What I've learned from JaG

Ok, so as most of you know, I have been participating in a game called JaG. It stands for Jarvie's Awesome Game. It started a couple of weeks ago on facebook. It is a chance to win a spot in a workshop that Jarvie Digital is going to hold. I have been BEGGING Sam to let me go to a workshop, but his response is always the same "I'm sorry, but it costs too much". Which is true most of the time. Especially the ones that I want to go to. Well, this was the perfect opportunity. I would EARN my way into the workshop, which is what he was doing. By doing various things on Facebook, Twitter, my blog, and everything I could earn points to go towards being in this workshop. HOOK ME UP! I was excited! FINALLY, something I might be able to do! So I have been trying to do everything to get points. What I wasn't expecting, was everything I was going to learn along the way...

- I was able to go through a lot of their old blog posts and see how he has changed over the years. How he has gone from no flash, to using flash in a very tasteful awesome way. And see that improvement happens. And it could happen for me. Haha.

- I was lucky enough to be able to go photograph a bride and groom with him one night during the weeks. I learned how to interact with people, how important it is to really connect to what you are photographing. And not just be the one there to take their pictures. How to get genuine smiles out of them, how to position them best for the lighting. How to create lighting on them while keeping everything else in the picture great. We shot in the sunset, something that I have NEVER done, unless I'm photographing the sunset! I learned a lot on what a simple flash could do.

- I swore when I started that I would NEVER use flash! I think I said this because I was afraid of it. It was something that I wasn't ready to tackle. Too technical, more equipment, and just plain harder to deal with. I didn't feel like I could ever pull it off without it looking really dumb, or not professional. I learned that sometimes, things call for it, and if it is done RIGHT, it turns out great, and if you know how to do it right, can increase your level of photography. It made me want to go out and buy a second flash and softbox. LOL.

- I have learned a lot about myself. I have been going back and forth for a while on if this is something that I wanted to pursue. I mean, I have been doing it for a couple of years and am NO WHERE NEAR where I wanted to be with this. SO I have been debating about just putting it on the backburner, and not doing anything with it. With doing this game, came my DESIRE to learn more, to do more, and to have fun again. I am happiest behind a camera. And this has put that fire back under my butt to push to be a photographer. It's what I want to do, I can make it happen. It makes me want to learn, it has made me want to go out and shoot, and not be afraid to try new things, which is why I want to get in this workshop so bad. What better way to learn than to spend a day learning from the best?

- I gained a friend. I love friends. There have only been a couple of photographers that I know that have opened their arms and have actually befriended me. Some of them don't want anything to do with you, and will actually push you away because they don't want to teach you anything, because they are afraid of competition. Scott actually has become like a friend. I think it's awesome.

Those are a few things that I have learned from doing this contest. And all we can do is hope that at the end of the day, I hopefully have a spot in it! Thanks Scott for the awesome game, and the awesome opportunity. And thank you for putting up with me. :o) I don't look at this as the end, I look at it as a fun beginning. LOL.