Expedition Details
Brimming with towering skyscrapers, historic parks, vibrant ethnic enclaves, and the colorful bustle of street life, New York City presents photographers with an endless array of subjects. Photograph merchants and their bright produce at the Union Square market, capture the diverse architecture of fabled Fifth Avenue and the sights of Central Park, and complete a portrait assignment in the lively neighborhoods of Chinatown and Little Italy. Photograph the sunset from the top of Rockefeller Center and the early morning light on the Brooklyn Bridge.
These workshops—each led by a National Geographic photographer and a professional instructor—are designed for amateurs who are interested in improving their digital photography. All participants must bring a digital SLR camera, a laptop computer, and software for organizing and presenting images. Each weekend workshop is limited to 25 students.
The following is our planned itinerary; however, our schedule is flexible to allow for spontaneous photographic opportunities.
Itinerary - 4 Days
Day 1 — Thursday: New York City
On arrival in New York City, stay at the new boutique GEM Hotel-Chelsea or another hotel of your choice. Gather for a welcome dinner and orientation with your instructors and fellow students.
(D)
Day 2 — Friday: Central Park/Fifth Avenue
Meet early this morning at the Union Square market where you’ll photograph merchants and their bright produce. Then join our expert at the renowned Calumet Photographic for a class on photo technique, lighting, and composition. Head uptown for your afternoon photo assignment to capture the diverse architecture of fabled Fifth Avenue and the sights of Central Park—an oasis of green amid a high-rise landscape. Photograph the sunset from the top of Rockefeller Center.
(L)
Day 3 — Saturday: Chinatown/Little Italy
This morning’s assignment takes us to some of the city's most legendary ethnic neighborhoods. Meander through the maze-like streets of Chinatown or Little Italy before meeting for a midday talk on creativity in photography. An edit-and-critique session of images taken on this morning's photo shoot rounds out the afternoon. This evening, gather for a farewell dinner and a presentation of the workshop's best photos.
(L,D)
Day 4 — Sunday: New York City/Home
Attend a morning seminar to learn how to enhance your photos with improved exposure, composition, and supplemental lighting. The workshop concludes at noon after a final question-and-answer session with your instructors.
For questions on this workshop, please call 1-866-797-4686.
Related Trips
National Geographic Expert
Bob Sacha
Bob Sacha is an award-winning multimedia producer, documentary filmmaker, and editor who first made his name as a magazine photojournalist. A contributing photographer at National Geographic Magazine, Bob covered assignments around the world, from New Orleans and New York City to China and Easter Island. More recently, he served as a producer at the multimedia production studio MediaStorm.org, where his multimedia work was nominated for two National News Emmys and won awards from the Online News Association, Editor & Publisher, the New York Photo Festival, the White House News Photographers Association and The Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. Times of Crisis, a project he produced and edited in collaboration with Reuters, won the Documentary Project of the Year in the 67th Picture of the Year International competition. Bob currently teaches video at The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and works as the multimedia coach at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
Bob will join the following departures:
Oct 14 - 17, 2010 • Apr 28 - May 01, 2011May 05 - 08, 2011
Expedition Dates 
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Expedition Costs
Airfare from/to your home city is not included in the expedition cost.
What To Expect
These workshops—each led by a National Geographic photographer and a professional instructor—are designed for amateurs who are interested in improving their digital photography. All participants must bring a digital SLR camera, a laptop computer, and software for organizing and presenting images. Each weekend workshop is limited to 25 students.
