But the time-constrained need not fret. New England is home to a number of photography pros who step out of the darkroom or studio a few times a year to share their knowledge.
"Most folks need to see better, compose more carefully, edit more ruthlessly, and add structure to their approach," Barlow says. "All that's hard, and mostly comes from making many, many, many pictures."
There's another element, too. Shooting landscapes is like examining the world under a magnifying glass. Most of us don't take the time to study the contours of a leaf or the reflections in a brook. A workshop provides that opportunity. It's an excuse to lose yourself in undistracted visual meditation.
Barlow teams up once each season with fellow pros Ted Harris, based in Enfield, N.H., and Richard T. Ritter, based in Townshend, Vt. Their hands-on workshops aim to familiarize participants with their equipment's strengths and limitations. Unsure what to buy? You can try out the various large-format cameras they bring along. Ritter, who builds and repairs them, is a skilled technician who can remedy problems on the spot.
In May the trio takes groups into the woods of southern Vermont and New Hampshire. In foliage season, they go north to remote Pittsburg, N.H., snapping pictures in daylight and evaluating them after supper.
Another May course traces the movement of water during spring thaws, when melting snow sends torrents rushing down mountainsides. The resulting spray and time-lapse potential form the core of a one-day course, "Photographing the Stream," offered in collaboration with Vermont's Center for Photographic Studies in Barre.
"By varying the camera's shutter speed, the photographer can interpret the water as static shapes or feathery mist, or anywhere in between," says Edward Pierce, the workshop's instructor. "My hope is that my students feel the same sense of calm yet elevated awareness that I find in the contemplating and composing of photographs with water."
