Reviews
Calendar of Photo, Lightroom, Private Workshops, & Mentoring
Year-round; check "more-information" and "payment" link, boxed in deep coral, towards the bottom of most workshop pages. Please read the COVID-19 Information and Prep page.
- Check this page first for updates to workshops, including those sold out;
- Listed in chronological order followed by number of photo shoots;
- Check out private workshops, mentoring, consulting sessions, and scout-and-shoot days with Margo;
- BCPA welcomes "spousal units" (affectionate moniker) at no fee, as long as they pay for their share of "room and board," and as long as they don't carry anything larger than a cellphone or point-and-shoot camera. After all, this is a workshop for the participants ...
- Paying participants always come first — "spousal units" return often for a reason; they have fun, too!
So, fill out an application and join me and the strong body of returning alumni who always have fun, too!
2024 & 2025 Workshops followed by Year-round Offerings
Online Photo Workshops 3 assigned photo shoots | Nov. 17, 2024, Sun., Tue., Thu., Sat.
What began back in 2020 as a way to keep on feeding that photo mojo and inspiring those creative juices during the pandemic has turned into a great way to keep motivated and inspired without having to leave home. We all get so used to traveling to photograph that we forget there is much fodder at home – and so, we will continue the online workshops, probably once a quarter, so please stay tuned. Meanwhile, it has been great having a ton of fun with the online participants, challenging them to see in different ways, working with concepts, and studying and drawing inspiration from the work of ground-breaking painters and photographers, both current and historic!
2025 Workshops followed by Year-round Offerings
New Orleans, The BIG Easy 8 photo shoots | Jan. 31-Feb. 4, 2025 | Often Sold Out
Join me in New Orleans, The City of New Orleans, NOLA, The Big Easy ... call it what you will (although the natives will never call it NOLA), this is an amazing city with incredible music and photo ops. We will return to BCPA's favorite haunts and introduce you to several sides of this wonderful place. Here, you will have no problem seeking your own vision, whether wandering the historic streets or sitting in a bar, eating oysters, and listening to the beat of blues, zydeco, jazz, etc... In fact, the reason the workshop starts on a Friday is to enjoy the music over the weekend.
Florida's Panhandle 8 photo shoots | Feb. TBA, 2025 - stay tuned
I was entranced by Florida's Panhandle when I went there for a speaking engagement many years ago and always wanted to return. This will be an alumni-only workshop, and as soon as I can secure an inn or other suitable accommodations, I will put it on the calendar with dates. With charming Victorian towns, incredible, gushing, clear springs, friendly manatees, and even some coastline, there is plenty to inspire your artistic eye.
Tobacco Sheds & Barns 8 photo shoots | Mar. 17-21, 2025 | only 1 spot left
The first Tobacco Sheds & Barns photo workshop was a resounding success. There were some great images created, and everyone had a wonderful and productive time. This part of North Carolina was heavily farmed for tobacco, and in Colonial times, that crop often served as currency. The workshop will be based at my house, but this workshop is timed to avoid higher weekend hotel rates. You will have a chance to explore some of these old buildings, and even do some black-and-white photography not only of the structures but various details. Hopefully, we will also be privvy to the transferring of seedlings from the hothouses to the fields. There is much to explore and inspire your artistic eye.
Paris, City of Light 8 photo shoots | Apr. 13-17, 2025
Paris, also known as The City of Light, is without a doubt my favorite city. TBC's English Granny and dad lived there. Margo first spent time there in the early 60s, and Arnie followed a few years later. The workshop is based on the Left Bank/Rive Gauche near Jardin du Luxembourg. The Seine is a short walk down the hill, and The Louvre and Notre Dame are a few steps more. Cafés abound, and we get to watch and photograph the people and sites of this grand city. Margo, by the way, speaks pretty fluent French. Here, you'll get to seek your own vision while having a ton of fun ...
Discounted Twofer Pricing for those who join us for both European workshops
Link above breaks down fees and due dates.
Taormina, Jewel of Sicily 8 photo shoots | Apr. 21-27, 2025
BCPA is returning to Sicily after a few years' haitus. Sandwiched between the watchful eye of the "gentle" volcano Mt. Etna and cliffs overlooking the Ionian Sea, Taormina is, indeed, the jewel of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The area was first inhabited by the Siculi or Sicels long before the Greeks arrived on the Sicilian coast in 734 BC. And beyond history, this island is beautiful. Taormina will delight you with its narrow cobbled lanes and stairways, profusion of flowers, and gastronomic delights, not to mention the amazing wine that is produced on the flanks of Mt. Etna.
Blue Ridge Mountain Magic 8 photo shoots | May TBA, 2025 (will depend upon recovery from massive 2024 floods)
The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, particularly on either side of the Parkway of the same name, have always held magic for many people. With beautiful state parks, rising mountain mists, old log buildings, great barns, woodland roads, etc., not to mention the flowers, from the white Trillium to the other spring offerings, there is much to tempt the photographic palette. We will all go to great locations where you can seek your own vision and make wonderful photographs...
Annual BCPA Alumni Potluck Reunion | Jul. 19, 2025 (Saturday w/ festivities on either side)
The BCPA Alumni Reunion has turned into a very popular event that began with just locals, until people from other states felt left out and joined in ... over a dozen states represented. Henceforth, it will be held the Saturday after a full two weeks after July 4 to not conflict with holiday festivities. Open to all BCPA alumni and a guest of their choosing. Save-the-date reminders are sent out, and the official invitation comes sometime in the spring. A number of people come in Friday for dinner at a local restaurant and leave Sunday after a tasty brunch. With COVID-19 here to stay, please, only people who have been fully vaccinated/boosted. AND have filled out the Reunion Registration can be accepted!
Monhegan Island, Artists' Paradise 8 photo shoots | Aug. 18-22, 2025 | limited to 6 participants
The BCPA workshop on Monhegan Island has turned into a favorite, and no wonder. Monhegan, from Monchiggon, Algonquian for "out-to-sea island" and about ten miles off the rocky Maine coast, has been a haunt and artist's paradise since the late 1850s. Barely one square mile in mass, it is laced with some 12 miles of trails that lead you through fragrant forests, along cliff edges, by artists' cottages and charming fish houses, even a weathered lighthouse. Above the rading seas on the Atlantic side, one can find treasures such as a "Serpent's Coil." Margo looks forward to introducing you to this special place ...
Discounted Twofer Pricing for those who join us for both Maine workshops
Link above breaks down fees and due dates.
Summertime on the Maine Coast 8 photo shoots | Aug. 24-28, 2025 |
Maine is known for its dramatic rocky coast, raging surf, stark lighthouses, and charming fishing harbors. We'll photograph in areas where Winslow Homer, Andy Wyeth, and other artists have painted for centuries. And we'll head to a favorite fish shack for the famous Maine lobster and other fresh seafood (and yes there are also non-seafood selections). The Barefoot Contessa grew up sailing this area, and she looks forward to introducing you to their special haunts ...
NB This workshop is a perennial favorite and often sells out.
Bridges of Madison County 8 photo shoots | Sep. 6-10, 2025
Many of us grew up knowing about New England covered bridges, but how many of us, until we knew about the movie with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood, were aware that there are still a few covered bridges left in Iowa. They are a dying breed, and bit by bit, most have decayed and fallen into the ground. There are still six left, and BCPA will share them with you along with the surrounding area and other historic local sites.
Winterset, Iowa, where we will be based, is centered in farmland and is also the birthplace of John Wayne.
Santa Fé & Taos 8 photo shoots | Sep. 21-26, 2025 (link coming soon)
Santa Fe & Taos is back on the calendar. This is a part of the country rich in art, from Georgia O'Keeffe to photographers such as Alfred Stieglitz, Philippe Halsman, Paul Strand, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, and others. From Abiquiu to Taos to some pueblos, we will visit many of the areas these iconic artists loved and do our own interpretations of the scenes. There is much to explore and inspire your artistic eye.
More coming soon.
Discounted Twofer Pricing for those who join us for both Southwest workshops
Link above breaks down fees and due dates.
Colorado's Fall Colors 8 photo shoots | Sep. 28 - Oct. 2, 2025
There is no doubt that Colorado in the fall is magnificent. And Crested Butte and the whole Gunnison Valley is considered by many to be the best in Colorado for colors. We will be based in Crested Butte, in the heart of Gunnison National Forest, with an amazing network of back roads and passes to explore. There are rushing streams, quiet meadows, stands of "red" Aspen, an old ghost town and plenty to tempt your artistic eye.
More coming soon.
Many Faces of Charleston 8 photo shoots | Mar. 15-19, 2026 (to be confirmed)
Charleston has many faces. Not only is she a southern belle, complete with handsome architecture, famous charm, beautiful tree-shaded streets and squares, wonderful wrought iron, old cemeteries, and an interesting waterfront, but nearby, there are historic plantations, the ocean, and estuaries dotting the landscape. And do not forget the wonderful, magnificent swamps with their graceful cypress trees, knees rising out of the water, and reflections amongst spring flowers. There is much to explore and inspire your artistic eye.
Magic of Morocco | Oct. ???, 2026 (we are still waiting to see when the High Atlas will recover from the earthquake)
Because of the devastating 2023 earthquake, we are postponing Morocco until 2026 to give the country a chance to recover. Morocco has long held a fascination for travelers. Known as a gateway to Africa, is has an amazing diversity, from stunning mountain ranges to ancient cities, vast deserts, and lovely, warm people. It is also host to a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, some of which we will explore. This workshop will include hotels and transportation from the time you arrive in the airport in Casablanca to the time you leave from Marrakech a bit over two weeks later. Other included expenses are detailed on the workshop page.
Autumn on the Outer Banks 8 photo shoots | Nov. 25-29, 2026 | Often Sold Out
Join me back on the Outer Banks, one of the locations that had spoken to both Arnie and me for years. It is fitting that my first workshops post-Arnie is in this place we both loved (and I still do) so well. There is the wild weather and sea at times, warm sunshine at others, and a plethora of wonderful locations to enable you to seek your own vision and create stunning images in the company of fellow photographers seeking to be pushed to their next levels.
Year-round Offerings
Private Mentoring | by arrangement
For those who take their photography very seriously, are committed to getting to the next level, and want to work on a project, perhaps with a view to having an exhibition, BCPA offers private mentoring, done in three-month segments, meeting two-to-three times a month ...
This starts with an interview to determine strengths and weaknesses, time commitment, scheduling, concerns, and the project itself ...
Private Consulting | by appointment
Many people come to us, because their Lightroom catalog is a mess — yes, really — and they need help straightening everything out so that they can find their images again. Perhaps they want to move everything (not the program, of course) over to an external hard drive with appropriate backups. Or, they need help in structuring a file system that works for their way of thinking. Then again, they may be starting out in business and need some pointers from a long-time pro with special insights ...
Private Lightroom Workshops | by appointment
Lightroom is an extraordinary powerful program, and for some, they want the individual attention that only a private workshop allows. In these workshops, there is private set-up and discussion of a workflow that makes sense for the individual, as well as hands-on demonstrations. These workshops are tailored to the individual or small-group needs, and the participants come away with the knowledge that helps them continue to grow in the editing/developing aspect of their photography. BCPA has also done many Zoom sessions ...
Private Photo Workshops | by appointment
There are those photographers who want the individual attention that only a private workshop affords, whether for photography or Lightroom work. BCPA tailors these workshops to the individual or small-group needs, and the participants come away with the knowledge that helps them continue to grow as photographers, both in camera and in editing/developing. ...
Learning Lightroom Classic | TBA, usually before a location workshop - limited to 5 partiipants
Lightroom has undergone many iterations since it first came into being back in 2007, and Margo has been using and teaching it ever since. This workshop will be held in three parts, the first working with digital asset management and basic Lightroom organization and functions, going on to techniques for developing your images in the second, and finally working on more sophisticated techniques in the third. Each session lasts 3-1/2 hours with a break to stretch your legs. I firmly believe that people need a break between the sessions to absorb what they have learned before going on to the next. This workshop is limited to 5 participants in order to give plenty of personal and group hands-on instruction.
Scout & Shoot with Margo | by appointment
Many people have enjoyed coming along with the instructors while they do final scouting the day before a workshop begins. This is also the time that Margo gets to photograph for herself. There is only room for two participants that are coming to that particular workshop, and they ride in the car with Margo. Those who choose this option get to watch the instructor in action, hear her thinking and philosophy about photography, get some one-on-one help and tips, and generally get to know her better and have a great time that day ...
