What Makes a Workshop Worth It (and What Makes It a Waste of Time)

I am currently halfway through writing my next book, about facing the anxieties and fear of portraiture and overcoming that through workshops. It then stuck me that I had not considered or answered the question: ‘What makes a good workshop’?

As I started exploring this question and drafting material for the book I realised I could make a blog post about the idea so I could share something with you long before the book is finished.

Importantly the concepts within this, as with my book, do not just apply to photography.

Anyway here we go:

Not all workshops are created equal.

They are supposed to help us grow. By providing structured environments where you invest time, energy, and money to improve a skill; whether that’s photography, painting, writing, or any other creative or professional pursuit.

Some workshops change the game. Others feel like a glorified day out.

The difference usually comes down to one thing: did it challenge you? Did it make you better?

It’s not meant to be easy. In fact, if it was easy, it probably wasn’t a workshop — it was a social hangout masquerading as self-improvement.

There’s nothing wrong with attending something to socialise or simply have fun. I’ve seen and known plenty of photographers do that on workshops. If it’s an active choice that’s fine. Just as long as there’s no illusion this is what it’s for.

The Work in Workshop

The clue’s in the name. “Workshop” implies work — not rest, not vibes, not just having a laugh. And yet I’ve seen people attend workshop after workshop without really doing the thing they claim they want to improve at.

They talk about wanting to get better. They moan about how they wish they had more confidence or more skill. They dissect and debate and dream. But they don’t get stuck in. They don’t push themselves out of the safe zone.

You don’t improve by thinking about photography, or talking about creativity. You improve by doing it.

And sometimes, that means doing things you don’t like.

Growth Doesn’t Always Look Like Fun

For the longest time, I hated studios. I found them cold, uninspiring, and overly technical. My heart was always in natural light and outdoor locations.

But guess what? I’ve now done more studio-based workshops than natural light ones.

Why? Because I knew I needed to get better at them. Because part of levelling up meant going straight towards the thing I avoided, and learning to master it.

If you’re only doing workshops within your comfort zone, you’re not growing.

There’s a sweet spot I try to aim for when picking workshops: they should feel just uncomfortable enough to be a challenge, without being so intimidating they feel impossible. Growth begins at the end of your comfort zone.

How to Pick a Good Workshop

If you’re trying to figure out which workshops are actually worth your time, here’s what I’d look out for:

• The right level of discomfort. You should feel slightly nervous going in — that’s a sign it’ll push you. But not paralysed with fear. It should stretch you, not snap you.

• Group size. The more people, the less personal feedback. For photography, I find four participants is the sweet spot. If you can afford a 1:1 session, go for it, they’re worth their weight in gold.

• Mentor skill ≠ teaching skill. Just because someone’s good at what they do doesn’t mean they’re good at teaching it. I’ve seen world-class engineers be terrible mentors, and average ones be excellent. Same goes for photographers. Do your research. Read reviews. Watch interviews or podcasts if you can. Don’t just admire their portfolio, assess their ability to communicate.

• Look for learning, not entertainment. A fun day is great, but did you leave with new techniques, new confidence, or a new mindset? If not, it might have been a nice time, but not a useful one.

Final Thought

If you want to get better, you’ve got to put the work in. That doesn’t mean suffering, but it does mean showing up with intention. It means doing the hard stuff. The boring stuff. The scary stuff.

Workshops aren’t magic. They don’t do the work for you.

But the right one — at the right time, with the right mentor — can be a catalyst. They can turn a corner you’ve been stuck on for years. They can reveal what you’re truly capable of.

Just remember: improvement doesn’t always feel good in the moment. But it always feels worth it in the end.