THE OPTIMA EXPERIENCE – “This award-winning, 700 unit, mixed use development features cantilevered balconies, private courtyards, water features and signatured desert landscaping within a reflective lighting environment that changes throughout the day… there is always something new to experience.
This urban ‘Garden of Eden’ is quiet, undisturbed and the perfect Arizona backdrop for mentoring travelers BEFORE their travel wanderings.
TEMPE TOWN LAKE – “From the riverfronts of Chicago to the bridges of Paris, water and skyline have always created powerful photographic moments.
Tempe Town Lake brings that same energy to the Valley, where cycling, rowing, paddle boats, outdoor concerts, triathlons, community fundraisers and an Art Museum, provide all the action along its 2-mile coastline. Historic bridges, movement, reflections and inspiring sunsets all combine to create unforgettable ‘stop and stare’ moments for students to capture and learn from…”
DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN – “This world-renown location offers a photographic experience that feels more like travel than a workshop. During this mentored session, students move through the garden exploring how light, composition, and lighting come together in real moments.
What makes this experience different is the pace. There’s no rush, no pressure – just a shared process of seeing, experimenting, and refining. Questions happen naturally, ideas are explored in the moment, and each student begins to develop a stronger sense of confidence taking ‘this is what it felt like’ photographs… with their smartphone.”
SCOTTSDALE FASHION SQUARE – “During this mentored workshop, we explore how to recognize and work with the visual elements all around us—light moving through 4 story spaces, reflections in glass, interesting compositions up and down each escalator, and spontaneous human moments. You’ll learn how small changes in position, perspective, and timing can transform an ordinary scene into a photograph that holds attention.
What makes this experience unique is how quickly perception begins to shift. When viewed from above, people become kinetic sculpture. Details become subjects, movement becomes storytelling, and familiar surroundings take on a different emotion. You’re out of the HEAT!! Inside the world’s most ‘inspirational and highly photographable’, open-air Fashion Marketplace…”
COMMUNITY & CULTURE – “Community festivals and public art events are filled with energy, movement, and moments that happen in an instant -and then they’re gone. This is where photography becomes exciting, as you learn to anticipate action, recognize emotion, and position yourself to capture the moments that truly define the experience.
In this mentored workshop, you’ll learn how to work with changing light, moving subjects, and real-time situations to create images that reflect the community. The goal isn’t just to document the event—it’s to capture the spirit, culture, and emotion of the community in a way that brings viewers right into the moment.”
