My embark experience with Unleashed Education. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when I signed up. I saw Embark Open Enrollment and thought to myself, that sounds like a fun challenge.
Embark Challenges help dog photographers from around the world perfect their skills in any situation to instinctively know how to find the perfect spot, how to use the light, how to handle the dog and which exposure and focus settings to use - plus what to do when things don’t go according to plan!
Embark is an interactive dog photography course based on completing shooting challenges. The course runs for six months, and includes 12 unique challenges with one of the challenges due every two weeks.
At the end of each two-week challenge, Charlotte and Craig, who are world renowned instructors and judges, select the Top 20 and Top 10 images. They provide feedback and constructive critique on every image submitted for the challenge.
The embark 12 image challenge over 6 months was rollercoaster of emotions for me that I was not expecting! I was catapulted out of my comfort zone, my confidence dropped kicked out the window, and my ego squished to a pulp.
I cried, celebrated, second guessed all my images, struggled, learned more, got frustrated, and finally became opened minded to my mistakes and more willing to learn. I am a better person and photographer because of the struggles I overcame.
If the journey was easy I wouldn’t have grown, learned, accepted critique, been open to change, looked at my style and discover it needed improvement on many levels.
It was not only a photography journey but a personal growth journey as well.
At the end of the Embark Challenge, there was a big celebration ceremony. Charlotte and Craig, two well known international judges from Unleashed Education, critiqued every images and selected one image from each of the 12 categories for the overall best image out of all the dog photographers in the group.
I was in SHOCK and overwhelmed with joy, excitement, happiness and lost for words. I was the overall winner of the “Soul Searcher” award! This has brought me to tears 🥹 (even now just thinking about it)
I did not expect any of my images to achieve such a prestigious award in the Embark Challenge group. Not because I didn’t work hard, I worked my tail off on all of the 12 challenges. But because there are so many incredibly talented dog photographers that I was doing the challenge with.
Many times I saw their images in the group and thought “how the hell can they be so talented” with a little envy and wishing I was more like them. I kept trying to improve with each challenge.
There is always something new to learn, a skill to practice, a technique to improve and room for personal growth. I am a better photographer and business owner because I took a chance and stepped out of my comfort zone.
Dog Photographer, Lisa Olson
Pets R Family®️ LLC
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