew i would get a glimpse into how she saw the world through her camera, but the most valuable takeaway was Yan's voice in my ear, encouraging me to see everything my own way." -Ashley Kelemen
Dear anyone who's ever thought about coming to my workshop,
Sometimes i think the workshop is pretty damn special, and sometimes i think, what's the point? no one literally needs a "workshop."
we can all teach ourselves by just doing the work.
Sometimes i lose sleep over the fear, "oh no, "ive become a workshop teacher, not a photographer." which is why i'm going to try like crazy to book sessions in every city i visit (but i'll talk about that more in my next post, sit tight and watch for that one tomorrow)
The thing is that every time i'm able to get over myself, hush that annoying inner voice of self doubt, so that i can throw myself into teaching, something special actually does seem to happen -- i truly feel like i help---i know i i try my hardest, i genuinely care, and the people who come really do appear to benefit.
I know this, because they tell me. Although, to be fair, i'm sure the ones who don't politely keep their mouths shut.
The point is, i'm having another go at it in 2015. I don't know if i'll keep teaching them forever or not. some cities fill up crazy fast and i cry tears of joy--- and some cities don't always fill and i cry tears of...not joy.
please read all those words on the promo pic to get an idea of what's covered, as well as go through the faq's. and if you want to save $50, sign up before jan 3o, by clicking one of the links below.
warmly, nervously, warmly nervous?
ew,
yan
f.a.q.'s
how long is this thing?
the workshop is one day only from 9-6 and includes a one hour shooting period in the afternoon. usually the day is wrapped with a non mandatory, informal dinner which spouses are welcome, dare i say encouraged to attend. i will proceed to ask over personal questions about how you met, fell in love, and what your love languages are.
what do i bring?
a laptop, or digital device to take notes with, or just a good old fashioned notebook---i meeeaaannn, i'm not fancy. a workbook with the workshop information will be provided. its full of prety pictures, made by my friends at artifact uprising and good for taking notes in. bring any camera gear you plan on shooting with during the day, and all of the questions you can think of. i find it helps to write them down ahead of time because they tend to escape the mind in the moment. silly things.
is there a shoot?
yes, at each workshop i will photograph a family and you are welcome to either observe or participate--its up to you and however you learn best
is this just for family photographers/professionals?
the majority of attendees are professionals (of all levels) and have an interest in shooting families. i would say the emphasis of the workshop is two fold: 1.how to best work with families and 2. how to identify your own unique photographic voice. you do not have to be a professional or family photographer to benefit from the latter. i have had a number of attendees who qualified as neither.
do we eat?
lunch, snacks and drinks throughout the day are complimentary, but if you're gonna hang with us at dinner, its every (wo)man for her/himself! :)
okay but where exactly?
With the exception of London, and Brisbane, for each location, I will be renting a house that the attendees are welcome to join me at to stay for a nominal additional fee of $75. you can arrive the evening before the workshop, and checkout the day after. this will likely be a shared room situation, so do not be alarmed. The location and size of the house is dependent on the number of attendees, and will be finalized 1.5 month prior to the workshop. I am also open to offers to host workshops in your home, please contact me directly photography.yan@gmail.com
does it matter if i shoot film or digital?
in short, no. i don't believe in medium discrimination! but we will spend some time discussing film, so don't hesitate with all your film questions.
but seriously yan, what makes this workshop different?
i'm gonna have to say the time and attention i spend on getting to know YOU and making sure you walk away from the workshop with what you came for. and that's on top of teaching you everything i've ever learned about family photography in one too short day. every participant gets a question sheet before they come to help me achieve this. i also clock a lot of hours pouring over each attendees portfolio to give them targeted feedback, also pre game day. i even give an assignment to be completed BEFORE the workshop tailored to specific areas of needed growth for each participant. are you getting the picture? this isn't about coming to hang for a day so you can learn how to do exactly what i do exactly how i do it, though i don't hold any of that back. rather, there is a huge emphasis on you and your own personal strengths and journey. because i care and because i want to see YOU succeed.
is this just a feeling fest?
okay okay, you caught me, there's some of that because i'm not gonna lie---i have found that life success, artistic success, even monetary success in best case scenarios is tied to honoring one's core self, and letting that drive one's endeavors. figuring out what or who the crap that is can take some work and be a little emotionally uncomfortable. but please believe me when i say that i'm not in the business of selling feelings. this workshop is an intense mix of inspiration, time tested strategy, and tangible tools that have the ability to transform your entire approach to photography and the way you run your business. my goal is to send each attendee away with at the very least, a personalized plan that makes sense for THEM.
can i get my money back?
ohhhh, the most uncomfortable question ever. i would offer refunds if i could, but its a logistical mess on my end! so, all seats once claimed are non refundable. i know, i know, life happens, things come up, we get poor, i get it. that's why i have no problem with you finding someone to "sell," your seat to, or if you are unable to attend, using your payment as a credit toward a future workshop.
when is my second payment due?
you must be paid in full at least six weeks prior to the date of the workshop you are attending.
let's do this!
CLICK HERE to guarantee your spot in one of the workshops.
in a word, toni.
one time all over the internet, i freaked out because the family i had lined up to model for my d.c. workshop got really sick and i had to scramble to find a replacement. these guys saved me. in other words i won the random internet lottery.
perhaps more impressive, is the ease and love of this family that shone through even as they were photographed with a small group of women crammed into the corners of their lovely home, watching them---with a running commentary from me, no less.
taking pictures in a family or couple's home inspires me more than any mountaintop, beach, or grassy field. don't get me wrong, i'm not going to turn a shoot down at any of those places either, but the heart and story in every corner of a home isn't really matchable in terms of meaning anywhere else. i'm not just talking about the beautiful homes like the one pictured here. please don't think that. i'm talking about houses like mine. messy, but lived in. small, a little cramped, but with pockets of light so magical they never get old. and yes yes yes, i'll take the pretty houses too if ya got em. ;) i'm traveling to a lot of cities this year to teach my workshop, and its my mission to get into as many of your homes as i can to document the stories i find there. i've held off on announcing this list of locations simply because i'm hesitant to be out of my own home so much, but when my kids are with their dad, this is what i do---i steal away into unfamiliar houses where i can feel the raw love of a family even if its not mine. :) the best part is that i get to give that experience back to you in pictures so that you can feel the beauty that isn't always obvious to us humans as we go about our day to day.
here is the list of cities and dates where i will be accepting sessions (families and couples!) in 2015
• los angeles jan 26-27
• tampa jan 29,30
• washington d.c. april 8-11 (almost completely booked)
• st. louis may 5-6
• austin may 8
• pittsburgh may 18
• nyc may 22-23
• madison july 10-11
• ann arbor july 14-15
• portland sep 11-12
• san francisco oct 9-10
• denver oct 21-23
how about an image break before we go over all the pricing information? okay? okay.
(these images were taken at my yan fam way workshop in seattle last year. the lovely and incredibly talented heather perera hosted the workshop in her home and rounded up the equally lovely and equally talented (its hard to believe, i know) katy tuttle to model with her family at home. i am forever grateful).
i've done this whole, traveling photographer thing for a few years now and have learned some heart smashing, bank account terrifying lessons along the way. but i think i've finally settled into a system that not only works for my business sense and mama heart, but also works to honor my beloved clients and give them a bit of a deal where i can. so without further ado, here is all the info you need to decide whether or not you want to book a session with me this year: