Almost everyone who take pictures loves to capture travel destinations in photographs. Often we travel just to give our eyes something fresh to visually inspire us. Travel photography is an ever-popular and challenging activity that encompasses a wide range of subjects: people, buildings, landscapes, and more. How to improve your travel pictures−including how to capture the feel of a place and how to get the cooperation of strangers to do that−is the subject of this class. Under the guidance of veteran National Geographic photographer and magazine designer Bob Madden, each student creates a mini-portfolio of Chesapeake City area photos that capture the feel of the place as if it were a travel destination.

Location: Chesapeake City, Maryland
Cost: $375
Experience: None Required (Camera Basics Mini-Course may be helpful.)
Equipment: Any Camera.
Optional Equipment: Laptop & tripod.
Maximum Class Size: 12
Schedule: Fri 6-8PM; Sat Sunrise-Sunset; Sun 9AM-3PM
2008 Dates: April 18-20; July 11-13; Oct. 31-Nov.2.

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Washington sites on and around the mall, from landmarks−Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, the Capitol building, and museums−to less common subjects: federal buildings, sculpture, local people, and the Botanic Gardens. The focus of the class will be on shooting creatively, i.e., photographing familiar places in fresh ways.

Location: Washington, DC
Cost: $325

Experience: Basic understanding of camera functions.
Equipment: Any camera (You can rent a Canon digital SLR and one lens for $60/wknd.)
Optional Equipment: Laptop (strongly recommended) & tripod.
Maximum Class Size: 12

Schedule: Sat 10AM-7:30PM; Sun 8AM-4PM
2008 Dates: Oct. 11-12

Optional: Students can extend this workshop through Monday, October 13 (Columbus Day). Fee is dependent on the number of students. Call if interested in this extra day.

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Boston is of America’s most picturesque, distinctive and culturally vibrant cities. We capture a range of subjects from its venerable landmarks (Old North Church, Faneuil Hall, Harvard, MIT), to Beacon Hill’s cobblestone streets and brownstones, to ethnically diverse neighborhoods, to Boston Commons’ architecture, to Back Bay and the waterfront (including the USS Constitution). We also photograph musicians, dancers, artists, and others we find in our meanderings.
This workshop emphasizes both extemporaneous photojournalism and more deliberately set up situations. We pay special attention to using both available light and creating your own light.

Location: Boston, Massachusetts (Class meets and does critiques at Lou Jones' Studio)
Cost: $450 (Notes: No meal plan available. Admission to locations, if any, are additional)
Experience: Basic understanding of camera functions.
Equipment: Any Camera
Optional Equipment:Laptop (strongly recommended) and tripod.
Maximum Class Size: 12
Schedule: Fri 10AM-6PM; Sat Dawn-Dusk; Sun 9AM-2:30PM
2008 Dates: Jun 13-15

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We portray the vibrancy and vitality of New York City, encompassing intimate street portraits, towering skyscrapers, bustling avenues and elegant shop displays, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its roof garden overview of the city, and evocative nature in Central Park. Time permitting, we may add the daily life of an ethnic community such as Little Italy or Chinatown, or a busy outdoor market. In tackling these varied subjects, we will focus on creating strong compositions, taking advantage of available light, using natural light and flash to improve street portraits, and taking advantage of the capabilities of digital cameras. Most of our time is spent on fieldwork and critiquing student work.

Location: Manhattan
Cost: $325 (Note: No meal plan available)
Experience: Basic understanding of camera functions.
Equipment: Any camera
Optional Equipment: Laptop and tripod.
Maximum Class Size: 10
Schedule: Sat 9:00AM-after sunset; Sun 8:00AM-4:00PM
2009 Dates: TBA

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The southwestern corner of South Dakota is Steve Gottlieb's favorite location for photography because of its distinctive beauty and unparalleled diversity. Join Steve and co-instructor Diane Shapiro as we photograph the otherworldly landscapes of the Badlands; the evocative mountains and valleys of the Black Hills; the bison-filled acres of Custer State Park; the iconic faces of Mount Rushmore; and the abandoned buildings of Buffalo Gap...plus mountain goats, prairie dogs and other visual highlights we encounter en route. This is an ideal time of year to visit: moderate temperature, minimal rainfall, animals looking their best, and relatively few tourists. In addition to hands-on instruction about composition, perspective, and technique, Steve will demonstrate how to use flash to enhance your travel pictures. Diane will discuss how to capture a sense of place, plus how to edit photos for presentations, web sites and marketing.  Be prepared for sunrise to sunset shooting...and for thoughtful, friendly critiques that will take your photos to the next level.

Location: Southwestern South Dakota
Cost: $1,495 (price includes 5 days/5 nights double occupancy room ($200 single supplement), all meals from Tuesday dinner to Sunday breakfast (alcohol not included), all park entry and other fees, and transportation to/from Rapid City Airport to motel and all locations. (You may rent your own car at your own expense.)
Discounts available: A. $150 for registrations before January 12; B. $100 for Horizon Workshop Alumni.
Experience: Basic understanding of camera functions.
Equipment: Any digital camera.
Optional Equipment: Tripod (strongly recommended), laptop and battery operated flash.
Maximum Class Size: 15 (Note: If there are 10 or fewer registrations, Steve Gottlieb will be the sole instructor.)
Schedule: Tuesday 6:00 PM through Sunday 9:00 AM
Date: May 12-17, 2009
Reservations & Cancellations: To reserve your space, a deposit of $400 is required. Full payment is due by April 1st. If you cancel before March 15th, you will forfeit $300; cancellations after March 15th and before April 15th, forfeit $600. After April 15th, no refunds will be made unless the class is full and we fill your space, in which case we will refund all amounts minus a $300 handling charge. If Horizon Photography Workshops cancels for any reason, our sole obligation is to return all payments received. We cannot be responsible for any loses, such as non-refundable travel expenses. By making a payment, you are deemed to have understood and accepted these conditions.
Insurance & Liability: Every possible care is taken to safeguard you and your property, but we accept no liability for any accidents, injuries, illness, or losses that may occur. Upon registration, you will be required to execute a "Hold Harmless" release to Horizon, its instructors and contractors. Cancellation insurance is available through AIG Travel Guard, www.travelguard.com, 800 826-1300 (independent of Horizon).

TO REGISTER, CALL HORIZON at 410 885-2433.

This class explores the exceptional flora and fauna of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We will venture through the park in search of the colors of the season, mountain streams, waterfalls, whitetail deer, rustic historic structures, and other things of visual interest. Each day will include extensive fieldwork, starting early in the morning and continuing until late in the day. Our focus will be on expressing your creativity given the tools you have at hand and the location and conditions presented. We will briefly discuss the recommended equipment for this kind of photography, as well as digital editing and workflow. Our overall objective is to expand your appreciation of the natural world while stretching the boundaries of your photographic expression. The general schedule is as follows:

• Thursday evening: introductions, orientation, brief lecture.
• Friday and Saturday: Field shooting with critiques in early afternoon.
• Sunday: Morning shooting, followed by critique.

Location: Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Location Note: Orientation and critiques will be held at the Econo Lodge in Townsend, TN, a short distance from the park entrance. Cost: $475 (fee does NOT include lodging)
Experience: Basic understanding of your camera operation (bring your manual).
Equipment: Any Digital SLR with lens or lenses that range from wide angle to medium telephoto. (Film SLR is okay, but film processing is not available)
Optional Equipment: Tripod (strongly recommended); laptop for image editing; macro lens or close-up diopter; polarizing filter; long telephoto for wildlife (300-500mm); battery operated flash; rain gear (fall is normally fairly damp in the Smokies).
Maximum Class Size: 12
Lodging: Econo Lodge, Townsend, TN (800)-348-7090
Schedule: Thursday: 6-8pm; Friday: Sunrise to post sunset; Saturday: Sunrise to post sunset; Sunday: Sunrise to 11am.
Dates: Fall 2009

Notes: 1. No meal plan is offered for this class, but the group generally eats together at local restaurants. 2. On Thursday evening, we'll suggest carpooling options for the weekend.

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I believe that light and shadow are the most basic building blocks of expressive photography. Learning how to utilize these elements is the key to making compelling photographs. The goal of this class is to learn how to create dramatic photos of people and places using the most seductive natural light, especially dawn and early morning and late afternoon to post-sunset hours. We will explore this in the ever-changing Southwestern light in Tucson, Arizona. Particularly in winter, Tucson is a visual paradise of dramatic light and striking sunrises and sunsets. Generally, we'll be photographing daily from about 7 am till noon and then from about 4 p.m. until sunset or after.

Our photography revolves around the Tucson Rodeo, which started as the La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Celebration of the Cowboys) in 1925 and has grown to a nine-day celebration that has become one of the top 20 professional rodeos in North America, and the first major outdoor event on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association schedule. We will photograph real-life cowboys and cowgirls as they display their ability in the only sport in the world developed from actual working skills. Rodeo events include bull riding, bareback and saddle-bronc riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping and women's barrel racing. While the rodeo arena events are fascinating, the preparation, warm-ups and cool-down and the general cowboy culture are equally interesting.

We will spend one of our sessions photographing airplanes, old and new, at the Pima Air & Space Museum, the world's largest privately funded aerospace museum. This open-air museum has over 250 aircraft; a hangar houses the more fragile fabric-covered aircraft and static displays. We will also devote some time photographing the beautiful landscapes of the area as well.

As in all my classes, I photograph along-side my students. I do not tell them what to photograph, but regularly review what they are doing (one of the joys of digital.) I also share my ideas for other pictures they might want to consider. I have found in past workshops that students learn the most from simply photographing (with my guidance) and then critiquing that work immediately.

Most days will include a critique with the entire group. Students are expected to digitally process what they shot and edit their work down to 30 pix maximum for the ongoing critiques.

Location: Tucson, Arizona
Cost: $1,525 (price includes 5 days/4 nights double occupancy room ($250 single supplement), all meals from Monday dinner to Friday breakfast (alcohol not included), all fees, and transportation to/from Tucson Airport to motel and all locations. (You may, at your own expense, rent your own car.)
Discounts available:

1. $100 for registrations before September 1.
2. $100 for Horizon Workshop Alumni.

Experience: Basic understanding of camera functions.
Equipment: Any digital camera.
Optional Equipment: Tripod (strongly recommended), laptop and battery operated flash.
Maximum Class Size: 12
Schedule: Feb. 21-25, 2009 (Sat. 6:00 PM through Wed. 11:00 AM)
Reservations & Cancellations: To reserve your space, a deposit of $400 is required. Full payment is due by December 1st. If you cancel before November 15th, you will forfeit $300; cancellations after November 15th and before December 15th, forfeit $600. After December 15th, no refunds will be made unless we fill your space, in which case we will refund all amounts minus a $300 handling charge. If Horizon Photography Workshops cancels for any reason, our sole obligation is to return all payments received. We cannot be responsible for any loses, such as non-refundable travel expenses. By making a payment, you are deemed to have understood and accepted these conditions. Insurance & Liability: Every possible care is taken to safeguard you and your property, but we accept no liability for any accidents, injuries, illness, or losses that may occur. Upon registration, you will be required to execute a "Hold Harmless" release to Horizon, its instructors and contractors. Cancellation insurance is available through AIG Travel Guard, www.travelguard.com, 800 826-1300 (independent of Horizon).

Call Horizon to register 410-885-2433.