Click to Enlarge

The Summit Series of Workshops

With a superlow instructor-to-student ratio, the Summit Series of Workshops provide real quality time with the photographic superstars who teach there. The list of photographers and photo editors on board for the Adventure Photography Workshop (September 21-25) reads like a Who's Who in the field: Dave Black, Keith Ladzinski, Sabine Meyer, Corey Rich, Beth Wald, and, of course, Summit organizer Rich Clarkson. The fall and autumn workshops often feature top National Geographic shooters, all ready to take students off road in the Grand Tetons for the technical instruction, creative inspiration, and career advice for which the Summit workshops are famous. Photographers who follow the action at the sidelines shouldn't miss the annual Sports Photography Workshop, where they can learn from luminaries such as photographers Damian Strohmeyer and Mark Terrill and picture editors Brad Smith and Porter Binks. -- M.G.

At A Glance: The Summit Series

• Organizer: Rich Clarkson
• Where: Jackson, Wyoming, and Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Why: One-on-one training with instructors at the pinnacle of their fields
• How Much: $1,000 (Sports Photography Workshop, June 15-20; $1,950 (Fall Summit I and II, September 28-October 3 and October 5-10) photographyatthe
• Contact: summit.com

Conclave, Atlanta

One of the country's best-known wedding photographers, Denis Reggie specializes in what he terms "wedding photojournalism," an approach that favors naturalistic images over formal, contrived portraiture. For Reggie, the approach is not so much technical as philosophical. He likens his clients to the kinds of people who shop at chains like Whole Foods Market, which specializes in "organic, natural, real things." Held several times a year in his 9,000-square-foot home and office, Reggie's Conclave Atlanta workshops are limited to ten students, ranging from established wedding photographers to beginners. Reggie also shares his lighting techniques during "how-to" sessions at a local church. -- D.S.

At A Glance: Conclave, Atlanta

• Organizer/Instructor: Denis Reggie
• Where: Atlanta, Georgia
• Why: A chance to learn technique from the man who revolutionized wedding photography
• How Much: $1,950 for two-and-a-half days
•Contact: denisreggie.net/workshops

FirstLight Workshops

Jay Dickman and the other instructors of the FirstLight Workshop want participants to spend their time focusing on technique, not scouting around for a subject to shoot. Each student works closely with an instructor/editor to choose pre-scouted "assignments" guaranteed to get them shooting. Rather than limiting the visual experience, these assignments help them achieve more, and faster. Dickman explains, "The FirstLight photographer is able to focus on the photographic process during the week, which I find enables greater growth and confidence for their own travel/photography goals."

Workshoppers on assignment might find themselves kneeling in the middle of a pristine mountain stream to capture a fly-fisher making his first catch of the day, or getting to know locals at farms and vineyards around Barcelona. While following the daily lives of Dubois, Wyoming's townspeople and cowboys, or hustling along with the enormous floats at Barcelona's Giant's parade, they also hone essential digital shooting skills, and daily feedback sessions enhance editing and digital printing techniques. Along the way, FirstLight makes an assortment of Olympus D-SLR bodies and lenses available to students. As a bonus, each FirstLight Workshop ends with a gallery exhibition in the workshop location and a printed magazine featuring the best images from the workshop. -- M.G.

At A Glance: FirstLight Workshops
• Organizer: Jay Dickman
• Where: Dubois, Wyoming (June 30-July 6); Barcelona, Spain (September 20-September 25)
• Why: Analog beauty meets digital perfection
• How Much: $2,600, Dubois; $3,500, Barcelona
• Contact: firstlightworkshop.com

VSP Workshops

Here you can travel and photograph with very experienced hands, including Joe McNally, Nina Berman, and VSP Workshops founder Jonathan Maher, who attends each event. Tours, workshops, and master classes allow students to choose from different skill levels and mixes of technical instruction and free time. When not bettering their technique, participants can roam places like the wild-horse fields of Camargue, France, or the dunes of Kalahari, Namibia. VSP's YouTube forum (youtube.com/vspworkshops) features instructional videos made on location; at the VPS Website, students stay in touch with friends made during the trip. -- M.G.

At A Glance: VSP Workshoops
• Founder: Jonathan Maher
• Where: Italy, Mexico, Namibia, New York City, United Kingdom
• Why: Instructors who have big-time photo cred
• How Much: $500 (Creative Seeing in 2 Days, June 7-8); $7,400 (The Tribes and Dunes of Namibia, October 19-November 1)
• Contact: vspworkshops.com

Dimui Phototours

Dimui Phototours specializes in exploring the diverse terrain and culture of Israel. Each tour begins with a half-day, technique-oriented seminar to make sure that students are comfortable and up-to-speed for work in the field -- they won't want to miss a single shot while exploring the natural beauty of the Dead Sea or the complex street life of Jerusalem. Instructors and tour guides help participants explore and capture such sites as the Golan plateau and the City of David. At the end of every tour, a mini-course in image processing rounds out the technical instruction. With all meals and accommodations in five-star hotels included in the price, Dimui strives to create photo tours of Israel that students will remember for a lifetime. -- M.G.

At A Glace: Dimui Phototours

• Cofounders: Neil Folberg and Michael Jacobs
• Where: Israel
• Why: Learning couched in luxury and cultural richness
• How Much: $7,200 (Seeing Workshop, November 16-21); $15,240 (The High Negev Desert, November 2-7)
• Contact: dimui.com

• Print
• Stumble It