In 2005, after twenty years as a commercial photographer and author of four photography books (www.gottliebphoto.com), I turned my attention to creating a photography workshop and teaching photography.

To find a workshop location, I surveyed more than twenty small towns between Washington, D.C. and New York City. Chesapeake City, a waterfront town in northeast Maryland, just ten miles from I-95, seemed the ideal location. The town is filled with colorful, photogenic 19th-century buildings, and it offers wonderful amenities — three lovely B&Bs plus nearby motels, four fine restaurants, a cozy café, and gift shops whose owners are happy to pose for our students. Our classes are held in a historic 1870s building overlooking the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. (See photos)

I adopted a weekend workshop format — one, two and three days — because that allows enough time for intensive instruction, without requiring students to make a substantial commitment in time or cost. Horizon workshops emphasize fieldwork because we believe that students learn the most — and have the most fun — when they have extensive opportunity to shoot…with instructors on hand to guide them. Naturally, we also spend time in the classroom where critiques of student work are always a workshop highlight. Class size is limited to guarantee substantial one-on-one contact with instructors. Instructors are chosen based on three qualities: expertise in the subject they teach, passion for photography, and a desire and talent for communicating what they know to students. (Each course page has multiple testimonials with email addresses so you can contact alumni for their impressions.)

As Horizon has flourished, we have expanded beyond Chesapeake City. We offer workshops in NYC, Washington, and Boston. I also lead a one-week “Western Adventure.” We hold about forty weekend workshops annually; you can search for them by subject, location, instructor or date. We also offer custom workshops for camera clubs and meet-up groups (see: http://www.horizonworkshops.com/groups.html).

The Horizon team is committed to making each student’s experience a special time of learning, of positive energy, and of camaraderie. We hope you’ll join us soon.

-Steve Gottlieb  Horizon Founder/Director/Instructor