If you photograph flowers outdoors, you know how challenging creating a good photograph can be. In this lecture and audio-visual presentation, I’ll present great tips and invaluable insights on how to create memorable and evocative images of flowers outdoors. For details and register, go to:

http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=WS_Allen-Rokach_2011-04-13

Winter is drawing to an end and that means a busy and exciting spring full of lectures and workshops around the country.

Actually, this was not a winter of hibernation for me. I gave my lecture/audio presentation on The Joy of Photographing Flowers at two Florida venues: in January at Harmon Photo in Orlando and in February at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. Both had a full house and lots of enthusiasm. I also ran two Florida workshops: Camelias Galore! At Leu Gardens in Orlando and Discovering the Beauty of Floral Photography at Bok Tower Gardens in conjunction with my exhibit there. It was great to meet many new photographers and also reconnect with old friends who came to study there with me.

In between, Anne and I took a wonderful and very photogenic trip through Southeast Asia visiting Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. I’ll be posting my photos of those locations in my “New Shoots” soon.

For now, let me tell you about some of the great opportunities to improve your flower and garden photography in the months ahead. In addition to focusing on the particular strengths at each location – orchids, wildflowers, roses, flowers in the landscape – I am emphasizing how to make the most of your digital equipment. Since each camera is different, it’s vital to learn the menus and settings that will give you the results you want. In addition, we take time to look at the potential of after-capture computer techniques that will enhance your images.

I’ll be returning to some favorite locations – the New York Botanical Garden, Winterthur, the United States Botanical Garden, the Chicago Botanical Garden, Chanticleer and the wildflower capital of central Texas.

I’m also offering workshops at some new destinations and I hope these will give you a different experience. I’m especially proud of being listed with the prestigious Maine Media Workshops, where you’ll have a chance for a more extensive week-long learning opportunity. In addition, I’ll be doing my first workshops the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA, known for its orchids; the Norfolk Botanical Garden with its fabulous roses; my first spring workshop at the Bernheim Arboretum in Louisville, KY; and the Clark Institute of Art in Williamstown, MA.

Please see the listings below for details and tell your friends. I hope to see you at one or more of these workshops to learn and have fun together.

All the best, Allen

Upcoming Workshops

• May 14-15: Photographing Spring at Winterthur a digital photography weekend workshop at Winterthur, Wilmington, DE
• May 20: Lecture and Audio-Visual Presentation on Thirty Ways to Look at a Flower at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, Norfolk, VA
• May 21-22: Capturing the Rose: An Advanced Macro Photography Workshop at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, Norfolk, VA
• May 28-29: Focus on Flowers, a spring weekend workshop at the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, Louisville, KY
• June 5:Capturing the Beauty of Roses, a one-day workshop at The New York Botanical Garden, for Workshops@Adorama with a review session on Monday, June 6, 2011 5:30 — 7:30 p.m. Check back for the link.
• June 12-18: Focus on Flowers, a week-long intensive workshop on close-up flower photography at the Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine
• July 15-17: Lecture and summer weekend workshop at the Chicago Botanical Garden
• NEW July 22: Lecture and Audio-Visual Presentation on Focus on Flowers: Discovering the Beauty of Flowers and Gardens at Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden, near Philadelphia, PA
• NEW July 23-24: A Summer Photography Weekend Workshop at Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden, a weekend digital photography workshop near Philadelphia, PA
• July 29: The Power of Natural Light, a free evening lecture and audio-visual presentation at the Clark Institute of Art in Williamstown, MA
• July 30-31: Focus on Nature: A Summer Photography Workshop, a weekend workshop at the Clark Institute of Art in Williamstown, MA
• October 14-16: Lecture and fall weekend workshop at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington D.C.
• October 21-23: Lecture and fall weekend workshop at the Bernheim Arboretum, Louisville, KY
• October 28-30: Lecture and fall weekend workshop at the Chicago Botanical Garden

Spring is coming and that means a bunch of new photography workshops are on their way. I hope you’ll be able to join me at one or more. Here are the first few. More will be listed soon. Just click on the link for a full description and registration information—or go to the Workshops page.

• March 1: Capturing the Beauty of Orchids in New York (register by Feb. 23)
• March 10-11: Focus on Flowers: Creating Floral Portraits at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show
• March 27-29: The Art of Flower & Garden Photography at the Dallas Botanical Garden*
• April 4: Capturing the Beauty of Orchids at The New York Botanical Garden
• April 5: Photographing Flowers with Your Point & Shoot Camera: Introduction to Digital Flower & Garden Photography
• April 18-19: Perspectives on the Spring Garden at The New York Botanical Garden
• May 2: Mastering the Art of Garden Photography at The New York Botanical Garden
• May 15-17: Getting to Know Your Digital Camera: A Primer for Flower & Garden at Winterthur Museum & Garden, Wilmington, DE
• July 17-19: Summer Garden Photography Weekend Workshop

*The Dallas workshop is sold out but is taking names for a waiting list. You can still register for the Power of Natural Light lecture, happening on Friday evening.

Find an environment that says something about your subject

Select the right elements in the environment

Set the subject in a characteristic environment

Adapt to the environment to get the best portrait

Make the environment a key feature of the portrait

Capture the mood with diffused light

Go with backlight for radiant leaves

Come in on a detail for color

Use a filter to remove glare from leaves

Saturate fall colors