Having just returned from a workshop in the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side, I posted a few images on FB with the caption "from my tripod therapy trip...". One of me friends loved the tripod therapy comment giving me the impetus for this post. I did not coin the phrase Tripod Therapy, I saw it somewhere on the inter-web.

I've been doing photographic workshops since 2003 when I was armed with a 5 mp Minolta D7i. That first one took place on the Olympic peninsula centered around Olympic National Park. The Minolta was an oddity as it was the only digital camera attending and its owner was a noob at this type of event. Needless to say the lads at Natureworkshops were kind and very instructional and my creativity took a major leap forward. Since I've taken 5 other workshops from different leaders. Kinda hooked on the workshop scene.

Surfing the workshop scene you'll find every type of content specific theme and a world of locations in which to have your experience. This is what draws my attention, that and the galleries posted by the attendees. This says worlds about the leaders knowledge of the locations and how best to shoot in them. This last workshop was awesome for several reasons. The location being near the top of the list. It was small, four participants and it offered critiques everyday, and all togs contributed. The participants can vary from 4-8 or occasionally 12.

Don't expect it to be a vacation. Two mornings we rose at 4:15 for sunrise locations. Hit one and the other was a bust, shift happens. One morning we slept in til 6:30. Then there is the morning we're on the trail at 5:50 and it starts out with a half mile up hill schlog, on one cup of hotel coffee, lol. Therapy always expects a wee bit more from ya! But then you step into that moment and hear the falls roaring, see the leafs rustling from the invisible current that is generated by the force of the falls, and you know this is your happy place. Break out the tripod, camera, shoot and absorb. And when you've finished your image making for this spot, the hike out awaits you and its on to the next location. Then back to base for some processing and critique's and maybe a nap, haha.

The therapy then continues upon returning to the keep. After 3 1/2 days of shooting 2147 images make it into their own Lightroom Catalog and the fun begins. Rating, rejecting, correcting, separating, and processing. You end up with a whole new gallery on the website and the dilema of which ones to print.

This holistic approach to tripod therapy is what makes it something to which I look forward. It just gets everything flowing and synched up again. There are many good workshops out there to help with your therapy session. If you've never attend one I highly recommend them. Start locally and see what ya think. When I get my f-stop and iso confused and live view can't show a clear image its time for some tripod therapy! And this recent one courtesy of Rod Barbee Workshops was just what the Professor ordered. The Gallery from this therapy session.