Final: Visual Journalism

Jump in with Jo

This past weekend I got the opportunity to go to my very first photography workshop. The photographer that hosted it is my all time favorite photographer and the one that I look up to the most in the industry: Jo Johnson.

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⁣WORKSHOP 🎉 it’s officially happening and I couldn’t be more excited to be teaching a two-day course this December!⠀ ⠀ We’re going to talk shooting, posing, editing, attracting the right client, pricing, marketing yourself, social media, and so much more! Plus, lots of hands on practice, styled wedding scapes by @natashagates and florals by @zuzuspetalsandgifts! You’ll have the opportunity to connect with other photographers and make all the new friends too!⠀ ⠀ I can’t wait!!! I cant wait!!! ⠀ Maybe we’ll even giveaway a seat, what do you think?

A post shared by Jo Johnson (@jojohnsonphoto) on Oct 2, 2019 at 10:03am PDT

First, I need to back up and write about how I even got to this place. So a few months ago, Jo posted that she was going to host a photography workshop. She even polled her followers to see if everyone would prefer a one day or a two day workshop. I remember voting for a two day workshop because I figured I wouldn't be able to afford to go if it were more than one day.

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⁣contest closed // WORKSHOP IS OFFICIALLY LIVE! Woohoo! Link to sign up is in my story! Anddddd we’re giving away a seat 🌟 who wants it?⠀ ⠀ Tell me your story and why this seat should be yours in the comments below! I’m leaving it up to you all who gets the seat so don’t forget to like your favorite comment. Comment with the most likes by Wednesday night will be our giveaway winner!

A post shared by Jo Johnson (@jojohnsonphoto) on Oct 6, 2019 at 5:39pm PDT

A little while later, Jo posted that sign up for the workshop was live and that people could begin to sign up. I remember seeing that the cost to sign up for the workshop was roughly $1000. No way I could go. Fast forward a few weeks and Jo posted that she was going to give away a free seat at the workshop. I got really excited, but I didn't figure I had a chance because I figured she would draw a random name and that the odds were against me to win. But the way to win the seat ended up being whoever's comment on her post got the most likes, they won the seat. So I got on her post, wrote a comment on why I really wanted to go, and posted it. I sent the post to a few of my friends so they would like my comment for me but didn't really think much about it from there.

Well, it ended up that all of my friends sent it to their friends who sent it to their friends to like it. Pretty soon, SAU's entire campus (it seemed) knew about it and were sending it to everyone they knew to like my comment! 

It ended up being really close but after 3 days, I ended up with over 400 likes on my comment and I ended up winning the free seat in the workshop! All of my friends and even people I didn't know very well were reaching out to me and telling me that they liked my comment and were really excited for me and wanted me to win so I could go and learn.

The workshop finally arrived this past week and it was December 8-9, 2019.  It was hosted in Fayetteville, Arkansas at the Osage House wedding venue. It lasted two days and I got to participate in and shoot several styled shoots included wedding shoots, couples shoots, an in-home shoot, and bridal shoots. I also got to learn a lot about marketing myself and my business, pricing myself, and so much more.

Picture I took of Savannah Skidmore, former Miss Arkansas and former Miss USA 

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Had an unbelievably good time at @jojohnsonphoto’s workshop this weekend! Learned so much, met some really cool photogs, & came away with some pretty pictures. • • Can’t wait to keep learning + growing! Thanks so much for this opportunity, Jo! And @natashamgates for the fantastic job she did planning the whole event 💗

A post shared by Katie Graham (@katiegrahamphoto) on Dec 9, 2019 at 5:06pm PST

I came away with a lot of beautiful pictures that I will get to keep in my portfolio and I'm so excited to share them and to continue pursuing this career path of mine that I have been pursuing for so many years. I also got to really network and meet a bunch of other creative photographers this weekend too that will be new friends and connections across the state and the country. 

Jo Johnson & me at the workshop

The full recap of the weekend is here: 

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A full recap...post with all the feels coming soon, I have no doubt. The best two days. Thank you, @daveandacamera, for the INSANELY amazing video!

A post shared by Jo Johnson (@jojohnsonphoto) on Dec 9, 2019 at 3:30pm PST

The icing on the cake for me though is when my boyfriend of 6 years surprised me in the middle of photoshoots and got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I was so stunned and excited! I really had no words, but looking back now, he planned it out so well. He got my favorite photographer to shoot his proposal and also surprised me at a beautiful place for it. It was the perfect ending to the weekend.