Dear Fellow Shutterbug,

Photographically, it’s been an amazing year and it looks like next year will be even better.

I was thrilled to do spring photography workshops at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington D.C., then the wildflowers of Texas, followed by fabulous orchids and spring bulbs at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, all capped off by a very successful new 5-day workshop called “Great Gardens of the Mid-Atlantic Region,” which took participants to Chanticleer, Winterthur, Longwood Gardens, and Mount Cuba.

Over the summer, Anne and I had a terrific – and challenging — month-long visit to Alaska exploring all the national parks, even such remote ones as Kobuk Valley, Gates of the Arctic and Wrangell-St. Elias. I’m still editing the thousands of images I shot. I’ll let you know when I’ve posted them in “New Shoots.” I returned to another favorite destination, the Chanticleer Pleasure Garden, for a weekend workshop on ‘Digital Photography as Art.” Then Anne and I headed to Trinidad & Tobago to scout those islands for an upcoming travel photography workshop (see below).

In autumn, I returned to Chicago and Dallas to focus on fall color and business techniques, followed by a presentation in Orlando to the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.

Now I’ve got my bags packed to take a group of adventurous photographers on a travel photography experience in India, a fabulous opportunity to see and photograph this colorful, diverse and fascinating country. Right after India, Anne and I will be going on a tour of Myanmar (Burma) and will see if this makes a good destination for future travel photography workshops. (If such a trip would interest you, let me know.)

It’s been a pleasure to see and work with many of you throughout 2014 and I look forward to meeting even more of you in 2015. You’ll find many great opportunities to hone your photographic skills, develop your creative potential, explore the ever-changing dimensions of digital photography, become more mindful and aware of the wonders around you, and learn with like-minded people who enjoy growing through personal interactions with the worlds of nature, flowers, gardens and cultures. So look below at the workshops I’ve lined up for the coming year.

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 and hope to see you soon,

Allen Rokach

Dear Fellow Shutterbug,

I’ve just finished a series of colorful and exciting spring photography workshops at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington D.C., then the wildflowers of Texas, followed by fabulous orchids and spring bulbs at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, all capped off by a very successful new 5-day workshop called “Great Gardens of the Mid-Atlantic Region,” which took participants to Chanticleer, Winterthur, Longwood Gardens, and Mount Cuba. It was great to see so many of you learning while having a good time.

Now I’m gearing up for a busy summer and fall, while finalizing plans for 2015. Next week, Anne and I are heading to Alaska for a month-long visit. It starts with a workshop the weekend of June 13-15 to photograph the wildflowers in areas accessible to Anchorage. There’s still time to sign up so let me know if you’re up there and interested. Then in August, we’ll be heading to Trinidad and Tobago to scout the area for a nature photography workshop that will emphasize birds but include other local flora and fauna. Stay tuned.

In between, I’ll be back at Chanticleer for a digital photography workshop that will introduce you to some of the new techniques I’ve been working with in the camera and especially using after-capture software. You’ll be amazed by what’s possible!

For those of you who like to look ahead, I’m scheduled to return to Chicago and Dallas in the fall. Then in January I’m planning to return to India for another fabulous opportunity to see and photograph this amazing, diverse and fascinating country. It will be a small group and I already have registrations so don’t hesitate. Please see the listings below and get in touch if you have any questions.

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 and hope to see you soon,
Allen Rokach

Dear Fellow Shutterbug,

I know it’s been a while since my last update. My apologies.

I’ve really been on the road quite a bit, exploring Colorado and the Dakotas with Anne in the fall; then we took a fascinating trip to Chile in December. It’s a country of huge contrasts and we took every opportunity to capture a variety of rugged landscapes, from the stark beauty of the Atacama Desert in the north to the wind-swept mountains of Torres del Paine to the frozen expanses of glaciers and the Chilean fjords in the south. Look at “New Shoots” at the right here and here for photos taken at some of these locations.

Now I’m back in my Florida home and getting ready for a new season of workshops and lectures over the next few months. Most are on the East Coast but some are further afield, including a new wildflower workshop in Alaska and a return to Holland at tulip season. Please see the listings below and get in touch if you have any questions. I hope some of them will entice you.

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 and hope to see you soon,

Allen Rokach

Dear Fellow Shutterbug,

I know it’s been a while since my last update. My apologies.

I’ve really been on the road quite a bit, with two back-to-back foreign trips — a wonderful exploration of Peru last December followed by my South India Photography Adventure in January. Then I spent some time in Florida with a lectures and workshops in Kissimee and Key West, followed by workshops in New York and Texas. Look at “New Shoots” at the right here and here for photos taken at some of these workshops.

Now I’ve just come back from a three-week road trip on the West Coast scouting for destinations and visiting some of you along the way. It’s always fun to meet with my students around the country to explore the areas where they live. I’m sure some new workshops will emerge from those travels. By the way, I always enjoy hearing from you. Here’s a really nice post from a participant in one of my workshops.

In the meantime, I’ve put together a schedule of lectures and workshops for the next few months and beyond. I hope some of them will entice you. Please see the listings below 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.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

All the best and hope to see you soon,

Allen Rokach

Dear Fellow Shutterbug,

I’m just catching my breath following another busy fall with workshops in Washington DC, Texas, Connecticut, Chicago and Florida, capped off with a month in South America, focused on a fascinating visit to Peru.

And in just two days I’m off for my South India Photography Adventure. It promises to be a very exciting travel photography workshop and I’ll let you know more about it when I’m back in early February.

This is the latest of my new initiative: foreign trips built around my photo workshops. The first one, which ran last April, was “Storybook Holland,” which was so successful that I will be offering it again this spring. We will visit Holland’s magnificent gardens and delightful countryside at the peak of the annual bloom of tulips and other Dutch bulbs. Be sure to save the date and register early. I am also planning a workshop to France next July to photograph the magnificent chateau gardens of the Loire Valley, plus time at Monet’s famous garden at Giverny. I’ll have more details on this travel photography workshop soon.

In the meantime, I’ve put together a schedule of lectures and workshops for the next few months and I hope some of them will entice you. 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.

With the coming of a new year, I want to wish all of you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013.

All the best and hope to see you soon,

Allen Rokach

Dear Fellow Shutterbug,

I had a very active spring, with workshops in Key West, La Jolla, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Richmond and Washington DC, capped off with a terrific ten-day travel photography workshop in Holland. We got see the vast Dutch bulb fields, some charming villages and the Floriade exposition, which takes place every ten years. You can read the article we wrote on Holland and check some of the images in the “New Shoots” at right.

In the past, I used to run many location-based workshops but it was difficult to get film processed and returned for our review sessions. The digital revolution has changed all that. Now it’s easy to bring along a laptop and projector so participants can easily edit and share their work the very same day.

This has enhanced the learning experience immeasurably and encouraged me to add more travel-related workshops. In fact, I’m already planning one to South India next January, based on the interest expressed by a number of participants. I’ve been to India several times and find the Hindu temples and colorful markets of South India visually rich and culturally fascinating. If you’d like more information about this travel photography workshop, email me at [email protected] and I’ll make sure you get the information.

Anne and I have also begun writing a series of articles on travel photography. The first one grew out of our recent trip to Italy’s magnificent Amalfi Coast. You can read the article and you can check some additional images from that trip in the “New Shoots” to the right.

Some other recent articles you might want to check are:

• What Everybody Ought to Know About Flash for Fantastic Flower Photography
• 3 proven flower lighting techniques for beautiful macro photography
• Gearing up for Classy Close-ups

Our next article will be on Vietnam featuring images from our 2011 trip to Southeast Asia. I’ll add the link once the article is posted. Do let me know what you think of our articles and send me ideas for other articles you’d like us to write.

My photo exhibit at The Studios of Key West was a big success with most of the prints sold. The bird images sold out completely and the ones of trees also sold well. If you want to purchase one of my prints for yourself or as a gift, just let me know. You can select from any images on my web site or tell me what you are looking for and I’ll find what you need. I can make the print whatever size you need so just get in touch.

I have a full schedule of fall workshops planned, as you’ll see below. I’ll be in many parts of the country and I look forward to seeing some old friends and making new ones. I hope you’ll find something that appeals to you and please let your photographer friends know about my offerings. Sign up and let’s have some fun photographing and learning together!

All the best,
Allen