Winter Photography Weekend Review

A few weeks ago, I attended a workshop called "Adirondack Winter Weekend" with photographer Mark Bowie. It was arranged by Adirondack Photography Institute, and took place at the Wood's Inn in Inlet, NY.

This was my first ever photography workshop, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I received the weekend's itinerary earlier in the week, but was still apprehensive. Would my camera break? Would I suddenly forget what Aperture Priority means? What if I realized that I was just no good? What if the others had nothing to say about my photos -- and they weren't speechless in a good way? Okay, so I was feeling less than confident.

Things went much better than that. The most challenging part of the weekend was the weather -- which dipped to -20 F during the first morning outing. We met in the hotel dining room at 6 am, then downed coffee and bagels while dressed in several layers of thermal underwear and snow pants. We jumped in our cars and drove off to Racquette Lake. By 6:30, we were shooting the sunrise.

By 6:40, my battery quit on me. This was a recurring problem for me and at least one other participant all weekend. Apparently, the cold was too much for certain batteries, so I had to switch mine out every five minutes while warming the spare in my chest pocket. I was lucky if I was able to take two shots before having to switch again. Despite this, I enjoyed braving the cold morning with other like-minded folks.



During the middle of the day, we ate some more, thawed out our frozen fingers and toes, and took part in the classroom/lecture/workshop part of the weekend. Mark did a great job presenting information on night-time shooting, using filters, and making panoramas. It was apparent that he put a lot of time and thought into his preparation. Throughout the weekend, he was accessible, open-minded, and encouraging.

Each night after dinner, several of us met Mark down at the frozen lake to shoot snowmobilers, the stars, the inn, and even fireworks on the opposite shore.
By Sunday midday, I was on my way home. Sure, it was bitter cold, but that just added to the weekend's adventures. The exprience was relaxed, positive, and informative. Having worked alongside other photographers for the first time, I felt accepted and confident.

Here are some photos from the weekend. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for looking.

-G