I’ve been on my photography business journey for nearly 4 years now. What I’ve noticed is that when amazing opportunities land in your lap, you shouldn’t question why or be too surprised that it’s come about. All your hard work is always being noticed. Whether you’re getting the credit, likes, shares or tags at the time. People are always watching, learning, loving and being inspired by you and your work from afar. So expect the opportunities to come…
And so it was the case when I received when I was asked to curate and host a workshop for FUJIFILM INSTAX taking place at the iconic FUJIFILM House of Photography in Covent Garden, London. The focal point of the workshop was to highlight the release of their new product: Instax Square Link. An amazing bluetooth printer creating INSTAX square prints from images on your phone.
I’ve been a longstanding fan of INSTAX for as long as I can remember. From being selected to be part of their 1of1 campaign in 2016, to documenting my entire pregnancy using my INSTAX camera. The brand has been a huge part of my journey both personally and professionally. It was truly an honour to represent them as a Workshop Curator.
The Workshop
I decided to use parts of my journey to create different sets for the workshop attendees. The initial catalyst for The Little Pop-Up Studio was originally different themes based around children’s imaginations. I chose idyllic names for themes, such as ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ and ‘Rainbow Land’ with handmade and sensory props to bring the names to life. See below the images from 2019, where it all began:
Similarly, I chose different themes for the workshop. Styling sets and choosing and designing various props and everyday items to use and become creative with for portrait photography. My intention was for attendees to experiment with what props they had, as well as encourage them to think about how they would capture their portraits. Whether it be through movement, perspective, shadows etc.
Not only did I want to challenge the way the attendees approached taking images, but also the way in which images could be displayed and gifted (just in time for Christmas!) Each attendee was gifted frames, magnets and wallet albums for them to display their INSTAX prints in too.
The Final Product
The workshop was a huge success! With attendees spending time at each themed station to capture themselves and each other in new and interesting ways, as well as learning how to use the instant printer effectively.
I enjoyed teaching photography in a hands-on and creative approach. Demonstrating exactly how to get the image you want and even how to edit them on your phone effectively. It was better than talking to people to boredom with elaborate theories and techniques, which was much the way I was taught during in University. It felt good to teach in a style that felt natural and engaging. As result, the whole day and the build up to it was thoroughly enjoyable.
More workshops in 2023 please!
