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The month of October for me was bookended by two entirely different photography workshops. A few weeks ago I posted about the Eddie Adams Workshop, a photojournalism mecca where reality, observation, timeliness and documentation are essential. The polar opposite would then be an emphasis on creation, illusion, and trickery. And, for that, I chose to attend a one-day levitation workshop in Los Angeles with Natalie and Brooke.

Levitation is not a new subject for me; but levitation without jumping? Movement in low, all natural light? Definitely new. And definitely inspiring. The experience reminded me of my college days as a print journalism major who realized too late that I would have fit in much better as a creative writing or radio/tv/film major. One of the highlights of college was definitely the insane amount of hours I spent with three RTVF majors recreating the depths of Dante’s Inferno for a multimedia journey through hell.

Truth or fiction? I appreciate both sides of the coin as far as photography goes. Neither (when good) is easy. They both require patience, vision, and a skill for storytelling. The primary lesson I learned from both workshops is that when the photographer feels something, it will come out in the pictures. In New York, I felt like someone socked me in the emotional gut almost the entire time that I was shooting pictures of a man who simply and clearly wants to die. And while the image above was not created wholly in camera, it wasn’t until l actually felt discombobulated looking at it that I sensed it was heading where I wanted it to go.

What do you think? Do you feel anything when you look at it?