Photography Workshop with Carl Heilman and a Weekend in the Adirondacks

This entry will be a bit different in that the main focus will not be a hike, but a class instead.  Despite how that sounds, this is actually a good thing, as this was certainly no ordinary class.  For Christmas this year, Sarah gave me two very special gifts.  The first of these was a new camera, along with two lenses and a couple of other accessories.  The second was a photography workshop from Carl Heilman, a nature photographer known primarily for his work in the Adirondacks.  This was really a great gift on several levels.  First of all, it gave me an opportunity to learn about my new camera.  Going from a compact “point and shoot” camera to a DSLR can be intimidating and I need all the help I can get.  Second, and most importantly, I would be learning from a professional photographer whose work I love.

In the interest of getting this blog posted so I can share my photos (which are here), I won’t go into great detail of the weekend.  A quick synopsis will have to do.  After the class, which I attended with Nick (and four other wannabe photographers), we went to Lake Placid with Sarah and Megan.  After checking in to our cabin at Cobble Mountain Lodge (an interesting place, to say the least), we took Megan and Nick to our favorite place for dinner, the Great Adirondack Steak and Seafood Co.  Of course, dinner was great, as was the company we shared it with.

The next morning we had breakfast in town before heading to the Adirondack Loj to meet our friends Andrew and Mary.  There, we did a quick hike up Mt. Jo, the little mountain with impressive views in the heart of the High Peaks.  After that, we started the long journey home, stopping along the way for lunch at the Noonmark Diner, a quick shower at my parents in Albany, and to watch the Super Bowl at the Lanigan’s in Acton.