Hannah's Testimony

When I was given an opportunity to join Glenn’s photography workshop in Japan, I had no idea what I would have to do and what would be the outcome of it. Little did I know that I would gain so much from it, even though I missed out on half of the journey due to other commitments. 

I had no training prior to this workshop. Most of what I knew about taking pictures came directly from my own experiments with my camera, as a hobby. The rest came from watching some tutorial videos on Youtube. I didn’t even know what composition means or what exposure consists of. That’s why when Glenn first talked to us about what were expected of us, I was seriously worried that I would “fail the class” because it all seemed so artistic and abstract to me. But things changed quickly once we get on site and get in actions. Glenn is a great teacher.  His guidance is not focused on the technical aspects of the camera, but more on what your eyes see and what your mind interprets. And then he shows how you can capture that image exactly the way you want it. This had a big impact on my approach to photography. I became more aware of the world around me, more observant to special details that make a subject stand out from the crowd. And finally I learned the importance of composition and exposure, in a way that I can understand it and practice it. It’s like creating my own arts, a fantastic experience. 

Our Ambient Japan group is small but diverse, with different nationality, varying life experience and photography skills. Glenn managed to spend quality time teaching us individually as well as bring out the best dynamic of the whole group together. I also learned a lot from shooting along side with my companions. It’s really interesting to see how the same things look so different through others’ eyes.  I’m honored to have shared this experience with them and so grateful to have them in my life as my new friends. We all like to do this again in the future. I would totally join another workshop if the opportunity arises. 

A little background on me (photography wise): I’m a non-trained, novice, amateur photographer. I shoot Nikon D7000, 35mm 1:8, 105mm 2:8 and Tokina 11-16mm 2:8. I like to take pictures of people, old houses and tiny creatures in nature.