This summer I decided to take the plunge and do something I’d been considering for some time—take a photography workshop. As a member of Nikon’s Internet team for the last eight years, I’d been to the Nikon School and taken some classroom workshops, but I’d never shot in the field with a mentor. When the workshop was over, my only question was, “Why did I wait so long?”

Nikon sponsors a number of wonderful workshops, and I chose a three-day Mentor Series Trek to Montreal for my first outing. There were two mentors on this trek, Mark Alberhasky and Rosanne Pennella, photographers whose work I’ve admired for some time and who have been featured on Nikon’s Learn & Explore website.

Those three days in Montreal were jam-packed. We started early each day and went late into the evening. There was classroom time as well as shooting excursions, homework and image reviews.

The range of shooting opportunities was great. We visited the Montreal Botanical Garden where wide-angle and macro photography were both appropriate. There was a walking tour of Old Montreal with lessons on using fill flash and slow shutter speeds to capture the city at night. A visit to the International Fireworks competition gave us all the chance to try our hands at photographing a magnificent display of pyrotechnics, and an early morning—very early morning—excursion to a hot-air balloon festival provided the opportunity for some unique images.

It’s fabulous to be in the field shooting and have two wonderful teachers at your side to offer advice and instruction. Even on the bus going from one location to another we were getting lessons on what to expect, what to look for and things to experiment with.

Our review sessions on Saturday and Sunday were invaluable. Each participant made a best-five selection for review by Mark and Rosanne. Not only did I get a review of my images, I got to see the other students’ work and hear their reviews. You can learn a great deal from viewing the work of your fellow photographers.