Dear Fellow Shutterbug,

Winter is usually a time for me to hibernate, edit a huge backlog of images, do some printing and catch up on sleep. But this winter I have a bunch of new workshops in new locations and I hope some of them will entice you. For example, I’ll be offering workshops in Florida and California where I expect the weather to be fine.

But don’t let weather be a determining factor in your photographic efforts. Remember the freak snow storm that hit the east coast recently — even before winter officially arrives? While others were taking shelter, I found myself drawn into Central Park to see what I could see. I’ve included some of the images in my new shoots so take a look at what you can do — if you are willing to head outside, no matter what the weather.

To lure you out there, this winter I’m offering a couple of “meet and shoot” opportunities: one to Yosemite National Park in early March; another to the Platte River in Nebraska to photograph sandhill cranes in one of their key winter habitats. These are less formal than full workshops but give you a chance to come along to explore an environment that I’ll be photographing. Instruction will be offered in the field.

Also, I want to remind you about a new initiative: foreign trips built around my photo workshops. The first one, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain School of Photography, is “Storybook Holland” from April 21-30, 2012. Although this workshop is scheduled for next spring, I want you to know about it now since it takes place during Floriade 2012, an international horticultural expo held in the Netherlands only once every 10 years. If you want to see and photograph this eye-popping floral exhibition, as well as Holland’s magnificent gardens and delightful countryside, be sure to save the date and register early by going here. You don’t want to wait ten years for your next opportunity!

Finally, I want to mention a couple of upcoming exhibitions I’ll be having. There’s a one-man show of my photographs called “Taming the Garden” at the Studios of Key West in Florida from March 15-30. It’s a big, beautiful venue and Key West is a great location — I will also be offering a workshop there — so I do hope you’ll make an effort to come. The Studios are a major supporter of artists in every medium and I’m honored to be associated with them. I’m also on exhibit in Chicago from March 11-18 called “Focus on Flowers.”

With the year drawing to an end, I want to wish all of you a joyous holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Please remember that you can give the gift of photography to your loved ones. If you know someone who would appreciate being in one of my workshops or owning one of my prints, just contact me and we’ll make the arrangements.

Please see the listings below for details and tell your friends. Whether you are a returning student or a new participant, I hope to see you at one or more of these workshops to learn, have fun together and renew or build our connections.

All the best,

Allen Rokach

• February 10: Lecture and Audio-Visual Presentation on The Power of Natural Light at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida. For details, click here.
• February 11 & 12: Focus on Nature: A Digital Nature Photography Workshop, a weekend workshop emphasizing digital capture and after-capture techniques; at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida. For details, click here.
• February 23: Lecture and Audio-Visual Presentation on The Passionate Gardener: How I Look at Gardens; followed by Shoot It, Play With It, Enjoy It: Introduction to the Basics of Digital Photography, an afternoon workshop for members of the Village Garden Club of La Jolla, California. For details, click here.
• February 28: Introduction to Digital Flower Photography, a one-day workshop at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. For details, click here.
• March 2-7: Yosemite in Winter, a “meet and shoot” photo trip. For details, e-mail Allen Rokach.
• March 9: Lecture and Audio-Visual Presentation on The Magical World of Floral Close-ups at the Chicago Botanic Garden. For details, click here.
• March 10: Floral Close-up Photography, a digital weekend workshop at the Chicago Botanic Garden. For details, click here.
• March 11: Introduction to Digital Flower Photography: Shoot It, Play With It, Enjoy It, a digital photography workshop in conjunction with the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. For details, click here.
• March 12: Creative Digital Flower Photography, a digital photography workshop in conjunction with the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. For details, click here.
• March 13: How I See a Garden, a lecture and audio-visual presentation in conjunction with the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. For details, click here.
• March 14-17: Sandhill Cranes of the Nebraska’s Platte River, a “meet and shoot” photo trip. Almost a half million Sandhill Cranes migrate to shallow stretches along the Platte River each winter, peaking in mid-March. Join me as I photograph this spectacular birding spot. For details, e-mail Allen Rokach
• March 22: The Power of Natural Light, a lecture and audio-visual presentation at the Studios of Key West, Florida. For details, click here.
• March 22-25: Capture Key West, a digital photography workshop in conjunction with the Studios of Key West. For details, click here.
• March 29-April 1: Photographing the Wildflowers of Texas, a digital photography workshop in conjunction with the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. For details, click here.
• April 13: The Joy of Flower Photography, a lecture and audio-visual presentation at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia. For details, click here.
• April 14 & 15: Orchid and Flower Photography, a digital photography workshop at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia. For details, click here.
• April 21-30: Storybook Holland, a foreign travel digital photography workshop that will focus on Holland’s amazing Floriade extravaganza and other prime floral locations at the peak of the Dutch bulb bloom; sponsored by the Rocky Mountain School of Photography. For details and to register, click here.

To see some recent articles, click on the links below:

5 FALL FOLIAGE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

SHOOT BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITS

GEARING UP FOR CLASSY CLOSE-UPS

CLOSE-UPS: GETTING A SHARPER IMAGE

AFTER-CAPTURE TECHNIQUES FOR CLOSE-UPS

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS: TO POSE OR NOT TO POSE PEOPLE, PART 1

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS: TO POSE OR NOT TO POSE PEOPLE, PART 2

TAKING PICTURES THROUGH GLASS

Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida

I’ll be offering this public lecture and audio-visual presentation at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida. It will explore how every kind of natural light can be used to enhance photographs of nature, landscapes, gardens and flowers. For more information and register, click here.

Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida

This intensive two-day workshop will use the beautiful grounds of Bok Tower Gardens to show photographers at all levels how to improve their images of nature using digital camera techniques that have revolutionized photography and opened it up to limitless possibilities. We will explore from early morning through sunset to create beautiful images of nature: everything from evocative landscapes and creative portrayals of trees to close-ups and special effects. The workshop will also include training in after-capture photo editing techniques so bring your laptop. For more information and register, click here.

Village Garden Club of La Jolla, California

This full day of instruction for members of the Village Garden Club of La Jolla, California begins with a lecture and audio-visual presentation on my personal perspective on some of the great private gardens I have visited, seen and photographed around the United States — and the amazing people who have created them. Then comes an afternoon workshop called Shoot It, Play With It, Enjoy It: Introduction to the Basics of Digital Photography, which will show participants how to use their digital cameras and simple after-capture techniques to create top-notch images of gardens and flowers. For details, click here.

San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

This one-day workshop will put the focus on flowers using the resources of the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. We will explore the range of opportunities for floral portraits and close-ups using digital in-camera and after-capture techniques. We’ll also experiment with creative perspectives that will stretch your imagination and help you expand your visual horizons. For details, click here.

Chicago Botanic Garden

This public lecture and audio-visual presentation will look at the many ways that close-ups of flowers extend our vision, technically and aesthetically, and will discuss digital camera and after-capture techniques that enable us to create amazing and beautiful close-ups. For details, click here.

Chicago Botanic Garden

This weekend workshop will use the stunning flowers in the conservatory at the Chicago Botanic Garden to develop our skills in digital close-up photography. We’ll begin with gaining technical facility with close-up equipment. Then we’ll explore in-camera and after-capture techniques for extending our creative vision. For details, click here.

Chicago Flower & Garden Show

This one-day digital photography workshop is a fun way to experience the huge and stunningly beautiful Chicago Flower & Garden Show. It will show participants how to make the most of their digital cameras and use simple after-capture techniques to create top-notch images of gardens and flowers. For details, click here.

Chicago Flower & Garden Show

Looking for new ways to portray flowers? Then this one-day workshop, offered in conjunction with the Chicago Flower & Garden Show, is the one for you. We’ll focus on discovering all the fascinating technical opportunities that digital photography presents us with. Then we’ll explore how applying those new techniques allows us to open new doors to our own creativity. For details, click here.

Chicago Flower & Garden Show

This lecture and audio-visual presentation, offered in conjunction with the Chicago Flower & Garden Show, will give you a glimpse of my personal perspective on some of the great private gardens I have visited, seen and photographed around the United States — and the amazing people who have created them. For details, click here.

The Studios of Key West

This lecture and audio-visual presentation will explore how every kind of natural light can be used to enhance every kind of photograph: nature, travel, gardens and people. For details, click here.

The Studios of Key West

This digital photography workshop will take us to the most iconic locations around Key West, Florida, as well as some little-known gems to put together a rich portfolio of images of this charming, picturesque and spectacular setting. We’ll be out in the field at sunrise and sunset to get the best light. In between, we’ll have time for instruction in techniques you can apply immediately as well as critique sessions that focus on problem-solving and helping you hone your individual skills. For details, click here.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

I’ll be returning to the Brenham area of Texas for this 4-day digital photography workshop and photographic exploration of this prime spring wildflowers destination. We will go to several locations, including private ranches, to find the best places for photographing this eye-popping array of bluebonnets, coreopsis, Indian paintbrush, Texas winecups and other colorful specimens which blanket wide swatches of the landscape here. We’ll be photographing at sunrise and late afternoon to sunset with time in between for instruction on the finer points of digital photography, including after-capture techniques; review sessions; and personal exploration of the local towns. This workshop sold out last year so register early. For details, click here.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia

This public lecture and audio-visual presentation will inspire you with many examples of images that are fun to look at and even more fun to learn to create. For details, click here.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia

This digital photography workshop will give us a chance to encounter the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s world class display of orchids — and much more. For details, click here.

Sponsored by the Rocky Mountain School of Photography

This foreign travel digital photography workshop will focus on Holland’s amazing Floriade extravaganza and other prime floral locations at the peak of the Dutch bulb bloom, as well as visit and explore Holland’s charming villages.

For details and to register, click here.