Learning is something you never stop doing. I recently attended a landscape workshop where I studied under photographer Doug Bennett. Doug has been a friend for several years and this is the second time I’ve spent time learning from him. We spent about three days photographing the Southern Utah desert, a place I love for its simplicity. It was a busy few days. We shot in the evenings until dark, learned about composition and post production during the afternoons, and got up in the dark to photograph the early morning light. We listened to Doug’s presentation then headed out to apply what we learned. There were about 10 in the group all with varying levels of experience. I don’t like to photograph in groups so most often I’d throw the camera and tripod over my shoulder and start hiking. By the end of the workshop I was being teased about disappearing and being made to walk home – mostly because they thought I was a good hiker. (I had to laugh on one occasion when a drone appeared above my head. I knew they were looking for me!) The images I’m sharing with you are just two of the ones I’ve culled. The pinnacle was photographed in the evening and involved a long hike into the location with camera gear in hand. The weather was beautiful as well as warm as we made the trek. I staked out a location and setup the tripod and camera. We arrived none too soon as I had to begin shooting immediately. Although some of my later shots included more sunset color, the first shots captured the light on the spire and distant cliff that I think makes the image. The second image was captured in the early morning. I was shooting off the cliff and noticed a photographer on the point. I shifted my emphasis and captured the image of him photographing the morning light. There are a lot of points I could make about the workshop, like you have to get out and shoot, or the time of day is important, but what I really want to say is how important it is to continue learning. In this case, despite my years of experience, there is always more to learn, especially in a world that is changing so fast.

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