Travel with our mentors and try out all of the latest equipment from Nikon! Including world class digital SLRs, Nikkor lenses and the Coolpix line of Digital Cameras.

For our fist shoot we took the circle-line around the great island of Manhattan. And, although the non-stop talk of the guide was annoying the ideas from my mentor Rob Van Petten were helpful. I was able to see the city from a photographer’s perspective, capturing the skyline even though it was overcast made for interesting photos.

Even more inspirational was when all the trekkers (photographers) walked to Times Square that night with cameras and tripods in tow for a fun photography experience. I typically avoid these streets that are overcrowded with tourists but I was happy to be there and found that the crowds added to the effect of the lights on Broadway.

Our next day began with an in depth Photoshop class taught by Chris Alvanas. That was followed by individual critique sessions of images shot so far. I found that my mentor for the day Tony Corbell(they were rotated through out the workshop) was positive but direct enough about my images. I truly appreciated the feedback, not just of my work but also of others.

That afternoon we took a bus to Coney Island and what was to me the highlight of the trip. I had been to the Astroland amusement park on a few occasions, in my younger days and know that it will soon be demolished. Being there gave me the opportunity to capture and document the feeling and of this magical place. There were so many happy faces to photograph, children screaming on the rides, eating ice cream or just enjoying a summer’s day on the beach. Not to mention the colors everywhere; the cyclone, the big wheel, the carousels and the many games. I practiced panning and used my long lens to capture some of the details of the people and the rides.

That evening was topped off with a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. The NYC famous skyline is at it’s most photogenic at night. Capturing the fast moving traffic along side us with the Brooklyn Bridge gave me my favorite picture of this famous bridge to date. I didn’t think anything could top some of my world travel photography but the morning sunrise photo shoot at the top of the Empire State Building has. It wasn’t just the photo opportunity that made this unique although, the city in the early morning light was magnificent; it was the darkness and quite that surrounded us on the observation deck. Our photography group was alone, no tourists, no guides all of us with one passion; made this a once in a lifetime experience, one that I will always remember and treasure.

Our photos in the final slide show later that day proved further that we had all learned from one another and from our phenomenal mentors. I would definitely attend another workshop; actually I’m already trying to find one to fit into my schedule.