The Bryce Canyon Field Workshop we held in Utah was a huge success due to the expertise of our instructor, the grandeur of the location and the wonderful group of participants that attended. This was without a doubt the most instructive as well as enjoyable workshop I have ever attended and I was proud to know that the PhotoMigrations site had participated in making this workshop a reality.

I had extremely high expectations for the workshop after having witnessed Tom Vezo's teaching skills during the NANPA Pre Summit workshop last year at Bosque del Apache and I was not disappointed. It was very evident that Tom wanted to share his expertise from the moment we began shooting on Friday afternoon. He simply blew me away with his knowledge of landscape photography. Throughout the workshop, Tom commented on why particular compositions worked and why some did not. He also demonstrated what lenses and filters we might want to experiment with. He continuously checked our images through our viewfinders making recommendations on how they might have more impact with a different composition or just a slight move in the frame. Tom reviewed why we needed to change our thoughts on how to use the direction of the light "especially in this location" and how to use the available light to its best advantage. His passion for landscape photography was contagious and it even had this bird and mammal photographer looking at landscapes with enthusiasm and wanting to buy a new wide-angle lens!

The slide presentation and critique session on Friday night made the next few days shooting most productive. The critiques we received that night were invaluable. Viewing our images early in the workshop allowed our experienced instructor to quickly assess our levels of expertise and made it possible for him to address these issues in the field. I am certain we all came away with more quality images as well experiencing the most productive shooting time due to this critique session. I came away with an increased understanding of the "rules" of landscape photography and how they might be modified to make dynamic creative images of my own.

I cannot begin to tell you what a wonderful educational experience this was. The advice and instruction were tailored to the group, shooting with the PM members was a blast, and the location couldn't have been better!

Capturing Nature's splendor on film is a passion of mine. I have spent years traveling near and far with camera in hand trying to record the obvious as well as the often-missed details of nature. Bryce Canyon has been a place high on my list to photograph. I saw the Bryce Workshop with Tom Vezo as a chance to realize a dream while at the same time improve my meager, self-taught photographic skills.

The entire weekend was a time of total immersion. From the moment we recorded the sandstone pillars (hoodoos) glowing from the first rays of sunrise to the evening and a time of viewing the day's images caught by those shooting digitally, the learning never stopped. Tom Vezo took a deep and personal interest in each one of us. It was obvious that he wanted us to leave Bryce with a greater knowledge of the art of photography. His one-on-one approach helped me to see my mistakes while his praises such as, "perfect composition - go for it", gave reassurance and deepened my passion. It was also wonderful to have Walt Anderson, another great photographer, with us for the weekend. We captured thousands of images, learned much, ate very well and laughed our way through a never-to-be-forgotten experience of a lifetime.

I have returned to my home on the coast of Maine eager to load the next roll of film and capture more of Nature's Face with new skills and enthusiasm.

I consider myself fortunate and blessed to be allowed the opportunity to travel the United States quite frequently. While I still have plenty of places to journey and touch, not one place I have been has the grandeur of the southwest Utah area.

This being my first trip to Utah and my first photography workshop, I had painted a picture in my mind which I was worried was not possible. As I began my travel, I began considering if I had come to expect too much from one workshop or area.

As Chris, Debbie and I met; we headed off for a side trip to Zion National Park. We came into view of this spectacular place and I began wandering if our leader, Tom, had lost his mind by not having the workshop at Zion. Here we were among such a beautiful creation as to make my mother weep. What the heck were we doing leaving a place like this to go to some high desert canyon? This place was spectacular and I really did not want to leave.

Well, we came for a workshop and very little time was spent in Zion. Off we headed to Bryce Canyon. As we arrived and stepped on the edge of the canyon rim, I immediately knew Tom had selected the best photo location. Bryce Canyon is like no place I had ever been. I simply cannot find the words to convey the beauty and majesty of this place. It truly takes standing on the edge of the rim to appreciate the grandeur.

The next to do was meet Mr. Tom Vezo, and this worried me. I mean, just how friendly could some big name photographer who hails from New York be? Being from Oklahoma, we were taught that New Yorkers are fast paced and simply had no time to be nice. As I finally got Debbie out of the canyon and back on the rim, we started heading back to the car to get ready for the slide show gathering. Debbie spotted Tom and his cohort Walt Anderson shooting from the overlook. Not wanting to pester the instructor with questions before our paid time, we kept walking. Next thing I know, Tom abandons his prime shooting spot to the masses to come to meet his students.

We all had our formal introduction and Tom insisted we gather our gear and start shooting. So, here we were hours before the workshop is to start and Tom is teaching away. As it turns out, I just met a most friendly and personable man. It was if he had known each of us for years and not one beat was missed throughout the next four days. Tom's wonderful personality put all of us at ease and made our time the most productive it could be.

As the workshop went on, we all spent every waking hour, shooting, eating, talking, and learning. Tom went above and beyond any preconceived ideas that any of us had built up in our heads. The addition of Walt Anderson, the reviewing of digital files each and every night, having every meal with each other, and being surrounded by grand creation, human and earth was more than one could ask for.

Sometimes a bunch of people just get together with the same like minds and it becomes magical. This was one of those times. As a tour leader, I always wonder who will attend the workshop that might possibly cause a problem. Well, I did have a problem, but it was a good one. Over enthusiasm, excitement and an insatiable desire to learn. It became addictive to me. I never worked so hard in my life and enjoyed every minute of it. When students show their enthusiasm to learn, it makes it much easier on the instructor.

At the beginning (for about ten minutes), the group hung together and it was easy for me to look through their viewfinders to see what level of expertise they had of landscape photography. Then it was all over - jumpin' jack Stovall started to get twitchy and wanted to run, hike and climb every hoodoo at Bryce. The problem was I totally understood how he felt. I guess we all have that addiction to nature and want to photograph every square inch of it when it's that beautiful. Doug Coleman ate lunch with us and while we were resting in our rooms he went back out to shoot. I have no idea were he gets all his energy from. The "quiet one" Chris Ober turned out to be a closet landscape photographer. He showed us photos at night that were mind blowing. So, I stopped looking through his viewfinder because he's a natural. I think I finally got the landscape photography bug into Debbie's head as she came up with some wonderful photos as well and wants to buy a wide-angle lens now. Thank God for my good friend and roommate Walt Anderson as he helped with some of the critiques and showed us all what it looks like to look through his 4x5 view camera.

As it turned out everyone saw different photos through their eyes and the group dispersed. For the next three days, I ran around like a squirrel looking through their viewfinders and giving pointers to my students who were in all different areas of the canyon. Not once did anyone make me feel that they did not want me to critique them as everyone one was willing to learn. This is what made this tour magical. Our discussions at breakfast, lunch and dinner were always exciting with different points of view and some agreed upon. The critiques on the laptop at night were extremely productive for me as well as the rest as I got to learn more about the digital world.

It was very rewarding as an instructor to see everyone's progress in their landscape photography in only a few days. Hands down, this was the best group I have ever worked with on any workshop that I led and I hope we can do it again sometime. It's all because they love nature photography and came with an open mind to learn.

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