We have been touched and gratified by the many thank-you notes and comments
we have received from both our participants and those whom we fondly
call our "spousal units," including these from People & Culture
of Belize. For more comments from other workshops, click here.
"Shortly after Margo and Arnie arrived at Cotton Tree Lodge I commented to Arnie how relaxed Margo seemed.
"'It's because she's here,' he replied. Their second workshop at Cotton Tree, and they were so at home. All energy expended was for engaging us, their students, with the people and culture of Belize.
"I spend months each year at this lodge where i am developing a primitive pottery studio. Traveling the Toledo district, village by village, during their workshop, I was challenged by Arnie and Margo to find ways of expressing photographically the feelings, friendships and beauty I was experiencing. Back at the lodge we picked and fussed over details, learning new ways in Lightroom to adjust little things in each of our images that could tell our story better. We inspired each other with wise cracks and brutal honesty and had such fun enjoying this together.
"Thank you, Margo and Arnie, and fellow students. I missed you after and hope to see you all again at another BC adventure. This was my fifth!"
Joanie Alexander, North Carolina, USA
"The Belize trip was a lot of fun and a lot of work. This was my second workshop with TBC, and I find myself learning more and more each time.
"Arnie and Margo are extremely knowledgeable, patient and kind, and willing to share their knowledge. I also learned more about Lightroom – Margo knows it all!!!!
"Met lots of nice people on the trip and the people of Belize were amazing and very nice – welcoming us into their homes.
"Luigi loved the trip and enjoyed the daily outings. The Cotton Tree Lodge was awesome, we loved being in the 'Jungle' !!!"
Carmelina Carra, New Jersey, USA
"Shortly after Margo and Arnie arrived at Cotton Tree Lodge I commented to Arnie how relaxed Margo seemed.
"'It's because she's here,' he replied. Their second workshop at Cotton Tree, and they were so at home. All energy expended was for engaging us, their students, with the people and culture of Belize.
"I spend months each year at this lodge where i am developing a primitive pottery studio. Traveling the Toledo district, village by village, during their workshop, I was challenged by Arnie and Margo to find ways of expressing photographically the feelings, friendships and beauty I was experiencing. Back at the lodge we picked and fussed over details, learning new ways in Lightroom to adjust little things in each of our images that could tell our story better. We inspired each other with wise cracks and brutal honesty and had such fun enjoying this together.
"Thank you, Margo and Arnie, and fellow students. I missed you after and hope to see you all again at another BC adventure. This was my fifth!"
Joanie Alexander, North Carolina, USA
"Hello Margo and Arnie,
"Can you believe that I actually miss being on the Jungle Bus this week? But even more than that, I miss my photo peeps. Our time together was stimulating intellectually and socially. During the shoots, it was a tremendous learning time, having both of you taking turns 'at our elbows' to suggest new perspectives to try, improve camera angles and settings, review what we were capturing, and work with us until a satisfying result was achieved. And just when we thought we had captured the scene, you came along and raised the bar, to consider yet another point of view. You were always, always encouraging and pushing us to do it better. ('Be fussssy,' is ringing in my ears even now.) And with our rum and pineapple juice, even the imaging was fun.
"The day after I returned, the chair of my board at work wrote me to say her father was in hospice care, with perhaps one to two weeks left to live. I asked her if she would like me to take some hand portraits. She was eager to do this and appreciative for this opportunity. For me, it was a chance to apply some of the new lessons learned with you. Instead of going in and firing off a quick series of frames, I encouraged conversation, asking what memories her dad's hands evoked. She and her dad had a ritual of making the ASL sign for 'I love you.' then intertwining their fingers in this pose. They also enjoyed arm wrestling. These stories provided a point of departure for making more interesting shots, side views, etc.
"Then her son arrived to have hand photos made with his grandfather. This young man had trained as a Marine and is now with the Rochester Police Department. Despite his burly exterior, he held his grandfather's hand with gentleness — that soft touch we were talking about in the workshop — and I took a more active role in re-positioning, having him cup the fingers more naturally, tucking in the errant thumb. What used to be a 10-minute hit-and-run turned into a comforting hour, filled with reminiscence.
Thanks for giving me the insights into making this a more meaningful experience for everyone involved.
"Again, let me say thanks for all the ways you shared your expertise as photographers with me, and your enthusiasm for new experiences. It was a fantastic time.
"Best,"
J Pearson, New York, USA
"The Belize trip was a lot of fun and a lot of work. This was my second workshop with TBC, and I find myself learning more and more each time.
"Arnie and Margo are extremely knowledgeable, patient and kind, and willing to share their knowledge. I also learned more about Lightroom – Margo knows it all!!!!
"Met lots of nice people on the trip and the people of Belize were amazing and very nice – welcoming us into their homes.
"Luigi loved the trip and enjoyed the daily outings. The Cotton Tree Lodge was awesome, we loved being in the 'Jungle' !!!"
Carmelina Carra, New Jersey, USA
"The
Belize trip is my third adventure with Margo and Arnie. It won’t be
my last. In fact, Kathy and I will be back for the Yosemite workshop
in December.
"I have been on other photography field
workshops, but have never repeated with any other provider. I have been
to New England, Moab and now Belize and although the locations have been
very different, the one constant is the commitment of Arnie and Margo to
advancing the skills of the participants and in creating a fun and friendly
experience. Besides being exceptional photographers, they are also exceptional
people.
"In these tough economic times, there
is no better value for someone interested in advancing their photographic
skills, regardless of ability. My only regret is that I didn’t meet these
two until 2007."
Dave Robertson,
California, USA
"I
joined the trip to Belize as a tag-along with a point-and-shoot and
a desire to experience a new place. I was totally unprepared for the
connection we made with the group, the people of Belize, and the countryside
in just over a week.
"The set-up in an eco-lodge in the jungle put us into a wild, new world with
howler-monkey wake-up calls at 4:30 a.m., but it was access to the real lives
of Mayan people that was even more unusual. Uncomfortable with the thought of
paparazzi snapping the locals, I was pleased with the arrangements to visit people
in their thatched homes, talk with them about their lives, and participate in
activities such as chocolate making. Cameras clicked, but so did people.
"The waterfalls and ruins were stunning – and I found travel with laggard photographers
means I see everything a little more closely, too.
"Thanks to Margo and Arnie for setting a tone
of earnest learning and good humor – and thanks to Charlotte [wife of another
participant] for being an accomplice to play when others turned to 'chimping.'"
"Spousal Unit" Kathy Robertson, California, USA
"My
experience in Belize far exceeded my expectations for a workshop in
such a beautiful country. The photographic opportunities were fantastic,
and the instructional insight to taking photographs by you and Arnie
was invaluable to me as a novice. It was also very interested to learn
about the Mayan people, their culture, and the villages they live in,
and to be able to photograph them in their way of life. The Mayan people
and their children were just delightful.
"I want to thank you and Arnie for all
the advice and the extra time you spent with me both in the field and during
the computer sessions. I have learned a lot about the features and settings
on my camera and appreciate your patience in trying to teach me a more stable
way to hold my camera.
"The accommodations at the Lodge were unique,
and the food was just outstanding. It was my second workshop with BCPA, and I
am looking forward to my third!"
John Ronayne,
Massachusetts, USA
"Thank
you for a wonderful workshop in Belize. It was fun and exciting to be
part of the inaugural workshop in such a beautiful area. The title and
promotional materials really did not do justice to the fantastic experiences
we enjoyed meeting the wonderful people of Southern Belize. We certainly
came away feeling we had been part of the real culture of the area.
"The Lodge exceeded all
expectations — great accommodations, wonderful food, and delightful
people. However, the real heart of the workshop was the fantastic instruction
that both of you provided.
"The collaborative, hands-on format
allowed each of us to learn and progress at our own rate. As I was
the most novice in the class, you were always patient and encouraging,
yet you pushed me to grow, sometimes beyond my comfort level.
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