Wow! It’s hard to believe that it has been nearly two months since we finished our Lighthouses of the Outer Banks workshop. We had great weather for photography, albeit a bit “breezy” at times. Another great group came and hit it off right away. That always makes Arnie and me feel good, because if people are having fun, they are relaxed and learn so much more. They are also willing to take chances and experiment, because the group is so supportive. That’s one of the wonderful things about a photo workshop or any workshop, for that matter … like-minded people coming together for an intense and fun time, feeding off each other, challenging each other, learning from not only the instructors, but from one another.

One of the things Arnie and I like to do is to continually challenge our participants, to not allow them to get lazy, to push them beyond their comfort zone, to encourage them to experiment. It’s how they improve so much and why our student galleries are so strong.

With Turkey Day tomorrow, and the first Thanksgiving having occurred in New England, it seems appropriate to do this blog that includes photographs of pumpkins, one of the staples of many modern-day Thanksgiving tables.

Arnie and I enjoy challenging our participants to make a shot different, to seek their own vision, to go beyond their comfort level. It’s how they improve so much.

For New England Fall Foliage, we had a number of assignments for our group, one of which was to do an abstract of a pumpkin at our favorite pumpkin farm, where they also make wonderful pies and cheeses. Starting out with the deer-in-the-headlights look, they got into this assignment, to wit the following:

Recently, a local group of us gathered to share photographs from the last six months of travels. Arnie chose a strictly Sicilian collection, while I did a potpourri from our other workshops.

As I perused the images, I was taken back to an amazing day we spent with Turi Siligato, self-taught master chef, wine connoisseur worthy of inclusion in the Wine Spectator, hunter and forager for the ingredients in his wonderful recipes, and undisputed entertainer supreme…