I think that a lot of us on the trip changed our view of a few of these people, some for the worse (one was very surprising for a lot of us) and some for the better... Jeff is actually a pretty nice guy!
Names?
Cheers,
Bernard
I'll not name names. Doing so wouldn't contribute positively to this conversation. However, I'll share my thoughts:
I knew none of these folks personally before this trip, except for a very few email exchanges with Michael and Chris. Of course, I've seen the videos and Web sites so I had some idea of who at least some of these people are.
I found the personalities quite varied, more so than I expected. Some are quite contemplative, others boisterous. Some are reserved, others anything but. Some of the language I found cruder than I felt necessary, but that's not something that bothers me. I found their photographic skills amazing, and, for this amateur, a bit intimidating. However, when approached all the instructors were willing and eager to talk, help, guide, and share.
There's tension among the instructors, and I mean that in a positive way. Their approaches differ, what they value in a photograph differs, hot they edit differs, and their audience differs. In most cases they celebrated those differences, even highlighting them. For example, some of them work quickly, both with a camera and during post-processing, while others' pace is much more deliberate. Sure, they needled each other, but in the way old friends continue a long running discussion both sides know will go on forever. For me seeing the differences was part of the value of living among these professionals for a brief two weeks.
The portfolio review I found enlightening, useful, and a pleasure. And yes, positive in the sense that I better understand where I need to focus on improving.
I really enjoyed being around everyone, and that includes
all the instructors and attendees. I strongly expect this is a common feeling among everyone on the cruise.
If I can afford it, and Michael does another polar cruise, I'd go again in an instant. I'd go on another Quark cruise, but with significantly different expectations from a photography point of view.
Bob
