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July 28, 2003: Added Q&A
Nov 1, 2003: Updated

Over the years, I've been lucky enough to spend a great deal of field time with some of the finest teaching professionals in the business (see Chasing Galen, for example). I've watched how they interact with students and I've studied how they structure shooting sessions. The trouble is, most pro-led workshops are 100% informal, and the teaching methods used are, well, not always particularly professional.

Thom and three students working a small bit of water at the Utah workshop in the fall of 2001. With only three or four students, it's rare that we get in the way of each other, and teaching is highly individualized. Photo by Kathy Millspaugh. Want to see what Thom shot at this location? (Thom's in the dark t-shirt out in the water, by the way.) Keep reading--his shot is further down the page.

If you've attended a photo workshop taught by another pro photographer, you probably noticed a few things:

• The teacher-to-student ratio is too high. Often, you'll find eight or more students to one teacher. One seminar brochure I saw recently seemed to brag about the fact that only 29 students per teacher would be allowed!
• You don't always spend time with the pro. Many pros bring along assistants to help teach and keep the teacher/student ratios within reason (if 8:1 or higher can be said to be within reason). While that's admirable, if you're paying for a session with a name pro, you probably expect to learn directly from them, not an assistant, however good.
• All shooting sessions are unstructured: the location work essentially boils down to: find an interesting location and everybody shoot. If you've got a question, go ahead and ask it. There's nothing wrong with unstructured shooting, per se, especially if the teacher/student ratio is low, but directed learning tends to help you learn faster.
• Teaching is unresponsive. In most cases, you either get lectures on subjects you already know, or on only the subjects the pro cares to teach. If you're smart, you'll ask lots of questions, but even then, you may not get all the answers you seek.
• The pro wants time to shoot his or her own pictures. When the lighting is magical, every pro in the world is going to get out their camera and shoot. With lots of students and unstructured sessions, this often turns into yet another "everyone fend for themselves" session.

I decided to do something about these deficiencies, and design an intensive photo workshop that addresses every one of these issues:

• You're one of three or four students. That's right, I take a maximum of only four students at at time. No other photo workshop is going to give you as much attention as mine will. Heck, by the third day, you may even be tired of me (not!).
• I'm always there. When we drive between locations, you're in the vehicle with me, where I can spend time answering individual questions. When we're in the field, I'm there with you, not my assistant. In most workshops, we usually eat our meals together, giving you even more instructor time. I often take part of the meal time to do "mini lectures" on a technique that we'll practice when we return to shooting.
• You'll have specific assignments to complete. Obviously, we'll take advantage of any great light or subject that comes our way, but we'll also spend time performing more structured assignments that help you learn how to approach a scene creatively.
• I've taught graduate level university courses (albeit in television production) and I know the value of keeping an open dialog going between students and teacher. My mom is a teacher, too, so unlike a lot of pros, I'm not winging the "teaching" part of the seminars. I take the teaching seriously.
• I'll show you what I shoot. Yes, like any pro, when the light is right, I'll be shooting right alongside you. But since there are only three or four students, I can still help you with your questions and get some shots of my own in. Better still, since I'll be shooting with a digital camera, when the magical moment passes, I'll show you what I saw and describe what it was I did to capture each picture.

Here's the shot I was setting up in the photo at the top of this page. Nikkor 18-35mm at f/11, D1x NEF, SB-50DX used at -1.3 stop fill flash. Not my best water shot taken during that workshop, but here I was trying to demonstrate several things at once. (I haven't made any adjustments other than to downsize the image, apply a slight amount of sharpening, and convert to JPEG.) In a perfect world, a bird would have landed right in front of the falls or on the near rock (the shot needs a subject). If you look again at the workshop photo at the top of the page, you'll note that the students all set up to shoot this area relatively head on. One of the toughest things to do with wide angle lenses is make the viewer "involved" with the photo; most novice users of wide angle lenses take shots that are "stand-offish"--the viewer is presented a very flat view of something from afar. Of course, my feet ended up getting wet because I was standing in the water, but that's a small price to pay to get a better shot.

How Much?
$699 and up; depends upon the location and length of the workshop.

What's Included?
You'll get a minimum of two and a half days of intensive instruction and shooting, and most transportation once at the location.

Meals and lodging are not provided in the cost; however, we can often double up on rooms at the inexpensive digs I pre-scout at most locations, saving everyone a few dollars.

When and Where?

The schedule of workshops with openings is now on a separate page. Click Here. Note that I continue to do fewer workshops in 2004 than in previous years. Sign up now or risk missing out!

How Do Sign Up?
I accept first-come, first-serve reservations. You start the reservation process on the schedule page, which shows the workshops with openings. Note that I must have your name, address, phone number, and email address to make a reservation.

You'll pay a non-refundable $100 deposit to reserve a spot (at my discretion I may let you use this towards future workshops if for some reason your schedule changes and you can't make it). In the rare event that I have to cancel a workshop, I'll refund your $100 deposit or apply it to another workshop (your choice). (Note: the Alaskan workshops require a $450 deposit, but $350 of this is a partially refundable deposit on rooms at North Face Lodge.)

I require the remaining payment no later than 60 days prior to the workshop. If you fail to pay the remainder by the due date, you'll be dropped from the workshop, your spot offered to those on the waiting list, and your $100 deposit forfeited. I really didn't want to have to modify my original, more lenient policy regarding payment, but four last minute cancellations for two consecutive workshops really had me scrambling, and I had to rethink my policies.

Don't hesitate! My workshops fill up months in advance and I have to turn away many students who delay in making a reservation.

A Typical 3-day Workshop

(Note: individual workshops vary considerably in nature, as I try to tailor what we're doing to the students' ability levels. With some workshops where students are somewhat more advanced, we'll be less structured and deal more with 1-on-1 teaching. With less advanced students, I'm likely to give them more structure. With a mixed workshop, I may do both. In other words, what appears below isn't a promise, just a recounting of an "average" workshop.)

We meet at a designated spot late Thursday afternoon, where I'll go over my expectations for the workshop and solicit yours. We sometimes have several options for shooting during the weekend; this is the session where we begin selecting the options most interesting to you, the student. If conditions and schedule permits, we usually shoot sunset and thus have either an early or late dinner. This session is my first chance to watch your photographic habits and learn a little bit about the way you approach making an image; it's one of the most unstructured moments in the workshop, but often one that helps me make the rest of the workshop more useful for you.

Friday morning we'll be out for our first sunrise at a location I've already scouted (I did say this was an intensive workshop, didn't I?). At breakfast I'll present the day's assignments or a short mini-lecture on a specific technique. From breakfast through sunset, we'll have several structured shooting sessions, typically at different locations with different subject matter, when possible. These initial assignments are designed to acquaint you with the Big Three: lighting, exposure, and composition. (By "exposure," by the way, I'm not talking about a boring session about how aperture and shutter speeds and ISO values all relate--though I'll be happy to expound on that, if needed--instead I'm referring to the decision making that you need to make to personalize an image as your own. For example, I tend to like using "negative space" in my images, and that often requires selective and intentional under- or overexposure. One of the things you'll learn on Saturday is that there is no "correct" exposure for a scene, but there is always a correct exposure for your image.)

Saturday has us out early again, but this day's assignments involve learning from others. Here's an example: I'll stick us all in a pre-scouted 100 square foot area that's ripe with photographic possibilities and ask everyone (including myself) to set up the best shot they see, without leaving that area. We'll set up our shots on a tripod so that we'll be able to walk from camera to camera, where we'll take turns peering through the viewfinder, listening to the photographer tell us what they saw and were trying to capture, and providing our reactions and feedback. I can guarantee you that someone will see a shot the rest of us didn't, and the other two students will have useful and constructive comments about the shot you set up. And, yes, even I learn something from these sessions.

Sunday is a day to wrap things up. We'll shoot sunrise again, then look at images (with digital users we look at shots taken during the workshop; with film users, I ask them to bring some representative work to review). We'll review anything that needs additional time, and I usually take the time to go over some camera maintenance issues, as well. The workshop generally ends at lunch on Sunday.

Example: at the October 2001 Utah workshop, we managed to fit in almost 39 hours of location shooting into the 3-day workshop. Okay, a (surprisingly small) chunk of that was travel time, but a remarkable amount of it was actual shooting--heck, two of the students spent a considerable amount of time shooting while we were driving between locations, so perhaps they did shoot for the full 39 hours!

Since we were all shooting digital in Utah, our after-dinner hours were spent downloading shots to our laptops, saving to CD-RW, and getting our equipment ready (cleaned and charged) for the next day's shooting. I think I managed five hours sleep on my best night. Thus, the word "intensive" means that you'll spend most of your waking hours during the workshop thinking about and performing photographic actions. I try not to waste our time with non-photographic activity during the workshops.

Here's what students have thought of their workshop experience with me:

"First I would like to thank you for a wonderful weekend. I haven't said that to anyone since I spent a weekend with a girlfriend in college. When [fellow student] Robert and I spoke this morning, we had nothing but praise for you and all you did to move us forward with your sharing and love of photography. It is clearly apparent that you truly love your work and by teaching it, you have fulfilled the highest of personal honors. Your willingness to share your knowledge is inspiring, you certainly have done a terrific job with your two students this past weekend." --Ron Ross

"I just wanted to thank you for a very enjoyable and instructive workshop. As I said during the long drive back you work very hard and really do give us our money's worth, and then some. I learned a lot about composition and exposure; I was comparing some of my shots early in the session with later and noticed a decided improvement. I was also comparing some of my shots with the same scenes shot by John Shaw at Capitol Reef and I found myself saying 'Thom showed me how to do that and if I had been listening my shots would have looked more like Shaw's.'" --Jack Keller

"Thanks for a fantastic workshop last weekend in the Tetons. Not only was it a great learning experience, it was a lot of fun. I was really impressed with your dedication to teaching, your passion for photography, and your great way of leading us and guiding us to improve and make better photographs. I think I learned more in those 3 days than I ever have around photography. I was also very impressed with your offer to continue to help us improve our photography as we try to put in place what we learned. I definitely plan to sign up for more of your workshops." -- Paul Beiser

Logistics

After you've signed up for a workshop, I'll send you an email confirmation. About 60 days before the workshop, I'll send additional information, including our exact meeting time and place, as well as a list of the inexpensive motels I'll be staying at (and suggest that you do the same; generally, we also double up to save money). I'll also point you at the pre-departure preparation page on my Web site so you can build a checklist of what you should bring.

You're on your own for transportation to the initial site (though sometimes I can arrange to meet you at a nearby airport; but this isn't guaranteed, and often impossible due to my schedule). Once you make it to the rendezvous point, I'll provide most transportation until the end of the workshop.

You need to bring:

•  Your camera and lenses. You can take this workshop with virtually any camera, including digital ones (a large percentage of my students shoot with digital SLRs, by the way). Everyone should at a minimum have some way to capture a wide angle (24mm or wider), a telephoto angle (200mm or longer), and some way of shooting close-ups (macro lens, CU lens, extension tubes, etc.). Digital camera users should be prepared to shoot for a full day (i.e., plenty of charged up batteries), as I have dibs on the two power sockets in the vehicle we'll be traveling in.
• A tripod. It doesn't have to be fancy, but you'll need a tripod for this workshop.
• A flash. We'll be doing several assignments that involve use of fill flash and other useful flash techniques. Your flash doesn't need to be powerful or sophisticated, though it is useful if your camera and flash can perform slow sync and/or rear sync.
• Plenty of slide film or digital storage. Even if you normally shoot print film, we'll be shooting slide film (well, those of you using 35mm cameras will, at least). It would not be unusual to shoot as much as 30 rolls in three days, though the average seems to be about half that. On the digital end, you'll want to be able to grab at least 150 photos before having to download, preferably more. I've been averaging filling a 1GB drive each day at workshops, and I'm not doing as much shooting as the students (though I shoot 9MB-12MB NEF files).
• The right apparel. I'll send out a suggested packing list before each workshop (the locales vary a bit in what you'll likely need, and the season makes a difference, as well). But you'll want rain protection and a hat, at minimum. We don't stop the workshop for weather related reasons (unless it's life-threatening), so you need to be prepared for the worst (which usually brings about great photo opportunities!).
• Note taking equipment. If you're a Palm junkie, fine, bring that. But you should have something to write with and on. Note taking is strongly encouraged, and I may have handouts you may want to annotate.
• Water bottles and snacks. Let me ask you this: we've had an early lunch, been shooting all afternoon, and are now famished; but the sun just burst through a cloud bank and turned the entire area bright, fire red; do you want to head to the nearest restaurant or would you rather munch on a Power Bar, drink from your water bottle, and snap some great photos? (Anyone who answered "restaurant" is immediately disqualified from taking the workshop. ;~) At the October 2001 Utah workshop, we missed both breakfast and dinner on the last day when Mother Nature decided to paint the sky red.

Space is limited in my usual vehicle, and I generally don't use a roof box on for additional storage. That means that everything you need for a day's session should probably fit into a day pack and a camera bag.

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"I just wanted to thank you for a great workshop. Getting a handle on flash was worth the price of admission alone!" --Brian Lee

"The three-day event exceeded my already lofty expectations. Shooting and receiving constant instruction from you for up to 14 hours a day was an invaluable learning experience. Certainly, my photographic skills have improved considerably. The workshop was also great fun! Taking a picture of a Bison standing a mere 20 feet away*, hanging off a cliff to get both flowers and a waterfall in a shot, and composing a photo while on top of a thermal pool were unforgettable experiences. People are amazed when they view the pictures I captured. Your excitement and understanding of your craft is impressive. Even more remarkable is your ability to effectively transfer that knowledge and passion to your students. I look forward to attending another workshop soon." --Andy Parker

*Just to be clear, we were sitting on a hill photographing bison from afar when the bison decided to turn around and walked essentially through our position. Getting this close to dangerous wildlife is, well, dangerous and something I absolutely try to avoid. But in this case, the animals controlled the situation and it was actually safer to stay still rather than try to scramble out of their way.

I get many repeat students, not because I didn't teach them enough the first time, but because they appreciate the individualized instruction.

Questions and Answers

Q: Do I have to shoot with Nikon equipment?
A: Not at all. While I shoot with Nikon and Nikon-based equipment and am most familiar with that, I'm happy to work with you with whatever your photographic equipment choice, whether it be a point-and-shoot or a 4x5.

Q: Do I have to shoot with a digital camera?
A: No. Digital shooters get one advantage, though: we can evaluate work at the end of the workshop.

Q: Do I need to buy anything before the workshop?
A: Generally I discourage people from buying new equipment before a workshop, though sometimes I'll recommend some filters or other accessories if you don't have them. Why don't I recommend buying a new lens or camera or tripod or other substantive item? Because until I know more about what and how you shoot and have a chance to talk with you about your needs, it's hard to give you the best possible advice about what you should consider. And without that sort of feedback, you're often buying stuff simply on word-of-mouth or marketing messages. There's no single "buy this and you're set" kind of recommendation I know of. We all have slightly different needs, thus different products may work better for each of us.

Q: Can I bring a portfolio of previous work to show you?
A: Absolutely. But keep it down to 10 or 15 images and give me a mix of things you're proud of and things you want to learn how to do better.

Q: Do you take women in your workshops?
A: Yes. I've even had workshops that were a majority of women. I do understand that women often have concerns about traveling with strangers or in unknown outdoor environments, but for the most part, these workshops don't put participants into situations or locations where that should much of a concern (the exception might be Alaska, where bears can be an issue to both men and women). If you have specific questions about this, don't hesitate to ask.

Q: Can my spouse come along?
A: We don't have enough room in the vehicle for spouses to travel with us as we shoot, which is what we do most of the day. And we tend to talk shop (photography) at all meals, which may not be terribly exciting to your spouse. A few spouses have accompanied workshop students in the past, but I tend to always make sure that they understand that they'll be on their own except perhaps for major meals and sleeping arrangements. Of course, in a vacation-rich spot like Hawaii or Alaska, that may make sense, since there's plenty to do and see on your own. In some of the out-of-the-way places, like Escalante, that probably doesn't.

Q: Do we do a lot of walking/hiking/climbing?
A: Not usually, though we are "active" for long hours. I try to identify workshops that have specific requirements beyond modest walks from the vehicle (i.e., anything more than a mile or that requires you be in physical shape, such as hill climbs, rock scrambling, etc.). Some workshops are more physical than others, though, so if you have concerns, email me.

Q: What if I get tired or need a break?
A: Then take one! It's rare that we can't accommodate minor changes in schedule or can't work around one student taking a break. More than once I've had the famous old Gary Larson cartoon pop up in real life ("Mr. Hogan, my brain is full. Can I be excused?"). While I describe the workshops as "intensive," I don't necessarily mean that in a physical sense. We're generally not in a hurry to get somewhere else or do something different, so we're not rushing. We simply are 100% immersed in things photographic. Even I've learned the hard way that I need breaks. I used to schedule my own shooting sessions and workshops back-to-back-to-back. Typically three weeks of non-stop photography. Not only would I be physically tired from all that activity, I'd be mentally exhausted by the time the last workshop wrapped up (and still might have another place I needed to be for a shoot!). So I'm fully aware that students sometimes need breaks, and encourage you to take them as needed.

Q: Will you show me how to use Photoshop/Capture/etc.?
A: Unless the workshop is labeled as specifically targeting computer work and digital cameras, I generally try to avoid spending much time on the post-processing side of digital photography. That's not to say that I won't answer questions or even spend time working on some basic post-processing issues with you. After all, I do try to individualize instruction, and if that's what you want or need than I'll try to accommodate that. More often than not we spend in-vehicle time discussing these sorts of issues and spend the on-the-ground time shooting. I am working on adding a couple of special workshop sessions where we'll tackle post processing as much as shooting, but for now, my workshops are targeted mostly towards the acquisition of images, not the presentation.

Q: How about shooting candids? Do your workshops teach me how to shoot people or scenics?
A: I'm mostly known as a landscape and nature photographer, so my workshops are centered around that. In most workshops I do take the time to make sure that everyone knows how to do basic flash control, both for fill flash on objects as well as for shooting people. But we generally don't go into posing, group pictures, and other portrait/candid issues. Still, the exposure, composition, and other techniques you learn at the workshop should apply pretty directly to any type of photography you do.

Q: Do you ever get repeat students?
A: Yes, and often. And I'm more than pleased when I see progress in their work and when they say that they came back because they felt I could help them proceed to the next level. Photography is a craft and art in which you can always discover new techniques and continue to develop your own "eye." It's very difficult (and usually slower) to do that without feedback. Even pros seek out mentors or critical eyes.

Q: Why should I sign up for a workshop with you rather than fill_in_the_blank_pro's_name?
A: If the above hasn't already answered that question, I'm not sure what else I can tell you. Unlike many pros teaching workshops, I teach workshops because it helps me focus on my craft and gives me insight into the questions that prospective book readers might want answered. I don't need to teach workshops to make a living. I don't teach workshops to massage my own ego. I don't teach workshops because everyone else does it. I genuinely like teaching, and get as much benefit out of the workshops as do my students.

Q: Do you ever do private workshops?
A: Yes, up to six students at a time (though I prefer only four, for reasons already stated), and this can be tailored to a particular topic or type of shooting (sports, candids, event, nature, etc.). About the only thing I wouldn't profess to being good at teaching would be large format photography and some types of studio photography (though I have an extensive background in lighting techniques).

Q: Do you do workshops in (Europe, Australia, South America)?
A: I tried once, but since I don't do any marketing other than this Web site and speak only English well, it's difficult for me to guarantee that I'll fill foreign workshops, so I generally avoid scheduling any. If you know some like minded photographers in your area, the best way to get my attention is to do the sign-up and logistics yourself. As long as it otherwise fits into my travel schedule, I'd consider doing back-to-back weekend workshops at my usual prices virtually any place on the planet. What's that mean you have to do? Find three to seven other folk who'll commit the time and money, and do the local logistical work for me.