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I will be at The Chicago Botanic Garden to offer a Friday evening lecture on The Joy of Photographing Flowers followed on Saturday and Sunday by a two-day workshop on Floral Close-Up Photography. The lecture presentation will take you on a visual journey that begins with my early attempts at flower photography and will trace the path I traveled learning the craft necessary to create dramatic floral close-ups. The intensive two-day workshop is scheduled at the height of the summer bloom. We will concentrate on close-up techniques using macro lenses, inexpensive extension tubes and close-up filters on lenses you already have, all to help you create dramatic and aesthetic images of flowers as you have rarely seen them.

For more information and to register go to the Chicago Botanic Garden Website. Click the Botanical Arts & Humanities link, then scroll down to find the workshop listing.

Or, look at some of my recent photos from the Chicago Botanic Garden on flickr.

For more information go to the Travel Dynamics website.

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This is a rare chance to extend your photographic skills while aboard an exotic 12-day cruise: To the Crossroads of Europe & Asia: A Voyage from Istanbul to the Black Sea, the Meeting Place of East and West. Our cruise begins in Istanbul, continues along the Black Sea coast and explores the fascinating but rarely visited Sea of Azov, a large inland sea at the mouth of Russia’s Don River. We will be sailing on the Corinthian II, a luxurious small cruise ship that will be making daily stops at famous historic sites and destinations of glorious natural beauty in Turkey, Crimea, Ukraine, Russia and beyond. I will be offering a series of photography-related lectures on the key elements of travel photography and instruction to help you create memorable photographs of your voyage using your digital camera.

For more information, go to the Travel Dynamics website.

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I will be at Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden to offer a Friday evening lecture on The Joy of Photographing Flowers followed on Saturday and Sunday by a two-day workshop on Flower & Garden Photography. The lecture presentation will take you on a visual journey that begins with my early attempts at flower photography and will trace the path I traveled learning the craft necessary to create dramatic floral close-ups. During the intensive two-day workshop, we will enhance our photographic skills by exploring the variety of flower beds, water gardens, woodlands and other world-class settings at Chanticleer at the peak of summer. Through lectures, field sessions and review sessions, you will receive in-depth instruction on making the best use of natural light throughout the day; mastering floral close-ups; portraying flowers in their garden setting, including the lotus water gardens; and understanding the technical potential of digital cameras and after- capture techniques for achieving creative outcomes.

For more information, go to the Chanticleer Garden website or contact Anne Sims, aws@chanticleergarden.org.

Click here to view some of my images of Chanticleer.

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I will be at The Coastal Maine Botanical Garden to offer a Friday evening lecture on The Power of Natural Light followed on Saturday and Sunday by a two-day workshop on Mastering the Art of Flower and Garden Photography. The lecture presentation will explore the many qualities of light that photographers encounter and how to make the most of every kind of light. The intensive two-day workshop will take advantage of the amazing photographic opportunities at The Coastal Maine Botanical Garden. We will enhance our photographic skills by exploring the stunning ornamental gardens plus some of the miles of trails that allow us to experience Maine’s exceptional natural beauty, complete with waterfalls, pristine woodlands and incomparable coastal vistas. We will also have access to quaint waterfront towns and classic stonework that are quintessentially Maine. Through lectures, field sessions and review sessions, you will receive in-depth instruction on making the best use of natural light throughout the day; mastering floral close-ups; portraying flowers in their garden or natural setting; and understanding the technical potential of digital cameras and after- capture techniques for achieving creative outcomes.

For more information go to the Maine Gardens website:

• The Power of Natural Light
• Mastering the Art of Flower and Garden Photography

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I will be at The Chicago Botanic Garden to offer a Friday evening lecture on The Magical World of Floral Close-Ups followed on Saturday by a full day workshop on Floral Close-up Photography. The presentation will take you on a visual journey that begins with my early attempts at flower photography and will trace the path I traveled learning the craft necessary to create dramatic floral close-ups. The Saturday workshop will show you how to use macro lenses, as well as inexpensive extension tubes and close-up filters on lenses you already have, to help you create dramatic and aesthetic images of flowers as you have rarely seen them.

Click here for more information and to register.

Or, look at some of my recent photos from the Chicago Botanic Garden on flickr.

It’s been a busy but exciting spring. I gave lots of photography workshops around the country: in Chicago, New York, Texas, Delaware and Washington D.C. We explored floral close-ups, the magic of orchids, the wildflowers of Texas and whatever each group of participants wanted to learn about digital photography and after-capture techniques. I met many wonderful people and I hope to see some of you again at future workshops.

With summer around the corner, I am gearing up for another series of workshops, lectures – and even a couple of cruises. Take a look at what’s coming up; then read the posts below for registration information. I hope you find something that sparks your interest. If you have additional questions, e-mail me at allen@allenrokach.com

July 9-11: The Joy of Photographing Flowers, a weekend workshop at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

July 17-24: A 7-day photography workshop aboard a Travel Dynamics International cruise on The Great Lakes: A Voyage through America’s Magnificent Inland Seas.

August 8-18: A 12-day photography workshop aboard an exotic Travel Dynamics International cruise: To the Crossroads of Europe & Asia: A Voyage from Istanbul to the Black Sea, the Meeting Place of East and West.

August 27-29: Summer Garden Photography Weekend Workshop at Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden near Philadelphia, PA.

September 3-5: Mastering the Art of Flower and Garden Photography, an intensive weekend workshop at The Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in Boothbay, Maine.

September 27: I will make a presentation on 30 Ways to Look at a Flower for The Orlando Camera Club, which invited me to be the featured speaker at their annual banquet. For more information go to: http://www.orlandocameraclub.com/meeting_info.htm

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For a chance to photograph one of the great floral spectacles in New York City, join me at The New York Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Show for Capturing the Beauty of Orchids. This full day Workshops@Adorama field workshop will offer on-site instruction to help you create stunning photographs of these magnificent flowers. There will also be an eveing review session at Adorama, the huge camera store on W. 18^th St. which is sponsoring this workshop. For details and to register, click here. Scroll down to the March listings.

You can see some of my photos from the New York Botanical Garden on flickr

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The Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden is sponsoring my intensive 3^1/2 day workshop on photographing Texas wildflowers. Every spring, the Texas hill country bursts into a spectacle of color as bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush and other wildflowers come into bloom. Located in the heart of this wildflower country is Brenham—a charming town in its own right and a perfect base for exploring wildflowers in the surrounding hills. For a taste of what’s in store, you can find a sampling of my Texas wildflower photographs on flickr.

To make sure you get the most from your visit, I will scout in advance to find the top wildflower locations and bring you there at the best light. We will go on two daily outings and you will have many opportunities to develop your skills in flower, landscape and travel photography. In addition to the on-location instructions you will receive, we will hold two critique sessions to evaluate and improve your photography and help you set goals for the next outing. You will also learn simple “after capture” techniques to increase the impact of your images.

Click here to register. Scroll down a bit to find the workshop.

For more information please do not hesitate to contact me at allen@allenrokach.com or call me at (646) 519 1751; or email Joy Ijams at the Dallas Arboretum: jijams@dallasarboretum.org

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I will be offering an intensive weekend Spring Photography Workshop at the magnificent estate and gardens at Winterthur in Wilmington, Delaware: Focus on Flowers: Creating Floral Close-Ups. This workshop for intermediate students of photography will give you the chance to discover the many approaches to shooting floral close-ups and meeting the challenges they present. A mix of classroom presentations, critique sessions and outings around Winterthur’s beautiful grounds will help you define your own aesthetic vision and master the techniques needed to serve that vision. For more information and to register, click here.

Take a look at some photos from Winterthur on my flickr page.