… And a Weekend Workshop …
Mother Nature pitched a curve ball at us on Friday, the day we were supposed to start our first-ever, weekend photo workshop. The forecast was for snow, sleet, then freezing rain. Up North, we expect such things, but in North Carolina and other parts of the South, we aren’t really prepared for it. The trucks were out early, spreading brine. Schools and businesses closed early, so people could get home safely. Mother Nature, however, moved up her time table.
We e-mailed everyone earlier, saying if they could not make it by 3:00, to just let us know, as their safety was of prime concern. After I returned from Cup-A-Joe, Arnie and I decide to delay the start of the workshop. The skies were already starting to spit white stuff, and it was not snow. It made noise as it landed. We called everyone on their cell phones and told them we would start in the morning, and that they would not lose shooting time. There is a reason we ask for cell phone numbers from our participants. One of our alumni was already on his way down from Delaware. Our newest and youngest member was driving up with her mother from farther south. The timing was good, as they would arrive in Durham before the weather really turned nasty.
So, we started the next morning, people drifting in until we had nearly a full complement. One of our alumnae could not make it, as she lives on a back road that didn’t melt in time. She will join us at another workshop instead. In the next blog, we’ll talk about the urban landscape. People loved the textures that went along with it.
Now, on to the last installment of our favorite images from 2012 … and as with earlier installments of this series, for somewhat larger versions of these photographs, head over to our Facebook page and click on Photos.
I grew up in New England, and while I have also lived in South America, California, and now North Carolina, I always love to return for visits to the Northeast. It is fun to show our participants places that I have known and photographed for decades. People come from all over the planet to see New England Fall Foliage.
We love the Outer Banks. It is now in our back yard, or at least only a few hours away. We return there twice a year for workshops and visit at other times to just enjoy the beauty it has to offer. There are fishing villages and stormy skies that keep us entranced, as well as old piers and wild seashore. Lighthouses of the Outer Banks always produces so much more than lighthouse shots
We look forward to our annual western workshops. This year, as last, we started with Death Valley National Park. What an amazing place that is, and it gives us great respect for the earlier explorers and settlers who managed to cross this desolate place. Its stark beauty appeals to our photographic eyes.
From Death Valley, we headed to Joshua Tree National Park for our final workshop of the year, the one we dedicate to our alumni and advanced shooters. With a totally different landscape from Death Valley, it also has much to offer. We are grateful to those who saw the need to preserve much of the natural beauty of the countries around the world. Joshua Tree is a wonderful jumble of amazing rock formations, Joshua Trees, and cactus. The shapes are always different, the light always changing. Continue reading
