Today I'm posting student work from the travel + nature photography workshop, which I taught at Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden last month. Although I had only two in my class, we sure had a great time! Marielle & Warren turned out some incredible work. This class was geared for the intermediate photographer, however if I teach it again I'm hopeful that the advanced beginner photographer decides to take it too.
No matter your level of photography, never feel intimidated to sign up for a workshop with me. I work with each individual person at their level. Because this class was in early June, as schools and colleges were over for the year, we think that many headed out of town on vacation and weren't able to sign up. I know of three people who said they wanted to take it, but knew they would either be away or just couldn't work it into their schedules. Either way, smaller classes are great. I'm happy teaching one person or up to about 8-10 at a time!
We did most of our assignments in the beautiful garden & along Main Street in downtown Kernersville on the evenings we met for classes. However, you may notice that Warren's images aren't from around here! During the time he was taking my workshop, he and his wife took a trip to New Mexico. I love that he tied his assignment in with his trip & these are the photos he decided to share. And even though Warren's work features images from his trip out west, you can create beautiful travel photography from your own community. You don't have to take a vacation or trip to make new discoveries in your own community!
As for me, locally I'm always looking for new trails to hike, wildflowers to photograph, and even small towns to visit - or revisit. I even wrote a travel feature, with photography of course, about small town Gibsonville & The Burke Manor Inn for a local arts & entertainment magazine, Tamarah's Closet, for the April-May 2022 issue. Downtown Gibsonville is only eight miles from my house! Another example is just this past Friday, I tried out a "new to me" trail and photo outing with a friend & it's less than seven miles from my house. I'd never been before & I just learned about it from a neighbor a few weeks ago (amazing flora and fauna and great trails)!
Some of the other things my students learned, by taking my class, were lighting, composition, exposure, & how to plan for a photo outing - whether locally for a day trip or if your destination is by plane. Some of the other secrets I shared are how to pack & what camera gear to bring. One of the things I suggested is always be opened to things that you may not have planned and to be spontaneous, such as the weather or if you miss the train! In addition, I shared information on some of my local haunts for photo ops and my favorite North Carolina State Parks. Did you know we have three in The Triad and a few just outside of our area that are within 1-2 hours away? North Carolina has a lot to offer.
We also talked about how to tell a story with your photography & what makes a photograph interesting - what grabs your attention, in other words. Travel photography is so many things including (but not limited to) the natural environment, architecture, local culture, and of course, people. These are just a few ideas on how to create the true travel photography experience. My thoughts are, don't be afraid to try new things & meet new people even if from a totally different culture or if there's a language barrier (I've been in that situation before & was still able to communicate with this sweet lady in her Tuscan shop!). Look beyond what's right there in front of you. Best advice - be a traveler, not a tourist! And ALWAYS take a camera with you, whether its a DSLR, Mirrorless Camera, Point & Shoot, or your Smartphone.
Thank you again, Marielle & Warren, for joining me and to the staff at Ciener Garden for a wonderful spring of teaching there! Stay tuned for the Smartphone Photography student's work coming soon.
Until then, let Marielle & Warren's amazing work speak for itself!
images are © copyrighted, please do not share or copy without permission first. All images are watermarked with photographer's names.
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