“On a dark desert highway cool wind in my hair” Eagles 1977

In February of this year I headed down from LA towards Palm Springs for my Dare Experience!!!!

I’ve been an admirer and follower of Gary Lashmar’s amazing photography for a long while, not only that, but I sensed that there was something a bit different about him and his approach to photography….and possibly life, this intrigued me.

I’m pretty much a self taught photographer. However, I continually research art, photography, skills, techniques….less so other photographers work strangely enough….always looking to learn and improve my thinking, creativity, my whole philosophy towards my work.

I had been noticing that over the last year or so, Gary had started to run some workshops, but it wasn’t until he advertised that he was running the Dare workshop in Palm Springs that it really got my attention…..well why wouldn’t it, February in 90 degree heat….seemed a shame not to go ☺

So what is Dare and what was my experience of it?
I went there looking to learn and embrace new experiences, pick up some golden little nuggets that would make me a better photographer, make new friends, learn from them…..all of that good safe stuff.

What did I leave with?….WOW, where do I start!!!!….
In no particular order (and I could go on), just as it comes to me writing this…..
• An energy for my photography brought back to the surface, slapped square in the face and in the centre of my mind.
• A refocusing of my core beliefs and values….of me and life itself
• An awakening to the kind of artist that I strive to be
• A willingness to abandon the conventional
• Boring but…..using my camera in a completely different way
• Not being afraid of breaking the photography rules
• Bringing myself back to being in the moment, right there, right now….always!!!
• And I did leave having made some amazing new friendships with people from all over the world….having shared some incredible, open moments in a way that I have never experienced in my life.

Dare is most definitely not a “painting by numbers” photography course….what it does do, is open up your mind to you, life and your photography.

Till next time…..stay well.

Tommy x