Jerry Ghionis Workshop Review | A Week In London | August 2012

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I’ve been a fan of Jerry Ghionis for a few years now, the best wedding photographer the world has seen in my opinion. He has the ability to craft images with such depth and emotion without looking contrived – his work is outstanding.  I always knew from the start that I’d like to attend one of his 5-day workshops however,  at £1,800 + expenses like many I went “blooming heck”.

Let’s break it down though, £1800 over 5 days  = £360 per day, discounted to £340 if your a member of Jerry’s ICE Society 

. Look around the UK and you will soon see it’s no different to many other big names, infact it’s cheaper than most.

So you wondering whether to buy that new lens right or spend the money with Jerry?, what follows is just honesty, my thoughts and whether I think he’s worth it…

So what happens over these 5 days? Overall there’s no wasted time on this course, every hour is used to it’s maximum & there’s no 9 till 5 either.  You WILL be up late, you WILL get tired but all the way through you’ll see how Jerry’s teaching methods are engaging in so many ways. He won’t paint a picture that the wedding photography industry is lined with pink fluffy clouds, he wont tell you it’s easy to be successful.  He will though show you the answers to ALL your questions, no rocks left unturned.

He’ll share his secrets, his past, his personal life and most of all he’ll dig deep into your mind and almost hide your soul  – trust me, I have met many people through my 34 years and very few of them have left such a mark.  Jerry Ghionis is more than a photographer and those 5 days will show you that being a great photographer is only one piece of the puzzle. He’ll take you up, give you the candy & then bring you down earth feeling like Mike Tyson just kicked the crap out of you in a dark alley.  It was a little surreal……..

Day 1

Myself and fellow photographer,  Neal Shaw arrived in London eagerly awaiting what lay ahead.  My first impressions on Jerry Ghionis? Damn this guys slick and cooler than a Polar Bears foot, together Jerry & Melissa just ooze style and refinement, 5 minutes in their presence you soon see their warmth towards people. I liked them straight away.  After introductions are over Jerry’s sense of humor becomes apparent, he’s a funny guy and soon puts you at ease.

From there, straight into 10 hours of classroom critique where each student was asked to supply 10 images SOOC from the same wedding and 5 images of their best.  This first process is long and by 11pm your eyes are stinging however one thing repetition provides is the “tattoo effect” – you become far more aware of what’s good/bad within an image & it’s now tattooed to the back of your eyeballs.

Day 2

Kicks off with some theory for a few hours in the morning and then off around the streets of London cameras in hand. Here’s where one of the many pennies dropped for me, Jerry shows you how to find the light in all surroundings, even that shitty overcast weather.  Let’s face it, how many of use look at the sky and think “Hmmmmm miserable grey, flat light“.  Not Jerry Ghionis, there’s always good light to use and now he shows you how.

I’m not an anorak like a Focus On Imaging photographer, all these are pulled back images.

I was pretty blown away with the next few hours and how Jerry Ghionis selects the crappiest of locations yet creates beautiful images.  From flat light, to shade, to pavements, to hard sun, to his use of reflectors he shares it all and how to use your surroundings in shaping the image.  Not just in terms of light but pose and story….

After the sun had set we all enjoyed a meal out and then carried on until midnight.  We walked up and down the streets using anything and everything, pretty cool I’d say.  No shots for that stage I’m afraid as Jerry Ghionis asked no cameras…

Day 3

Part of the previous days itinerary was each student had 10 minutes with a model to shoot some images.  We were to pick one image for critique, did we use the light? how was our posing? again all this repetition really helps you to see the problems.  After lunch it’s back out again this time around Covent Garden.

Day 4

This is the day my soul was hidden.  It was intense, deep and emotional and why it became more than just a photography workshop for me.   Why emotional? go on the course and find out.  The morning starts just like Day 3 with a critique of the second lot of images then it’s into business, albums & branding.  The information being shared on day 4 was awesome, my hand was scribbling faster than the Prime Minsters secretary.  How Jerry Ghionis sells albums, why he sells them etc.  The branding was a real eye opener for all of us I think.

I could write a whole list of topics/points about what Jerry Ghionis shared but it’s something that needs to be experienced for ones self.  As Jerry says….

“Know when to shut up”

Day 5

So here we are,  the last 4 hours of a roller-coaster week.  I woke at 5am that morning as my mind was racing, I sat drinking coffee and reflecting over many things the course had opened my eyes too.  Some fairly deep thoughts were flying around inside.  The morning was spent all about the selling & how to market – this is where the last 5 days came together and all made sense.  It was pretty amazing and Jerry shows why he’s one of the best!

Conclusion.

If your a photographer that hits your 30/40 weddings a year and believes your work is fine, great.  Maybe the course isn’t for you. Perhaps your business model is in a nice place and have no need to expand – nothing wrong with following the same route each year. If on the other hand your like me, never really satisfied with the work you do or only for a short time before you become bored, always searching for ways to create a better image, to be the best you can be through imagery, to sales, to charisma…. then it’s a no brainier.  All in all this week has cost a little under £2500 and has single handily been the best investment I could have made.  I’ve met 19 amazing fellow photographers from Czechoslovakia, Portugal, Germany, USA, Australia to the Asian community all connected through the sames dreams and aspirations. We all want to be the best version of ourselves and now feel we can be armed with better tools.

Jerry Ghionis is a great guy, he’s passionate, creative, re-invents himself all the time and pushes the boundaries while never at the expense of the craft.  His empathy with people is inspiring and gives you more than photography to think about.  He’s a life coach too. On a personal level I know my pitfalls in life and Jerry was that mirror that’s missing, he’s helped me to look at myself and given me the tools to fight my own demons.

Another important note is it’s not just Jerry Ghionis, it’s his wife Melissa too. She’s an incredible person, inspiring, warm, HOT 

and makes the Ghionis brand stronger than ever I would say.

Together, they’re on fire…………..

Don’t think or hesitate – just book and expand your mind.

The day after the course I was straight back to reality with a weekend of weddings.  Here’s a couple from the first one.

Pretty good light hey?