Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. C. S. Lewis

Here’s to one of my newest friends, the ever talented Jonathan Canlas.  I took these pictures at his mind shatteringly awesome Film Is Not Dead Workshop.  I actually met Jonathan about three weeks before the workshop when he photographed our family portraits for our new site and blog.  I was immediately struck by his openness and unadulterated joy for photography.  Is there anything better than seeing someone do what they love?  Five minutes into the shoot Jamie and I fell in love with the guy, he’s just that awesome.

Skip forward three weeks and I’m at his workshop thanks in no part to another unadulterated trait of his, that being generosity.  What struck me immediately about Jonathan is that he is a born teacher.  There is a difference between telling and teaching and it can be boiled down to this: telling is technical, teaching is spiritual.  It’s the difference between that teacher in high school that made you fall asleep and the one that made you dream.  I came to the workshop looking for a ton of useful information about how to shoot better and how to run my business better, and I got all that, but more importantly, I came away inspired.

I told Jonathan ‘workshop’ wasn’t the right word for the experience he is creating with Film Is Not Dead. This is three days of intense learning and creating and listening and sharing.  A better word might be ‘transfusion.’ You walk in anemic and walk out energized, ready to tackle this obsession called photography with a new perspective, a new medium (if you indeed make the leap to film) and most significantly a new attitude that starts and ends with one word: passion.  Information is easy to disseminate, Jonathan has that rare gift of inspiring passion.

The next workshop is in July, and for an extra dose of awesome it just so happens to be in beautiful San Diego.  Don’t miss it.

PS A great as Jonathan was, he was easily outshone by his gorgeous wife who caters his workshops with the most sinfully yummy food you can imagine.  Don’t believe me?  Here‘s the day two menu.  I might just attend the next workshop for the food!

I’ll close with a picture of the man himself, Canlas has P. A. S. S. I. O. N!