Allison Shaw's Colors of the Maine Landscape Workshop at Maine Media

Last week I took Allison Shaw's excellent Colors of the Maine Landscape workshop at Maine Media in Rockport. Each day we shot on location, then in the classroom we had time for a quick edit of six picks, which were presented to Allison and the group for a critique. I haven't had a photography class since high school, so I was a bit nervous initially going into the critiques. But fortunately, besides being a gifted artist, Allison is a natural teacher, and is able to dispense strong, constructive criticism while also giving positive feedback. I also liked and agreed with her practical approach to art and creativity, and she was able to be specific without resorting to a bunch of arty buzz words.

The locations--picturesque harbors, botanical gardens, etc--weren't what I would typically pick to shoot, as I am drawn to edgier environments--severe storms, beaten down industrial locations, carnivals, etc. But I took this as a challenge and a chance to try new things, sometimes fail, and then learn from the failure.  I also was trying to be a bit more "arty" than I normally am.  Here's a few of my photos that came out of the week:

It was a hectic but excellent week, and I feel like I learned a lot, and also have a bit more of a direction for my own work.  I highly recommend this workshop, or any of the others that Allison teaches.