Yes, Photography Can Be a Team Sport

Derrick Story
2 min readNov 17, 2022
Heceta Head Lighthouse near Florence, Oregon. Photo by Derrick Story.

We parked our cars in the sweet afternoon light at the lookout for Heceta Head Lighthouse. I could hear the excitement in their voices as they set up tripods and mounted their cameras on them. Twilight was only moments away.

Heceta Head is a special place. It’s rugged and beautiful and spiritual all at once. You remind yourself while framing the shot that this icon has been photographed a thousand times. Yet, there’s always room for one more. And that’s what we were doing this November evening.

Our photography workshop was already half way over. Eight enthusiasts plus myself had been exploring the Oregon Coast in three SUVs. I mixed up the seating daily so folks had a chance to learn more about each other. I found EV charging stations in hospitable costal towns such as Reedsport and Yachats. Fish and chips were served everywhere. Life was good.

Once we gathered each morning at our headquarters, we were together shooting or processing images as a group until it was time for dinner. And even then, they would break into smaller groups to keep the conversation going.

We usually don’t think of photography as a team sport. Typically, we’re off alone or with a buddy as we explore the world through our camera lenses. But that’s often the result of circumstance rather than desire.

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