I learned so much in such a short period of time and came away eager to continue shooting and trying new things. I also came away with some advice for people who are considering going to a workshop.

• Choose a workshop that focuses on the kind of shooting you most like to do whether it’s nature and wildlife or urban street photography.
• Spend some time shopping for the right camera bag. Size and weight can make a big difference when you’re carrying your gear for hours at a time.
• If you’re traveling with a tripod it helps to have one that fits in your suitcase—it could save you an additional baggage charge.
• It’s a good idea to keep a granola bar or some other snack in your camera bag. You’ll be glad you did when the shoot runs long.
• Put a small flashlight in your bag as well. It will come in handy when you’re shooting outdoors at night and trying to find that extra memory card. (Credit goes to Mark for this tip, and it’s a good one.)
• You don’t want to carry more gear than you need, so ask your instructors what they suggest for shooting at a particular venue. That 105mm Micro-NIKKOR will be great if you’re going to the botanical garden, but it’s just extra weight if you’re going out to shoot fireworks, and by the end of a 12-hour day of shooting those extra lenses in your camera bag get really heavy.
• Be sure you have your camera manual with you. Menus and dials differ from model to model and having the manual can help you and your instructor find the setting information that applies to your specific camera.

A workshop is a great time to try new things, and with an instructor to guide you, you can experiment with different techniques. If you always shoot auto, try shutter priority or manual. Take some outdoor shots using fill flash or put your camera on a tripod and take some long exposures at night. Get creative with blur and motion. But most important of all, do what the pros do—take lots of images. A good day’s shooting is not 30 or 40 images, but three or four hundred. There’s always time to review and edit when you get home.

My best advice, if you’ve been thinking about taking a workshop, go for it. You’ll learn a lot, increase your skills and be inspired to take your photography to the next level.

Click here for more information on Mentor Series Treks and other Nikon-sponsored workshops.