An Insiders Look at a Photographers Year – 2012

I had a wonderful photography year in 2012 and as is usual for me it started with my winter wildlife photography workshop in Montana. I’ve been photographing there for years and taking groups of photographers with me for the last 3 years. Every winter is special at this workshop and 2012 was no exception. We had fresh snow (not a ton) and I had great clients.

Oh, and the photography was pretty darned amazing too!

I’ll be there again to start my 2013 photographers year…

In February, I was busy with a very large (50 clients) private workshop. It was a pleasure working with a special group from the Garden Club of America in Sarasota, Fl. It was a lot of work for the 4 days we were together, but still it a was a lot of fun. We all learned some new things about being better photographers, had some great meals and we all made some great images for our portfolio!

I recently moved to New Orleans and so in March I was photographing Mardi Gras and New Orleans. New Orleans is so much fun and the photography is never-ending. There is always (literally) a party going on and major events like Mardi Gras often overshadow equally fun things in New Orleans, like St. Patrick’s Day (beware the flying cabbage) and Jazz Fest!

Living in New Orleans also means that the birding hotspots of the Texas coast are an easy trip. In April, I spent some quality time photographing with my pal John Cornell on High Island in Texas and then made my way inland to photograph some of the legendary wildflowers in the Hill Country.

I stuck close to home in May and continued to photograph around New Orleans.

In June and July I was leading my wildlife photography workshops again. In the spring we are privileged to photograph the new baby animals. It was an exceptional year with Snow Leopard, and Amur Leopard kittens. They are so gorgeous and we photographed them as 6 week old kittens, the cute factor was off the chart.

After the wildlife workshop I met some of my clients and we spent some time photographing in Glacier National Park. It was sooo cold, but the images made me forget…mostly!

August was quite a thrill ride…no really! I went to the Bugaboo Mountains near Lake Louise in Canada to photograph the alpine mountain wildflowers…and I went in a helicopter!!! This trip was so much fun and the photography was so awesome that I’ve put a workshop on my calendar for 2013. You have got to do this trip!

In September I worked with my pals, David Middleton and Scott Rouse for our thinking like a professional workshop. This is a great workshop for the advance d photographer looking to take another step up in improving their photography. It’s a week of more classroom than photography and well…you just learn a whole lot.

I had another private workshop in Vail and it just happened to correspond with some beautiful color in the Aspen groves.

In October, I am always in Vermont teaching a workshop with David Middleton. There is so much to photograph that it is non-stop, but well worth the effort. Glorious fall foliage and we also go and photograph at an old dairy farm. You’ll get pictures that you love on this workshop…

I don’t normally do a workshop in November, mostly because people generally are ready to be with family or saving up for the holidays. I do occasionally go to Bosque for the Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes and would be happy to do that again, let me know if that appeals to you and maybe we can go next year.

I am always looking for new locations and I am leading a private workshop next year in Tucson so, I was there scouting and photographing. It was a great week and a super spot for a workshop and so I may add it as a public workshop next year as well. A highlight of the trip was photographing at Elephant Head Pond, great stuff! I will for sure have a workshop there one day. I managed a side trip to visit the astonishing Grand Canyon. Who knew a big ditch was soo hard to photograph!

In December, I’ve been close to home, traveling a bit to see family. I also developed a small obsession with doors around New Orleans and I love those images. Christmas is always a favorite time of the year and photographers should always be ready as you don’t who’ll be near!

Here are a few stats that likely only amuse me.

• Blog Posts = 66
• Number of countries that visited my blog = 139
• Workshop clients = 109
• Images added to my portfolio = 3240
• New bird species photographed = 18

I pulled more images than I thought while I was writing about my year and rather than waste that effort here they are in no particular order….my year in photos, 2012.