Photography is Art, but not for Everyone

Odd, this. I have just been fired as an instructor by Henry’s School of Imaging!

Yup – fired! David Morrow, the head of the School of Imaging (dmorrow@henrys.com) writes:

“This week we received a letter from a Henry’s customer with an [sic] printed photo of you naked from your Tumblr site. This customer recently attended an SOI course taught by you and has promised to never shop at Henry’s again. I am grateful to this customer for taking the time to inform us, rather than just leaving silently.  This loss of a Henry’s customer is a direct result of your personal promotion of your speedlighter.ca site while teaching for Henry’s.”

This is regrettable, and surprising.

For the record, I do not promote competing courses at Henry’s, and I have met all the School’s requirements, including ones that I think unjust, like removing the link to www.cameratraining.ca from this site (that link comes back now). Speedlighter, if clients know about it, is for learning, not for promotion.

Good relationships are give and take. It seems to me that I have given Henrys and the School of Imaging much, much more than I have taken, but I wish them well.

I shall now concentrate on my independent courses: vendor- and sales-independent and up-to-date courses and coaching that teach you all about photography and especially creative light and flash.

Including nudes, if you are so inclined: the preposterous thing is that this was brought about by a client who “will never shop at Henry’s again” because they have seen a picture of me, nude. Really? This is, what, 1850? Almost all artists, including most photographers, do nudes and Henry’s, who cater to photographers, should understand this better than anyone else. Will this client never go to Italy again after seeing Michelangelo’s David?

Regrettable and surprising.

Meanwhile, the good news: You can learn from me..

  1. In my private courses (see http://www.cameratraining.ca)
  2. At Sheridan College’s Continuing Education, where I teach several courses I wrote.
  3. At the Niagara School in August, for a week-long course.
  4. In my article in every second issue of Photo Life magazine.
  5. At tours and private teaching events
  6. And of course here on www.speedlighter.ca!

Photography is art and craft, a mix you can all learn to find your way in, and I am here to help.

 

21 thoughts on “Photography is Art, but not for Everyone

  1. Reader SL just replied, thus:

    “Interesting to hear this considering I just sent a note to them suggesting they have you present at their show which is after all called “Exposure”. Although I have never had the opportunity to see you conduct a seminar in person, I did see the YouTube version where you are discussing lenses and I thought it was marvelous and very much liked your style. Oh well, to each his own. As I have mentioned before, I really appreciate your daily emails. I guess you just can’t please everybody!”

    Indeed not, and indeed interesting!

  2. That is ridiculous, Michael. What would happen if I emailed and said I would never shop at Henry’s again for firing you? Unbelievable. I have taken courses through SOI with instructors whose last names aren’t Willems and they pale in comparison. Maybe Mark Zuckerberg owns stock in Henry’s? Keep fighting the good fight.

  3. There is just one word simple word for Mr. Morrow’s decision to fire you…..dumb!…and very short sighted. I suspect they will loose more customers than that one complaining prude. So, are you off the presenters list at Exposure yet?
    FYI, I went to the show last year and I really thought it was a rip off…..I didn’t realize that Henry’s hosted the thing and that everything at the show could be purchased at the store without paying the $20 (or what ever it was) entrance fee…plus the gas and time to drive from Niagara to TO.
    Maybe in hind sight this is a very good move for you??

  4. I have emailed David Morrow and told him that he’s lost a customer at Henry’s because of this. I’ll purchase my equipment across the street at Downtown Camera, or buy it direct from Sony themselves. I have taken more than 1 SOI course, and found that you (Willems) are the best, by far. It’s a loss for Henry’s all around.

  5. Hi Michael,

    Reading between his lines, I would say that David Morrow’s sensibilities do indeed seem to be trapped in Victorian England and he is obviously using the self promotion card as an excuse because he has a personal problem with you posing nude. Otherwise, why would he have felt it necessary to mention the fact that you were naked.

    Mr Morrow says that the loss of a customer is the direct result of the promotion of your speedlighter site. No it isn’t! It is an indirect result of that. It is a direct result of someone taking offense at you posing nude (note his inflammatory and incorrect use of the word naked).

    And, who is this person who sends a written letter and a printed photo? I am guessing that he or, very more likely, she is at least 70 years old and spends most of her time photographing churches and writing letters of complaint. Or maybe she’s just Mr Morrow’s mother-in-law!

    I would have never heard of Henrys if not for your promotion of it on your speedlighter site! So I think it is fair to assume that many other people are in the same position as me. I have not been able to take one of your courses simply because I live too far away in Manila, but I do have several friends in Canada to whom I will be relating this outrageous turn of events.

    Keep up the sterling work Michael.

    • You point out the pure stupidity of the “promotion” line.

      1. Someone buys camera
      2. Someone buys education on camera
      3. Someone learns more
      4. Someone buys more equipment

      Case in point is the second post on the speedlighting site right now about polarizing filters. If you didn’t own one and were convinced of its goodness, you would want to purchase one. Education = sales.

      And of course, there is the web effect that Henry’s management seems to not understand – the more links to and from your site the better.

      This is yet another example why brick and mortar photography stores are failing to compete with online retailers. Its not about price, its about offering value that justifies that higher price.

  6. Michael. Nothing surprises me anymore; pity Mr. Morrow is more interested in appeasing an individual than respecting the art/fun of photography (isn’t that what Henry’s is suppose to be about), and your many supporters All I can say to Mr. Morrow, is he has (perhaps) gained one customer, but lost many others. See you at your courses soon. Keep up the great work. Your daily blog has become my daily ritual. Cheers. RS.

  7. I wonder what the real reason was. I asked that in an email to David. I also asked how much money Henry’s thinks that customer would have been worth over the next few years.

    I have seen the photo of you, sans cloths, it did not show anything you could not see at any beach during a Toronto summer. Is there another that shows more?

    Many of us may have to think more carefully about where we purchase our gear.

  8. I have also written Mr. Morrow in regards to this issue. I think his lack of support for you in outrageous! I have been through your Tumblr site and while I consider myself a fairly conservative Christian (I am in fact employed by a church!), I do not find anything on that site distasteful or pornographic by any stretch of the imagination!

    Henry’s has lost a customer in me as well, which is a shame, because of all the camera stores in my area, they were the best by leaps and bounds.

    I can only hope that he can re-evaluate his reaction to the situation, seeing how much support you have from us, and offer you an apology and reinstatement.

    In my email, I mentioned how supportive of Henry’s, their products, protection plans, service, and SOI. His failure to support you is cowardly, and his firing of you is a gross over-reaction and under sight.

  9. Interesting indeed, especially in light of the fact that I sent an email to Henry’s complaining of the very poor quality of instruction I received after taking the second half of the introductory Nikon course (the first was with you) and received nary a reply. I had considered taking another course but only if they could confirm you were the instructor. I guess that won’t happen.

    • that the loss of a customer is the dircet result of the promotion of your speedlighter site. No it isn’t! It is an indircet result of that. It is a dircet result of someone taking offense at you posing nude (note his inflammatory and incorrect use of the word naked).And, who is this person who sends a written letter and a printed photo? I am guessing that he or, very more likely, she is at least 70 years old and spends most of her time photographing churches and writing letters of complaint. Or maybe she’s just Mr Morrow’s mother-in-law!I would have never heard of Henrys if not for your promotion of it on your speedlighter site! So I think it is fair to assume that many other people are in the same position as me. I have not been able to take one of your courses simply because I live too far away in Manila, but I do have several friends in Canada to whom I will be relating this outrageous turn of events.Keep up the sterling work Michael.

  10. I am FLOORED!!! Michael, you are an artist of light and one of truly creative wisdom. For someone to make to comment on a picture posted on a site and then for Mr Morrow to react in such a way seem way out of line. My comment to this gazing customer … if you don’t like the pic, close the browser or navigate somewhere else.

    Hell, what’s next on their agenda, burning all the books? Oh, wait that has already been attempted, but the Nazis failed to succeed! The rules of art are simple, if you don’t like the piece before you (painting, sculpture, photo, etc.) … move on. The piece has meaning and intent, namely to the artist for other to enjoy.

    Michael — I would say that one door may have closed in haste, but in its closing, many more doors are now open. Wishing you the best.

    • Thank you David, and I am comfortable in my art. Criticisms, especially from stone-age moralists, do not bother me one bit: in fact it shows me that my work NEEDS doing!

  11. I think I might have all my equipment confiscated if I posted a nude of myself. There is a VERY good reason why I am behind the camera and not in front of it 🙂

  12. I have also written Mr. Morrow in raergds to this issue. I think his lack of support for you in outrageous! I have been through your Tumblr site and while I consider myself a fairly conservative Christian (I am in fact employed by a church!), I do not find anything on that site distasteful or pornographic by any stretch of the imagination!Henry’s has lost a customer in me as well, which is a shame, because of all the camera stores in my area, they were the best by leaps and bounds.I can only hope that he can re-evaluate his reaction to the situation, seeing how much support you have from us, and offer you an apology and reinstatement.In my email, I mentioned how supportive of Henry’s, their products, protection plans, service, and SOI. His failure to support you is cowardly, and his firing of you is a gross over-reaction and under sight.

Leave a Reply to Michael Willems Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *