For the last 3 days, I’ve been recharging my creative juice at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops at Santa Fe, New Mexico. After spending 10 days in the smokey, polluted and overrated Las Vegas, Jasmine and I had a splendid time at Flagstaff, Arizona, checking out the Grand Canyon and the Meteor Crater. I’ll save our Arizona trip for another post.

We’ve known the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops for 4 years. We’ve always wanted to come and we made it this year. The fact that the Workshop is running in the winter (right between the WPPI convention) works out perfectly for us.

So what am I doing here? I am taking Marcia Reifman’s “Digital Photography: The Next Step”, which is a beginner’s level workshop. Yup, you’ve heard me right.

I’ve been getting a lot of request to run workshops for beginners, a direction that I’m staying clear off because I know I am not very effective in teaching beginners. It’s been too long since I was a beginner. That’s why I am here: to learn from Marcia how to be a good teacher & get familiar with the needs of beginner photographers. She is patient, articulate and funny. I love her heart. My classmates taught me tons too! Their questions help me understand their concerns. Did I mention I was the only male in the 15-person class? Feels like I am in an extended bridal shower!

Workshop Director, Reid Callanan, gave all the week-long participants a fantastic advice: let’s play and have fun! It’s something I’ve almost forgotten about. As a professional, I am always busy creating work for my clients & running the business. For a change, a very nice change this week, I am just here to play & experiment with new techniques, subject matters & lenses. I have no expectations to meet, no deadlines & no pressure. Phew!

Here are some of the pictures I’ve taken…most of them with the Nikon PC-E 85mm f/2.8 tilt shift lens that I signed out on loan from the Workshop. This lens has given me a new lease of life. I LOVE IT! (note: all the out-of-focus effect in these pictures were created by the lens, not in post production)

This is Marcia, our instructor. Isn’t she cool?