First stop.

Two weeks in the heart of Mexico beginning October 28th.

The first week is all taken care of, in the form of a photography workshop, described as follows:

Day of the Dead and All Saints Day are among Mexico’s most important and visually stunning religious celebrations. We start the week by visiting Guanajuato, designated a United Nations World Heritage City. On Halloween night, back in San Miguel, we photograph in the Jardin, or main plaza, where costumed children and adults gather to celebrate. Then, on the night of November 1st, we travel to the town of Tzintzuntzan in the State of Michoacan to photograph what has been described as “a sea of lights,” when the local graveyard glows with the light of thousands of candles. The next afternoon, we visit the cemetery in San Miguel, where the tombs are decorated with marigolds, the flower of the dead.

Designed as a great next step after basic photography, this workshop is for photographers who want to learn how to use color and light to create outstanding images. We begin each day by editing and critiquing our photographs. Lectures cover digital camera settings, accurate metering and exposure, composition rules, and the creative use of light. An important part of the week focuses on learning how to use the key tools in Photoshop and Bridge for the development of an efficient digital workflow. We learn how to edit, sequence, and catalog, how to adjust levels, and sharpen and clean images.

The extraordinary light, impressive architecture, gentle people, and vibrant colors of San Miguel offer ample opportunities for practicing newly acquired skills. Raul and a course assistant accompany the group, offering technical expertise as well as local insight into this beautiful colonial hillside town.

The second week my Mother will fly down to join me and we will be staying in the house I’m considering renting for a few months when I return in January.

From January to June, I have little idea of what I’ll be doing, or how I will be funding it.

I’m taking the “Leap and the net will appear” approach to the coming winter and spring.