Where Does the Time Go?
It has been a terrific year. Not only have we welcomed back many friends, but we have made a new crop of friends who joined us for the first time this year. Arnie and I thank you all for joining us. Our participants have made some great photographs, some of which have garnered awards. Many new friendships have been formed in our photo workshops that will continue well into the future, and Arnie and I have had a blast with all of you. There certainly have been plenty of laughs and congratulations on images well done. Often at the end of a workshop, people linger, not wanting to break the magic of what we have all enjoyed together.
“May I help carry some stuff out for you?”
“What are you doing for dinner tonight?”
“I’m trying to decide which workshop to attend next…”
Once everyone has left, and Arnie and I are alone, it is very quiet. We miss the camaraderie that is so prevalent in our workshops. We miss the laughter and kidding that comes with our groups melding so quickly. Yes, we need to take a small break, but it usually is only a small break. As Arnie so astutely says, “We do this to ourselves,” when people marvel at our schedule.
There is an energy that comes from doing what we love, and we really enjoy watching our participants, new or long-time, grow in their vision. For us, it is exciting.
Before a quick review of 2012, we have some terrific adventures coming up in 2013, from our first-ever weekend workshop in Durham, NC January 25-27 to our US-sanctioned adventures in Cuba: February 25-March 4 and March 4-11. We also have some new or reintroduced offerings in Sicily, Tuscany, Paris, Canyon de Chelly, and Colorado. There will also be some Lightroom 4 workshops, one in the east, one in the west. Check out the BCPA calendar for more details on these and other workshops.
Many of you already know about our upcoming exhibition at Through This Lens in Durham, NC: The Yin and Yang of the Outer Banks which opens with a reception January 18 and runs through March 2, 2013.
And now, for a quick review of 2012 from Arnie and me … and for somewhat larger versions of these photographs, head over to our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BarefootContessaPhotoAdventures and click on Photos.
We started out with Costa Rica, Her People & Culture, visiting several provinces and meeting some wonderful people. The scenery was impressive, and the variety of birds and plants amazing. We even got to see our share of crocs. 
After some quiet time for ourselves in Costa Rica, we returned Stateside and headed for Savannah & Her Lowcountry, a place we never tire of photographing. Between the history and textures, it is a feast for our eyes.
From Savannah, we headed to Charleston for our first Lightroom 4 workshop of the year, followed quickly by Charleston, a Southern Belle. Charleston has some beautiful old plantation grounds that keep our interest every time we visit. There is lowcountry there, too, and we take advantage of it for a different flavor for our participants.
To round out the first quarter of the year, we drove to the coast in our “back yard” for Springtime on the Outer Banks. The ocean and skies are different every time we return. We love this area so much that we came here over the holidays last month. These two photographs , however, were from last spring. Continue reading →
