I’ve got this idea, this thought, this desire that has been prickling in my mind lately. I want to interact with other photographers more, talk to them, learn from them, collaborate with them, be friends with them. There are a handful of lovely ladies here in Gainesville who are fellow photogs, and we’ve chatted through blogs, Facebook, e-mail, and I even had the honor of photographing a couple of them. I want to grow those relationships, share my passion for photography with these people who could easily become a wonderful part of my life.

I’ve also had the itch to style a shoot. Like, help with clothes and accessories, pick out props, maybe even hand-make some of the details…just get my creative juices flowing. This might be because I have been traveling alot this month, which means I am taking alot of photos, just not so many of people…and it’s giving me the itch. I want no-pressure photo shoot, one where it wouldn’t matter if not a single photo I took came out well, one where I can push my ideas and creativity in ways I haven’t had the guts to in a “real” shoot.

So, to sum up–I want to socialize more with other photographers, start a little community of similarly-passioned people. I also want to start shooting regularly just for me, just to be creative, just because I love it.

Maybe I should combine those two wishes, huh? So my idea is to hold a photo shoot for Gainesville photogs. Kind of like the workshops you may have seen on other photographer’s sites, but not exactly like that. For instance, I don’t plan on teaching or charging anything. I plan on relating, I plan on shooting, I plan on organizing. I just want to get photographers together for a no-pressure shoot. No cost, no nothing…just some photography fun.

What do you think? Anyone here in Gainesville interested in this crazy little idea of mine? Please leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail (wendy@anwenelizabethphotography.com) letting me know. If I get enough interest, I will totally make this happen. Oh, and seriously, there is NO skill level required…if you have ever held a camera and thought, “This is pretty fun, I’d like to take more photos,” then you are exactly who should come.

And on that note…is anyone intersted in modeling for said shoot, if I do manage to make this happen? This idea is in its infancy, so I’m not even sure if I would do one shoot with one model, or a couple in a row, or whether we would focus on one person at a time or a couple or even kids or a family. So, I’m opening up the floor for suggestions and volunteers*! If you end up modeling for one of the shoots, you will receive a disk with high res images from the shoot for you to keep…either my shots, or a collection of some from all the photogs.

I seriously, truly, definitely want any thoughts, ideas, suggestions, etc. from anyone who would be so kind to give them. I am going out on a limb here, trying something I’ve never done before, and I’m beyond excited to give it a shot. :)

*Please know that if you volunteer and I end up using someone else as a model, it wasn’t because you weren’t good enough, but merely because I ended up having a specific concept in mind that someone else just fit into. Like I said, I have no concrete ideas yet, so I have no idea how this will all play out. :) Thanks for understanding!