I just finished processing an image from Iceland shot last year during a demonstration for a private mentorship. It brings back wonderful memories and gives me energy for this year’s trip.

Registration for the Iceland Nude Photography Workshop closes on May 31st, and just three spots are available. So if you are interested, please get in touch with me soon.

I’m also available for private mentorships in Iceland this year, and happy to craft an experience based on your specific timing and interests. Just let me know.

On our first day together, we’ll gather to get acquainted, talk about the legacy of images in fine art nude photography and look at the work of all the participants. It’s an opportunity for a supportive critique of your work, and the chance to familiarize yourself with the people you will be working alongside of during the week.

Then it’s off to shoot on location. Each day, we’ll seek out environments that will inspire you to explore the human form in all its power and beauty. Watching the weather, we’ll choose where to go to optimize you image-making opportunities. The rides to and from the location are full of conversation, music and laughs and camaraderie builds each day through the week.

Once we are at a location, I’ll do a short demonstration that is tailored to your growth. It may have to do with composition, the technical aspects of creating a great digital file or negative in challenging lighting, or how to work with talent in a collaborative way. The shoot will not be about me, but about you and your development.

After the demonstration, you’ll take turns shooting with a model on a one-on-one basis, rotating with two other photographers in your group. If you are not shooting, you’ll continue to learn by assisting the participant that is behind the camera, observing how another photographer thinks and works. I’ve had many comments from past participants of how valuable this is for their own growth.

At the end of the day, it’s off to dinner, and editing work for a critique the following morning. After the review and answering any questions on aesthetics or technical matters relating to shooting or post processing, we jump back into the SUV’s for another round of shooting.

On Saturday, after five days of location photography. you’ll spend time editing images and working in Lightroom and Photoshop to create final files for reproduction. I’ll be there for a critique and to answer any questions about software and post processing techniques to maximize the impact of your favorite images. We end the workshop with a fun filled dinner that night to celebrate your new-found expanded vision.

I firmly believe that combining the human figure with the dramatic landscapes of Iceland can open up new worlds for you as a photographer. I encourage you to join me in this wonderful exploration that is sure to create lifetime memories.

You’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with trained dancers on a fabulous 600 acre private parcel of land with amazing trees, rock formations, caves and a small pond. It’s an experience not to be missed.

Best of all, if you register by March 24th, you can take a discount of $200. off the cost of the workshop!

Here’s a testimonial from one of last year’s participants:

“It was truly a wonderful experience working with you again. The end came so suddenly that I hadn’t prepared a parting speech. I just want you to understand that I get a lot out of these workshops and will continue to participate in them until I get really good or really old – whichever comes first. Thanks for everything.”-David S, Sacramento CA

For information or to register for the Joshua Tree Nude Photo Workshop send me an email or call 303-333-3316.

The line-up for 2012 workshops is done, and it’s going to be a fun year.

Here’s what’s on tap:

Joshua Tree, California April 24th-28th
Reykjavik Iceland July 1st-7th
Asheville, North Carolina July 25th-29th
Santa Fe, New Mexico August 6th-11th
Park City, Utah August 21st-25th

To register for any of the courses, go to the NudePhotoWorkshops contact page.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be announcing the full 2012 workshop calendar. The first is a repeat of our highly successful Iceland Nude Photo Workshop.

Here’s just one comment from this year’s course:

“Allen is a most gifted teacher, and for anyone considering a unique opportunity to visit a beautiful country and learn a form of photography under a true artist, this is it. I have great memories of the workshop and cherish what I learned and the beautiful images I was able to capture.”-Marc Safran

For information, go to the page for theIceland Nude Photo Workshop July 1-7, 2012.

Over the last three days, I’ve been in Park City, Utah teaching a private mentorship with a photographer from Draper, Utah. Starting with a portfolio review and equipment assessment on Friday evening, we moved into shooting yesterday. Our model was a wonderfully talented dancer, who brought great energy and spirit to the day.

As with the nude photography workshops, the focus of the time together is on the student. After doing a demonstration, the rest of my day is spent supporting the photographer in both the aesthetic and technical arenas. The only time I will raise a camera is to show another angle the photographer might want to consider.

Last night, we did a critique of the work produced so that the photographer could build on what she learned when we went back out to shoot today. Working with a different model created the opportunity to forge a new collaborative relationship, and make images based on her unique strengths.

Tomorrow, we will do a final critique and review any lingering questions about technique, post-processing and finding talent to continue creating new images. It’s exhilarating to see the growth in someone’s artistic vision and technical abilities in such a short amount of time.

Yesterday the Nude Photo Workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico ended. Several of the participants commented on how fast the week seemed to go by. It certainly felt that way to me. By the end, we had all become a big family, sharing our creative process, insights and humor through the long days of shooting and editing. All the participants showed an impressive bump in the sophistication of their images, and the closing dinner and slide show at The Eldorado Hotel was a wonderful celebration of their growth. Everyone seemed enthusiastic to continue shooting fine art nude photography when they got home.

Hats off to Reid Callanan and everyone at The Santa Fe Workshops who made this an inspiring, fun-filled week. Their love of the medium and support for each class is remarkable.

With this course, five solid weeks of travel for workshops ends. It’s been an amazing, and invigorating time, filled with lots of wonderful memories. I feel fortunate indeed to make friends with so many people who have a passion for life in general and photography in the particular. It’s a great ride. Heartfelt thanks to everyone!

Most people think the best light is at sunrise and sunset, and shooting mid day is to be avoided. So today’s demonstration was about how to shoot in mid day and come away with strong images.

The reality is that you just have to figure out how to use the light that is available to you to it’s best advantage. You may not want to shoot someone standing looking straight forward because you will get dark eye sockets. But what if you lay the person down? High top back light is a tried and true approach to still life in the studio, so why not apply it to the figure in the landscape?

Today, along with two talented females, we also had a wonderful male dancer and aerialist for our workshop. The participants thoroughly enjoyed the physicality Apollo brought to the shoot.

Yesterday we created photographs in rugged terrain south of Santa Fe on a beautiful 13,000 acre property. There were arroyos, dried river beds and areas charred by past fires.

Each day before the participants start shooting, I’ll do a demonstration and yesterday I focused on creating emotional content in an image. By placing the model in a barren, foreboding environment, and then talking through potential scenarios, we were able to create an image with a sense of story and meaning.