Updated: 4.20.2016
Baby boomer photographers, have you considered a photography workshop vacation? If you’re a landscape enthusiast, workshops provide instruction while introducing you to choice photo locations (the right spot at the right time of day). Many workshops allow the spouse to come along for a minimal charge.
When Alan signed up for Jim Altengarten’s Northern Arizona workshop at exposure36 Photography, I was skeptical. Would I find enough to do while the students were taking photos? How would the group react to me tagging along? Did Jim have a problem with my presence in the class?
My worries were groundless. I attended morning shoots and afternoon shoots, traipsing to scenic areas that I might never have seen. Although I wasn’t involved in the instruction, Jim allowed me to bring a camera and practice on my own. I can’t believe how many photography tips I learned just by watching and listening.
So, what can you expect from a photography tour? First of all, you’re up early and out late so be prepared to lose a little sleep. You’ll be lucky to eat two meals a day, usually around 11 am, after the morning shoot, and then again, around 8 pm, after the evening session. In mid-day, you’ll review the photos that you’ve downloaded to your computer plus attend a critiquing session with Jim. If you’re lucky, there’ll be time to grab a quick nap.
We enjoyed our first workshop so much that last year, we took Jim’s session at Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Moab, Utah.
Oh, the photos you see here. I took them.