FIND 2.0 Business workshop 2013 dates

Just announced FIND 2.0 Business workshop with Kristen Kalp for 2013.

All info can be found here

FIND Business Workshop w/ Kristen Kalp June 20th & 21st - Portland, OR

Hey everybody. I've got some big news. You might have seen it on the FINDer's FB page, but I'm teaming up with Kristen Kalp and doing FIND 2.0 but this time around it is all about BUSINESS.

Your pricing structure, sales techniques, marketing methods and customer service skills make every bit as much difference to your bottom line as the images you create. It's business time.

FIND: Business Edition is a two-day intensive business workshop designed to get your business booming using straight-up practical techniques from Jonathan Canlas and Kristen Kalp. It takes place in Portland, Oregon on June 20 & 21, with a welcome dinner on June 19.

FIND: Business Edition includes daily presentations (Kristen prefers the term 'knowledge explosions,' but Jon just shakes his head) by both Jon and Kristen.

Here's a peek at what we'll cover:

Determining Costs + Pricing for Profit

Pricing Pitfalls that Leave Thousands on the Table

Simple Techniques for Doubling Your Average Sale

Your Guide to Attracting & Booking the Right Clients

Pajama Profits: How Jon Sold $363,280 Worth of Prints Using Online Galleries

The Obvious Choice: How to Sell Lots More of Your Favorite Package or Product

The Marketing Activities Jon Loves Most (Every Day He's Hustlin, Hustlin...)

Crafting Exceptional Client Experiences

Of course, your FIND: Business fee doesn't ONLY include knowledge (explosions). You'll receive goodies before, during, and after your time in Portland. Goodies like...

Candid answers to any Q's you can dream up for Q&A

Suggestions just for your biz from Jon & Kristen in real time – we call this The Hot Seat

A SIGNED copy of Film is Not Dead: A Digital Photographer's Guide to Shooting Film hardcover book

A copy of Twenty Bucks or Less, Kristen's guide to selling more portraits with a less-than-$20-investment

The 'Business Time' kit full of surprises upon your arrival

Welcome dinner to get your meet & greet happening on June 19th

Breakfast, lunch, and snacks on June 20th & 21st

Closing brouhaha dinner & karaoke on June 21st

FIND: Business rings in at $2,000. A $500 non-refundable retainer is required to reserve your spot, with the balance due on May 15, 2012. Please note that all payments are non-refundable – if you must cancel, you must find someone to take your spot.

To reserve now, go here :

SIGN ME UP FOR FIND 2.0 BUSINESS

NOTE, we are limiting this to 15 spots. If you are wondering about accommodations, we are renting a HUGE house where everyone will stay. Accommodations are not included, but it will be INSANELY cheap to stay at the house ($50 a night).

Drop me a line if you have any questions via jonathan@jonathancanlasphotography.com and hopefully, we'll see you in Portland!

Who's Kristen Kalp, again?

She's the author of the Brand Camp blog, as well as the co-author of Jon's real-life hardcover book.

A few insights, direct questions, acknowledgements,and (frankly) shoves from Kristen regarding Jon's business resulted in six-figure changes to his bottom line. While she's embraced her love of writing and is no longer shooting professionally, her spot-on business insights are strong enough to make her the first co-teacher accepted into the FIND family circle.

Tell me more about Jon's business, please? Is he one of those dudes who teaches more than he works?

With an average wedding sale of $8,244.84 and an average portrait sale of $1,498.69, Jon keeps proving his hustle is as big as his passion for film. Factor a few commercial gigs into those numbers – one rang in at $28,300 – and you can see why his business prowess is a force to be reckoned with. (He still says he's over-rated.)

How many weddings did he shoot last year? Like, 2?

Eighteen, my friend. Plus 26 portrait sessions all over the globe. He's a world-traveling, actively-working photographer.

Hopefully, we'll see you in Portland!!!

FIND Review from Annette Wilson - Canberra

""Settleeeee UP, you're call-in' UP, the paaaiiiin", sung Jonathan and myself in unison with Justin Vernon, as the desert scenery flashed past out the windows of my car. We were en route to Canberra, for the Film Is Not Dead workshop, travelling along the longest, straightest, most boring road imaginable. Joe was sleeping in the back seat, jet-lagged from his flight from Utah (although he was always sleeping it seemed, so maybe he's just a sleepy person), and Luisa sat in the seat behind mine- gazing out of the window, her brain assumably conjuring up something ridiculously creative.

We had been to the petrol station ('gas' station, apparently), stocked up on chicken chips ("These Australian chips taste like chicken! Real chicken!" "Gross!"- Jonathan) and were about half way to Canberra when *suddenly*, Joe awoke.

"I need to go to the bathroom!".

So, we took the next turn-off, into a little town named Marulan. Little did we know what we had in store for us there...

More than 2 hours later (the result of a car full of photographers in a new, but very old, very abandoned, and very cool place)("let's SHOOT, yo!"), I found myself sitting in the car on my own, on the side of the highway, watching Luisa wander down the bushy hill. We were waiting for Jon and Joe to return from the wilderness. That's right, the wilderness. You see, we met a man named Mouse (yes, Mouse) in Marulan, and he raved about these amazing convict-built archway-things, and insisted our International guests came and saw them. So, they did.

Mouse was awesome. He had a beard made of snow and didn't have a job but he 'drove a truck!'. His glasses connected in the middle and his amazing wife (who we later met) wore pants the colour of pumpkins. The love he had for the Australian land shone in his eyes as he spoke of its history, a true patriot, seeking to share it with the generations below his own. A passion rarely seen.

In just the blink of an eye later (a blink lasting a day and a half) there we suddenly were, all 15 or so of us Canberra FINDers, sitting around the huge square table that would be our learning headquarters for the next 3 days. With brains buzzing with questions and mouths blurting out 'hilarious' things, we watched inspiring clips of this and that, spoke of everything photographic and business, family and passion, and everything in between. And how, really, they're all just one big thing, this thing we call life.
By morning we squeezed the knowledge out of Jon, Yoda in man form, who shared with us everything we asked of him and more.
By afternoon, our necks burnt in the summer sun as we shot couples in love, families in love, even pending babies, who everyone present loved in advance.
And by night, well, that's a whole other story. Let's just say there were Kangaroo steaks, ridiculous stories, of stove tops and poking, and a billion zillion laughs that left my jaw aching as I hit the hay at 2am each night. Except that one night where we slept on the roof, I think that was a 3am bed time..

There were Contaxs and Minoltas, Pentaxs and Canons, rolls of Fuji and Kodak and some miscellaneous film goods from the Asian continent. But what wasn't there, was egos and discrimination. There was no hate, just love and all other things good.

Driving home, Jonathan said something to me I will never forget. We were talking about goals and aspirations, and I told him of my doubts and fears. And you know what he said to me? Imagine this in an American accent, coming from a man who had just rapped the entire lyrical content of some old-school beatz that I can't quite recall, and then sung (loudly) 'Me Party' by Miss Piggy from the Muppets latest movie:

"Reach for the stars, yo!"

Mr Canlas, your workshop changed a lot of things for me. Not only did your wealth of knowledge act as a bath in which all of us were able to splash and swim (a strange choice of metaphor, I must admit), but your approach to life and education has triggered something in my mind that makes me want to do this whole 'life' thing better, smarter and with more enthusiasm than ever before.

& Film Is Not Dead will change a lot of things for you too. It's not just a workshop about film, or photography. It's something else. An experience.

Jonathan, Joe, Luisa, Nicole (and your beautiful girls), Eva, Jarred, Ulyana, Jennifer, Brilliana, Hugo, Christine, James, Patricia, Matthew, Alex, Joel, Jason, Natalie and Hailey: Thank you ALL for being the best adopted family that could ever have happened.

Prost!"

Annette Wilson

If you are interested in attending FIND in 2012, everything is sold out EXCEPT for FIND Mexico Nov 12th-14th in San Miguel (HERE). Email me for details. Flights are cheap and so is the Villa we've rented ($75 a night including all meals and transport from the airport!!!).

I might just sing you a Muppets tune as well :).

FIND Review from Christine Pobke - Canberra

Sometimes the universe works in funny ways… Case in point: being the big tennis fans that we are, last January He-Pobke, my friend Casi and I all flew to Melbourne together to watch the Australian Open. That evening, I received a message from a friend who was attending Jon Canlas’ Film is Not Dead workshop (also in Melbourne), extending an invite for me to join the big group for dinner. I’ve always been a big fan of JC, so went along without much hesitation (but a lot of nerves at meeting Mr FIND himself).

There we sat at dinner, Jon on one side, me on the other, and we chatted and bonded over being American, mutual friends, and our fond individual memories of Japan. He flew back to Salt Lake the very next day to shoot a big commercial job in Hawaii, and I left Melbourne feeling rather inspired, extra tanned (thank you outdoor tennis seats!) and excited about film.
That was all without having attended Jon’s FIND workshop.

You see, some people have an uncanny ability to leave a great, lasting impression on you in a matter of seconds. Jon is one of those people. You spend a second in his sphere and suddenly you feel inspired to write a book or pop out a few kids or run a marathon or cross off any number of things off your “To Do Before I Die” list.

So when I received an email from the very same Jon seven months later asking me to help him organise a FIND workshop in Australia, I didn’t even bat an eye. OF COURSE I’D DO IT. Are you kidding me? Three days of spending time with Mr Inspirational AKA Mr Human Light Meter AKA Mr Film himself? Heck yes. We emailed, we talked about food and film and locations and models and weather and accommodation and babies and light and Japan. And from there, a beautiful friendship blossomed and I counted down the days for his arrival to Canberra the following January.

Film Is Not Dead came and went a month ago. JC and his awesome assistant/buddy/mentee/student/possibly-my-brother-from-another-mother Joe came and stayed at Chateau de Pobke for five magical nights and it is with great sadness that I cannot seem to come up with the right possible adjectives for this whole experience. So instead I shall gush for the next few paragraphs about FIND and all of its glory.

FIND is unlike any other workshop I’ve ever been to. First of all, it can’t really be summed up in a matter of words, nor can it be described as a “photography” workshop. It’s an experience that has to be felt firsthand, as it’s one of those all-encompassing, slap-in-the-face kinda workshops that can’t even be described as a “workshop” per se. (Wow, for someone who claims an inability to describe it I sure have been quite wordy already!) :) FIND is about film, yes. It’s also about shooting. It’s about being a photographer. But moreover, and perhaps more astoundingly, it’s about a lifestyle, a motivation, an aspiration, a balance. It’s about treating yourself right.

Jon came and went like a tornado that shook up all my insides. My brain felt like it was dislodged and shaken about and then placed back (albeit gently). I see things differently post-FIND and I treat people around me differently. I don’t discriminate between “personal” and “professional” work anymore. I have an open heart and try to fit everyone in. I have taken judgment and thrown it off a cliff. I laugh more and want to be a nicer person. And I want to live and breathe film like it’s the last remaining bit of oxygen left on this planet.
You see? An all-encompassing workshop that can’t really be surmised in a matter of words.
If you have a chance to go to one of Jon’s FIND workshops, I urge you to please go. I mean, I STRONGLY urge you to please go. The friendships you make at FIND are just the icing on the cake. Because when you have an inspiring mentor who walks the walk and talks the talk, it’s hard not to absorb that positivity and energy and re-radiate it to those around you… and that’s precisely what me and the rest of the FIND – Canberra group did.

Jon, thank you for your friendship and kindness and warm heart and beautiful soul and inspiring nature. Thank you for being such a great house guest and for making me and Clinton feel so dang comfortable around you. Thank you for laughing at our not-so-funny jokes and for always being a ball of positive energy and hope. Thank you for staying over at our home – you made it a warmer and lovelier place. And thank you (a billion times over) for the photos of us and our little growing bump… they’re images that will be framed around our house and moments that we will never ever forget. You captured such a special time in our lives and it was such an honour being photographed by you. Thank you doesn’t seem to quite cut it but… Thank you. :)

And Joe, dear darling Joe: thank you for being YOU. You are hilarious and awesome and strange and lovely and like my brother. :) I heart you and can’t wait to hug you again, awkwardly. :) Thank you for thanking me and for being such a great wingman to Jon. And for being such a clean guest! You are both welcome at Chateau de Pobke, anytime!!! (You know where we hide the key!!)
I’ll end this rather wordy summation with a few images I took at FIND… All shot on my Contax 645 + Kodak Portra 800 or Kodak Portra 400 films.

[PS If you're interested in signing up for FIND, Jon is coming back to Australia in three months (MAY!!)... Check out all the FIND - Brisbane details here. Good luck getting a spot!]

Christine Pobke

And yes, the rumor is true, I'm going back to Brisbane AU in May. As of today, there are 5 spots left if you are interested. Drop me a line for details!

FIND Review from Ulyanna Protassow - FIND Canberra

"It's so difficult to put into words my feelings and vivid impressions of an experience that was, to put it simply, a turning point for me not only as a photographer, but also as a person: a mother, daughter, sister, observer, lover, artist and friend. It's hard to believe that just three days could change the way I see my life and craft forever, and leave me with a beautiful group of life-long friends whose friendship I will cherish for a long time yet.

From the first time I came across Jonathan Canlas' work, I was transfixed by the love of life and pure happiness each of his images exudes - traits I now know are part of his own personality. He is a true master of photography and it's no wonder he is widely regarded as THE film guru. When I found out he was coming to Canberra for a workshop, I was over the moon and signed up immediately with trepidation and uncontainable excitement.

What ensued was three days of laughter, learning and shooting. Jonathan truly poured his heart and soul into developing a workshop to teach, inspire and encourage all of its participants to push themselves as photographers every week and immerse themselves in the raw beauty of film photography. He showed us just how honest and authentic shooting on film is, how important it is find the light in people and document it, why what we do as photographers is so valuable. The wisdom and knowledge he bestowed on us was immeasurable and there was no question he wasn't willing to answer.

And the most meaningful thing he showed us, not in words but in action, was the core reason for his immense success today: dedication without limits, hard work and a heart of gold. With these attributes you can truly achieve anything.

If you have the chance to attend one of his workshops, ever - take it. You will be eternally grateful.

Thank you so much, Jonathan. The sky truly is the limit!"

Ulyana

If you are interested in attending FILM IS NOT DEAD in 2012, space is super limited. Check it out HERE.

FIND Review from Rosalyn Caywood - FIND Orem 2011

I have been graduated from University with my BFA in photography for a couple of years now. Since graduation I felt like I got lost trying to make it on my own. I compared myself to others, I hardly shot any personal work and basically I just did not know what I was trying to say with my images.

So I signed up to go to FIND and boy did it kick my butt. I gave up my crutch of seeing the photos instantly and instead relied solely on a light meter and manual focus. It was extremely liberating and terrifying. I remembered what it was like to photograph in film. To slow down, think and trust in my knowledge. I love film. It is honest, pure, straight forward. I now have a long “Post FIND To Do List” of all the things that I need work on to improve myself and my business. It is so much fun to be part of a photographic community. To belong to a group of like minded people who believe and see photography the same way I do. Its the workshop that keeps giving. I'm part of the FIND family, 292 members and growing.


Rosalyn

If you are interested in attending FILM IS NOT DEAD in 2012, space is super limited. Check it out HERE.

FIND Review from Ashley Stelzer - FIND Boston (SHE HAS NOT ATTENDED YET!!!)

Six months ago I wrote Jonathan Canlas asking for more information for the Film is Not Dead workshop. I don't know what the email equivalent to choking on your tongue is, but that's what it kind of felt like. I had heard that the FIND workshop was amazing- life changing. And I really wanted to learn. So much. After receiving his first information packed response, I wrote again, and asked what I was afraid to ask in my first email. I danced around the question- "How well seasoned are those who attend". In code that meant: "I don't know what I'm doing. Will I look like an idiot in front of all these incredible photographers." At this point I was waiting for that dismissal email, something akin to "Well maybe you should wait until you've....." But that didn't happen. Jon assured me that egos weren't tolerated. So with my husband's blessing I sent in my deposit.

Film does not intimidate me. It's familiar. My mom was a photographer and I grew up shooting film- though maybe not understanding it. So before I write more regarding the awesomeness that was to come next, I'd like to delve further into why I wanted to do this workshop. I imagine that many sign up for FIND because they love film, and want to shoot film. For me it was more... I want to create. I want to find my voice. I want to slow down, be more observant. I want make art. And from everything I've seen from previous workshop attendees, I felt confident that if there was one thing I could do to help me develop as an artist, FIND was it. I'm have no problem in admitting I'm intimidated by all these terrific photographers, not because the medium they use, but because their art is so strong.

I want to be better.

Perhaps you yourself are looking at signing up for a FIND workshop. Maybe you are wondering "How much could I learn in 3 days". Well I have been doing the "workshop" for six months. I've been part of the FIND community. When you hear that the workshop begins the second you sign up- IT'S NO LIE. From the moment you sign up you become part of this amazing private community. No description can really touch on how incredible all these people are. You'll have to brace yourself for all the information you'll learn. Everyone is so open. It's unreal. I know that the gains I've made as an artist these past few months has come from what I have learned from this generous community. The opportunity to learn is everyday with this group. The support from fellow members is unreal.

It will be another few months before I do the workshop. I'm beyond excited. My poor husband hears me chat on incessantly about FIND daily and appeases my by stopping off on his way home to buy film for me. I've already integrated film into my workflow. It's changing how I think about making photos. I can't wait to learn more.

_________
AE Stelzer Photography
www.aestelzer.com

FIND Review from Elaine Palladino - FIND Miami

It should be noted that I’m a teacher. Yes, I’m a photographer and an ever-evolving one at that, but denying that I’m a teacher is like denying that I’m a Cuban or prone to emotional decisions. It’s just who I am. As a teacher, I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge that has spilled over into my photography career. Put simply, I love to learn. And I love to learn from the best. Though I’m usually the one to seek new experiences out, I’m always wary of how I’m going to be taught. Not everyone can teach. Some people are just not capable of helping others discover their own knowledge. They don’t show, they tell and their students struggle accordingly.

So it’s with some authority that I say Jonathan Canlas is a teacher. Sure, he’s a photographer—an amazingly talented, you-would-be-lucky-to-have-an-ounce-of-his-vision photographer—but he’s a teacher in every sense of the word.

Film has always been the final frontier for me. It’s ironic, given that people normally learn how to shoot film first then abandon that to go to digital. To me, film was a mythical being, a far off land that this self-taught photographer would never reach. I wasn’t a photographer, at least not in my eyes, until I learned how to shoot film. When I read that the Film Is Not Dead workshop would be heading to Miami, my hometown, I jumped at the opportunity not because it was a film workshop, but it was Jonathan’s workshop. If I was going to learn film, I was going to learn it from the best.

What I discovered in three days in that beautiful mansion by the water went beyond anything that I could have ever imagined. Yes, I learned all the technical aspects of film and more efficient ways to run my business. Yes, we shot some of the best families and couples I’ve had the pleasure of photographing all the while learning from Jon, Joe, Catherine and our fellow attendees. All of this is important, yet it was what I was expecting out of this workshop. What I didn’t expect were all the non-tangible things that I would learn. I didn’t expect the friendships that I made or the FINDers community I’m so fortunate to be a part of now—an open, supportive community that only a person like Jon could create. Least of all, I didn’t expect Jonathan the teacher.

It’s rare in a business that is so incredibly competitive, to find someone as open with his knowledge as Jon. His humor, his confidence and his innate ability to show, not tell make him a true teacher. There is no denying his incredible talent as a photographer, but I believe that his true calling is helping other photographers find their voice and giving them the tools they will need to become better. It is just who he is. I was not afraid to ask Jon questions I’m sure he has heard a hundred times or fearful when he gave me his opinion on my photography. With the help of Jon I’m no longer afraid of film. He taught me to be brave and that has made all the difference.

Elaine Palladino

FIND Review from Heather Perera - FIND Orem 2011

I had been searching for a workshop for quite some time, it seems like everyone out there is doing one these days. I came really close to signing up for one in Atlanta with some photographers I really admire. For some reason I never did, I dragged my feet and couldn't figure out why. This was the opportunity I had asked for? One night while stalking some of my favorite photographers, I came across FIND and knew this was the workshop I was meant to do. It was crazy, really. I hadn't ever shot film, and many of the photographers I admire most had done the workshop in the past. That meant the caliber of attendees would be high. I am a self-taught, stay at home mom who is making a go at my passion. What was I thinking? It didn't matter, I signed up before I had time to let fear talk me out of it. Instead I let the fear motivate me. I didn't want a workshop where I was the norm, how would I grow? When I was cycling a lot and preparing for an event, I would ride with people much faster than me. It was hard and I got my butt kicked, but I improved much more rapidly.

When I walked in, I was so intimidated. The studio is ridiculous and you know right away that you're not at a little league game. Jon asked me what I wanted to get out of the workshop and about my experience. When I told him I hadn't ever shot a film camera and I had had my business up and running for approximately 2 weeks, I could tell he was thinking, "this girl is crazy". But the first thing you learn about Jon is that he's the most open, nurturing and egoless man you'll ever meet.

Half of the days were spent in the studio furiously trying to take in all that Jon has learned in his career. The second half of the day was spent shooting bridal, engagement and family sessions. The first day we went out to shoot I was so nervous having my peers watch me pose the couples that I couldn't eat lunch. But, the next thing you learn about Jon is he is encouraging, non-assuming and instantly puts people at ease. The other attendees were also so lovely, talented, open, encouraging and there really was a sense of community between us. There were photographers with well established businesses and photographers just starting, but the one bond between us all is we were all there to grow and learn. Jon created the perfect environment for this to happen. Among the other things I've talked about, Jon is honest, wickedly talented, goofy, insanely passionate, driven and the ultimate family guy.

When I left, Jon gave me a huge hug and I cried. I cried the whole drive back. In looking back, I think it gave me the opportunity to focus on myself and my passion. I wasn't a wife, friend or mom; there were no clothes to clean, no lunches to make, no noses to wipe. Just an artist trying to find a voice and grow. I also learned that everyone is insecure and that it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there for the world to critique. That is a gift few people can give to another, and Jon gave it to me. For that I will always be grateful.

Taking my personal journey aside, the workshop is amazing! Jon will answer any question you have, the food is off the hook, the models are gorgeous and you will leave with this uber talented, supportive, tight community. You'll learn everything from how to work a light meter or even load film, to why most photographers fail, how to get blogs to showcase your work, how to price your sessions and how to sell prints.

Thank you Jon and all of the other photographers who attended and created such a safe, nurturing environment where I could be vulnerable and grow.

Heather Perera

FIND Review from Gert Huygearts - FIND Ibiza (um, he has not even attended yet)

The following review is from an attendee who has YET to attend the workshop. How the hell is that even possible you ask? Well, a lot of it, no, all of it is because the workshop begins the second you sign up. There is an online community you gain access to on FB and a private forum as well. And this allows the workshop also to go much further than the last 3rd day. So, without any adieu...

Where do I begin? Well, about 12 years ago, I had took photography-school to get my "official" degree in photography… wow, that sounded good! I started out my first year of this school with my good old Nikon F4 film-camera. During the next 2 years, digital photography entered the lessons and my world in a high speed. We were told the digital offered way much more possibilities, higher quality, less costs…to get it short: nothing but advantages.

Digital had entered my photography life and I got used to it… it seemed to work for me and my clients. Up until a few months ago, when I started thinking about what I had been doing the past years with my great passion, photography. That was the moment that I realized that the great moments of taking time for a photo and the fantastic darkroom adventures had disappeared out of my life. They had been replaced by high-paced digital work and a lot of time behind a screen. Was that my great passion? Don't think so…

I started browsing the net to find my way back into film photography and darkroom stuff. One beautiful day, a great catch-phrase blew my mind: Film Is Not Dead!

The man behind this phrase, Jonathan Canlas, seemed to be quite a hell of a photographer who worked 100% film. 100% film???? I couldn't even imagine myself working 1% film again for my clients! I started reading about the FIND and Jonathan and I came across loads of great testimonials about his workshops, which was very intriguing to me. To be honest, the photographers who were these great testimonials, they had all stunning portfolios themselves! It was just like they all had seen the same awesome light to get the images they love. That's when I decided to dig into FIND. I bought the Find-guide and read it 2 to 3 times the same evening I bought it. It was all so plain and simple… almost everything on film photography was in it, but it was all explained in a passionate and fun way! No boring theories… just BAM…spot on!

After reading the find guide, getting into more reviews, portfolios of FIND-attendees, etc… the next step was there very soon: I wanted to join a FIND workshop! Oops… Jon was located in the States… that would cost me an arm AND a leg to get there…
Not this time! This year Jon would be coming to Ibiza with his FIND crew and a bunch of great film-devoted photographers, so my decision was made pretty quick! Booked my seat in the classroom, booked my seat on the plane and now i between shooting new rolls of film, I'm counting days until september!

The counting of the days will be a lot more bearable thanks to Jon, as he provides a great way to interact with all the FIND-members. And believe me, a whole new world opened up to me! Even before I even attended the real workshop! The people of FIND really amazed me with their work and the way of sharing knowledge and experiences… something what is very hard to find these days! In the short while that I got to know Jon and Find, I already met some of the FIND-ers in real life and it really is great to see the passion of these people for their job… it gives you the energy and inspiration to keep on going for your own goals! Something I really missed the last few years.

So was FIND an eye-opener to me? Yes! And I am quite sure that it will even bring me more in the future. I can't wait to get on the plane to Ibiza in september!

Gert Huygaerts

FIND Review from Wendy Laurel - FIND Maui

What do I love more than film? The people who shoot film. Haven’t met one I didn’t like, no love. I learned to shoot film at Jonathan Canlas’s workshop “Film is Not Dead” and have not looked back. And if you think Im nuts.. let me let you know that its a hybrid workflow so yes I get digital images and I can facebook them and give clients discs and print albums and do all the things a digital shooter can do. Its just shot on film first. Which I think makes it look like mine.

He had the brilliant idea of starting a workshop called Film Is Not Dead which has grown into its own revolution.

I can tell you all about Film Is Not Dead (FIND) because I have attended not once but twice. It’s an intensive three day workshop that covers everything from how to expose and shoot film correctly technically to how to shoot a wedding to how to market for shooting weddings and how to get your work seen. Plus a million other topics and anything you want to ask Jon. The guy is an open book.

The workshop runs during the day from 9-5 with the mornings being Jon talking and the afternoon being a model shoot. But don’t be fooled. There are before workshop get togethers and the whole group hangs out and shoots most nights and the day after. In Maui FIND 2011, the whole workshop got up at 3 a.m. to shoot the Haleakala Sunrise (hello night exposures and tripod work) and made it back in time for a full day of learning about getting your work seen, selling prints, and a whole afternoon wedding shoot that included 4 couples, a cake, bouquets, sunset on the beach, and sparklers. Then dinner. And in Miami FIND 2011 and also in North Shore FIND 2012 the whole group stays together in one big luxury house and the workshop effectively runs 24/7.

The first time I attended I needed to learn how to use a light meter and my medium format camera. Pretty new to film. After that workshop, I ended up switching to 100% film, watched my business take off, got featured on many wedding blogs (thank you Style Me Pretty, Brooklyn Bride, weddings.com, Rock n Roll Bride — just to name drop a few), as well as 2 books, and found my “voice”. I also meet some super cool people and made some friends for life. FIND is where I met Tory and together we had the inspired idea to start Let the Kids. Life changer for sure.
The second time, just about 15 months later, I hosted FIND Maui and attended. Again, I learned a ton, concentrating more on a deeper level of understanding my exposures, night exposures, compositions, posing and a hundred other questions I asked Jon. He will answer any question you ask. There are no secrets, no off limit questions, and only his ridiculously large generous spirit.

Of course there are no free lunches in this life. Jon does have his own agenda. He wants to keep using film. He wants film to stay alive. FIND has become a community of 300+ film lovers. There is a facebook FIND group and FIND forum where former and future FINDERS talk constantly about their images, their businesses, the cameras, the films, the exposures, their families. A network of friends who all love film. And all who share their knowledge and experience openly and generously. I have never seen anything like it. A workshop that never ends.
And guess what, film sales are soaring. Kodak’s film division is growing rapidly (yes yes other divisions have the company in chapter 11 but the film division is doing well). Film camera prices are jumping high on ebay and KEH. Urban outfitters and all the cool kids want to shoot film. It’s timeless.
Mahalo to Jon.

Wendy Laurel

FIND Review from Jamie Robinson - FIND Orem 2011

"Not wind, not rain, not even a case of crazy-awful-knock-me-flat-on-my-back food poisoning kept me from enjoying my FIND experience. Even with everything that went wrong with me during the week…I came away from the FIND workshop with a renewed passion for this art form we call photography.

Why do pictures speak to us? Why are we photographers? One of my favorite quotes is by a fellow photographer, Ansel Adams. Mr. Adams said “Life is your art. An open, aware heart is your camera. A oneness with your world is your film. Your bright eyes and easy smile is your museum.” We all see the world a certain way…and we as photographers, we are lucky and blessed enough to be able to share what we see with others. Jon’s passion for how he sees the world is infectious and inspiring. He breathes life into his work. I hope someday I can be that kind of photographer too."

Jamie Robinson

Interested in attending FIND in 2012? Drop me a line.

FIND Review from Karen Carter-Schwedler - FIND Seattle

Attending FIND was a big deal for me. It was a significant investment to make, especially because I’m not a working photographer. The punch line of what I’m going to say is that the experience – not just the workshop itself, but the ongoing support and camaraderie of fellow FINDers – has made FIND a really incredible experience. I went hoping to learn more about shooting film, and especially about how to get more consistent exposure results. I assumed that what I’d takeaway would be applicable to my film shooting specifically. What I got from FIND was much more than that. Not only did I build my confidence around shooting film, but Jon’s approach to doing photo sessions, interacting with clients, and his strategies around getting great shots, are things that are equally applicable to film and digital shooters. FIND isn’t about shooting film. It’s about photography – regardless of whether it’s analog or digital. It’s about ‘FINDing’ your own individual voice. My biggest surprise has been the ongoing support. The FIND didn’t end after the workshop was over. Jon has been, and continues to be, a completely ‘open book’ to the community that he has created, and I love the frank/honest feedback and information that he and the entire FIND community provides.

Karen Carter-Schwedler

Interested in attending FIND in 2012? Drop me a line.

FIND Review from Natalie Grummer - FIND Seattle

Words words words words. They just don’t come. It seems far too cliche to just gush on and on about how amazing this workshop is, and even I would want to call complete BS to hear myself rave about how life changing it is. But that is the only stuff coming to mind. And not that it’s not true, because it is true. But I am just rambling, and there are hundreds of such reviews out there about any and all workshops are so great using the words ‘amazing’, ‘awesome’, ‘life-changing’, ‘transformative’, ‘epic’. Bleh. Phooey. None of that would really come close to doing this workshop any justice. I’ve had a month to mull over and process the three days of FIND Seattle 1.0, yet it is still hard to describe and explain it’s amazing amazingness. I think I have to come to terms with the fact there are no real adjectives that could possibly touch upon the full effects of FIND. Simply stated, it is something you have to experience, not just hear about. Photog and Non-photog friends alike ask me how that workshop thingie went. Good! No, more than good. Great! Amazing! Wonderful! Epic! I ate SPAM Musabi! We Karaoked. TWICE! It was freaking AMAZING!!….and I just get nothing but blank stares.

I can’t remember exactly how I first found Jon & his Workshop. My husband and I debate over this. He remembers seeing something about it in College when we were a few of the remaining die-hard analog lovers. Back when the Canon 10D was the hot new toy. For me, I think the term ‘Jonathan Canlas’ was an inspirational name I kept stumbling upon on other blogs for quite some time, then became more into the forefront of my awareness when I got so fed up with trying to shoot digitally and started researching other professional photographers who were still using film. Jon, among a few others, were one of the nails in the coffin for me to ditch shooting any sort of Digital Photography after trying and trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. My heart has always been with analog. It took me nearly three years into building my current business to realize Digital was not for me and finally make the tough decision to start back at square one as an all-Film shooter once again. I remember the month I bought my Contax & sold off all my digital gear, I vowed I would one day take a Film is not Dead workshop. Fast forward to last summer & Jon announces on Twitter he is coming to Seattle in 2011. To my town. On a whim I email him. He (in person) responds back within, like, a whopping 60 seconds, all exuberant and excited. Then I proceeded to drag my feet for about another month, until he emails me again letting me know there is only one, maybe two spots left. Thankfully his persistence paid off, and I think I very likely did snag the very last seat in Seattle 1.0.

Jon’s work resonates with me not just because he can pop out some sweet eye-candy or has honed the technical and artistic sides of photography into an amazing craftsmanship - because the guy absolutely is a master at his art. Jon is one of the few in the vast sea of Wedding/Portrait photographers who actually evokes so much more meaning and humanity in how he makes portraits. In all of his work- be it wedding, families, travel, personal- that is what is so strongly communicated through his photographs. His artistic vision and visual communication is about the people and relationships he shoots. Pure, honest and real, without fluff or pretense. Of course, that is compiled with an amazing amount of dedication, practice, business sense, passion, experience, consistency and respect for his medium. I wanted to learn from Jon not just for the ‘how to’ of Film photography, but the ‘why’ and the ‘who for’ that makes him as a photographer tick and continually strive for betterment. Anyone can take a picture. Any of us can simply be camera operators. Anybody given a bit of know how can even expose film properly. It’s not rocket science here, people. Jon says he’s an open book, and that is absolutely true. There is no holding back, nothing off-limits or proprietary or secret. His goal for the workshop is to help his attendees FIND their own vision. He is accessible, honest, genuine, humble and completely transparent in everything about the what, how and why he does things.

In sitting down to write this, I realize more and more this workshop isn’t so much about Film. Or Jonathan Canlas. Or Photography, for that matter. It was about people. Sure, this workshop provides every resource & opportunity you need to successfully shoot film. But no, it’s the friendships that I walked away from this workshop that I will forever treasure and value my time with them more than any other aspect of those 3 days. Maybe it is just Jon & the honesty, down to earth-y-ness and the check-your-egos-at-the-door mantra he exudes in both talk & action that attracts a culture of people interested in their own personal refinement as artists. From Canada to Mexico, West Coast to East Coast, the amazing photographers of every genre, skill level, experience, personality– it was all a level playing field. We were there and given a very rare opportunity to learn together, help one another, to learn from one another. No one, even Jon, is above anyone. I NEVER expected to walk into that workshop and feel the amount of camaraderie, trust and genuine care from these dozen or so other photographers. I walked away with amazing friends, colleagues, fellow photographers who continue to build friendships, care for one another and genuinely desire to help and support others. And there are some amazing big-name, crazy talented people that my introverted self would normally be too intimidated to interact much with. But within a few hours, this group was so open and comfortable. Likely the epic Karaoke sessions the first & last nights helped. Now even more than a month later I MISS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE GUYS & GALS.

At the very core of this group is Jon. And he has built more than just an group of attendees who went to a workshop, because there are a hundred of those. This is special. Jon has built not just an educational course, he has poured himself into building a movement. The heart and soul of this movement is FINDing your voice. YOUR voice. Not someone else’s; Not what you think you should/could/might/possibly do; Not what the latest trendy idiom happens to be; Not what anyone tells you it should be. YOUR VOICE. A voice you can only discern the more you practice your craft and the more you stop listening to all the junk that vies for your attention. I went into this Workshop stuck in a big lull, both creatively & professionally. Within a week of the workshop, I had completely re-worked my portfolio from scratch after being on the fence about what the heck I should do for almost a year, solidified the direction I was taking my business after wrestling through much uncertainty, and mapped out a much more solid plan for getting there. After nearly hitting burnout and getting so tired treading water, not knowing what I should be doing, FIND was the motivation & empowerment I so needed. Sometimes you need a swift kick in the pants, someone to give you a huge doobs hug, a totally new perspective, and a heap of encouragement poured on you all at once. FIND lit that fire under me. And I needed that.

Natalie Grummer

Interested in attending FIND in 2012? Drop me a line.

FIND Review from Kia Gregory - FIND Seattle

Every time I read about someone getting ready for their FIND workshop I get jealous. I want to go back to my FIND workshop. It's like a bad episode of my favorite television series Lost. But in a good way. And Jonathan Canlas was the black smoke monster. When Lost ended I cried a lot. And I'll admit I didn't cry as much when my FIND workshop experience was over at but I did feel empty inside. Like there was this whole parallel part of my life I lived in another universe. I keep wanting to wake up and show up with my FIND group and yell, "Let's do this thing." But in reality I wake up next to my husband and my kids asking me to make some oatmeal. That's what FIND will do to you. Oh, and it will totally make you appreciate the art of shooting film.

Kia Gregory

Interested in attending FIND in 2012? Drop me a line.