Amy & Jordan Workshop

Well, we already have a top contender for highlight of the year right here! We can’t say enough about Amy & Jordan’s fabulous workshop! If you’re a photographer, go here and sign up to be at the next one. You will not, we repeat, will not regret it.

We love to learn. It seems like the further we get from our school days (we have been done for 3 years now) the more we have a desire to learn.

Back in September we had the privilege of having our photos taken by our friends Amy & Jordan. That was a life-changing experience for us. So when they told us they were going to be having their first ever workshop, we were all in! We got 2 of the coveted spots that sold out within 15 minutes of the registration going live! In fact, because it sold out so fast, they even made a second week available. And that one sold out too! So we are so thankful that we got to be a part of the first ever group of A & J Workshop attendees. What a great group it was (and still is)!

We decided a few months before the trip that we were going to make the very most of the experience that we possibly could. And so we put out to the group a suggestion that we take a road trip before the workshop started. Several of our fellow attendees had some great ideas of what we needed to see, but we landed on a trip to see the gorgeous Sedona. We drove 2 hours there with our little group and 2 hours back just to see it, but it was worth every second! Not only did we get to see some of the most gorgeous landscapes that Arizona has to offer, but we also got 4 hours of fellowship time in the car with our new friends. Totally worth it!!! And of course, while we were there, we did what groups of photographers do when they’re together: take pictures! Sedona we love you. Thanks to Tina, Ryann, Andrea, and John (he drove us for 4 hours and he wasn’t even part of the workshop!) for an amazing introduction to your beautiful state!

Right when we got back from our scenic drive through the countryside of Arizona, we got to meet all of our fellow workshoppers (probably not a word, but now it is) and they instantly became our newest friends. Alyssa had a sweet reunion with Amy. It’s hard to believe we had only met them once before. We feel like we have known them for forever!

Ice cream was the dessert of choice. It’s actually really hard to eat ice cream with someone and not become instant friends. We dare you to try it. We also drank lots of water. We found out very quickly that, when in Arizona, one must drink copious amounts of water. But what if you’re inside all day? Nope. Doesn’t matter. But you won’t hear us complaining! We absolutely loved the weather!

We all shared our names, where we were from, and, by Jordan’s request, what animal we would be if we were an animal. We had people from Washington, Alabama and even Canada! Of course, we repped the East coast from beautiful G’ville. I think we all knew, in that very moment, that we were in for something incredibly special. We had broken the ice. It was time to get a good night’s sleep and get our game faces on. And that we did.

The next morning we were set and ready for Day 1 of the workshop. We were greeted with goodie bags and Amy & Jordan’s top secret playbook. We are still 7-year-olds at heart so that was pretty exciting for us. What can we say?

We spent the first part of Day 1 writing frantically in our books. We all wanted to glean every bit of knowledge we could from these 2 important days. Amy & Jordan did more than teach us. They entertained us. That’s one thing that we were definitely reminded of as we listened. We see photography as more than taking pretty photos. Our couples deserve more than that. They deserve to have a good time! We want their experience to be fun. And Amy & Jordan have a way of making everything fun. They even demonstrated posing for us so that we could see it in person. That may have been Jordan’s favorite part of the whole workshop right there!

After lunch on day 1 (we had In-N-Out Burger for the first time ever – delicious!), Amy & Jordan showed us the things we had learned so far by doing them live in action! They had an amazing styled shoot prepared for us with details and live models. Alyssa loved watching Amy shoot details by using a chair to get the best angles. #shortgirlhacks.

There were 16 attendees so getting the perfect shoot with 15 other cameras around can be difficult. But one thing that touched us was how gracious and kind everyone was in making sure that everyone else got exactly what they needed. There were no egos in this workshop. That just made it so much more fun!

After the styled shoot we settled into our seats for another round of teaching. The workshop ran from 9:30am straight through to 8:00pm with basically no breaks. Even when we stopped for meals, Amy & Jordan were still answering our questions the whole time. We don’t think they even slept for 3 straight days. That kind of care and concern for others is inspiring!

After another solid night of sleep (although we had a lot to think about after learning for 10 straight hours on Day 1) we were back and ready for Day 2! To be honest, we always felt like Day 2 was going be our thing. Day 2 was all about business. We are always interested to see how other photographers run their business and so we were super excited. Amy & Jordan did not disappoint.

The first photo you see below was one of our favorite moments. We probably couldn’t even tell you the exact point they were trying make at this moment. But Amy was talking about all of their past brides (seen in the photo) and she had to stop mid-sentence because she got choked up just talking about them. Jordan had to take over. Wow. That really moved us. Just to see how much they love and care for their couples was truly worth the price of the workshop to us. This business of wedding photography, for us, is all about people. People matter more than money or beautiful images. As long as we keep that in mind, we will always stay true to our mission of helping and loving our couples.

After lunch, Amy & Jordan did head shots for everyone at the workshop. We made sure to get our picture with the other husband and wife team that we fell in love with so quickly, Eric & Jamie. They are the sweetest couple from Alabama! We will see them again soon, no doubt.

The workshop would not be complete without getting our photo with Amy & Jordan. They have meant so much to us in the last year and we would not be where we are without them. And, of course, we had to get a guys photo. Eric and Ryan were the inaugural class of #ajworkshopguys. And we wrapped it up with a big group photo of all of us!

We found out that when you’re in Arizona, you tend to want to remain in Arizona. It’s so beautiful! Our flight didn’t leave the next day until the afternoon so we got to spend the morning in Old Town Scottsdale. So gorgeous!

Alyssa’s one request on the whole trip was to get a photo with a cactus. So after much searching, we finally found the perfect one!

Wow! What a ride! Arizona, we will always love you. You have captured our hearts. We love your beautiful scenery and wide open landscapes. To our fellow-attendees and new-found friends, we can’t thank you enough for the impact you had on us. No doubt we will meet again soon. We love you all. And to Amy & Jordan, what can we say? We thank the Lord for bringing you into our lives and for the amazing things we have learned from you. You will never know what an impact you have had on us. We may never be able to repay you. But thank you from the bottom of our Greenville, South Carolina southern hearts. We will meet again soon. These are memories that will stay with us forever.