And So It Begins...2022
To indulge my inner nerd, our blog title is a quote from Lord of the Rings. King Théoden utters the phrase "So it begins" in preparation for the Battle at Helm's Deep.
However, I’m going to focus on some positive thoughts, instead of gloom and doom. We can get enough of that on the evening news and more. Amanda and I have taken our Workshoppers on several photo workshops over the past year, with careful planning to keep everyone safe as we traveled to Sanibel Island, FL; Bar Harbor, ME; another Beginner Bootcamp in Ripley, WV; Colonial Williamsburg, VA; and Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg, KY.
As we begin our next 10 years (see, I said I was going to be positive), we have created a fun and exciting workshop schedule for 2022!
We’re just halfway through January and we’ve already sold out our first workshop of the year, “Exploring the Crystal Coast” in North Carolina. This destination will be a “first” for us, although we have scouted it, of course. The Crystal Coast is an area with different smaller locations, each with its own attractions and flavor.
The Village of Beaufort is North Carolina’s third-oldest town and has a deep history which includes fishing, shipping, pirates and more. One of the spots we will visit is the Old Burying Grounds, with many historic names on the large, intricate headstones. We’ll visit Atlantic Beach, which is home to Fort Macon State Park. The Fort was taken by the Confederacy at the beginning of the Civil War but was later retaken by the Union. Fort Macon became North Carolina’s second State Park in 1924. Morehead City is home to a stunning and varied waterfront and presents views at sunset that are remarkable with the reflections in the water and the silhouettes of the docks.
Those are just thee spots in the Crystal Coast that will be part of our first 2022 workshop, so it’s easy to see why it has sold out! While each of our workshop destinations are special, they all bring a combination of nature and wildlife, the history of the area, and their own unique story. This offers our photographers different subjects and themes to capture and share with their cameras.
As we move further into this New Year, we will return to North Carolina for a special workshop in cooperation with the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA). We have planned a targeted event in April, focused on wildlife and landscapes of the Outer Banks. This is a NANPA Regional Photography Event, and registration is managed through their special webpage, and registration is open now.
Summer will find us in northern Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie, as we make our third workshop trip to Put In Bay and Marblehead on the 200th Anniversary of the Marblehead Lighthouse. In early October, we will return to “The Pine Tree State” for our “Colors of Maine” workshop. We were in Maine last summer, but this trip will include some new venues, as well as giving us the chance to see this beautiful state in its full fall glory! Once again, we plan to finish our workshop year in eastern Kentucky with a new version of our “Jenny Wiley Fall Photo Workshop,” held at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg, KY. The tall mountains and pines, along with wonderful 1100 acre Dewey Lake, offers stunning views throughout the Park. In addition, the area is part of the state’s free ranging herd of Rocky Mountain Elk, numbering more than 10,000 animals!
All these locations are confirmed for 2022, and we also are scouting for our 2023 workshops! Both familiar and new destinations provide something for everyone. We don’t just put you in interesting and attractive places…we share our experience and knowledge to help you bring back better images! Do you want to improve your photography? Let us take you there!
Ron Gaskins