Gallery: Photographers, It's Time to Book Your Summer Workation
01maine-media-workshops
For photographers looking to dust off their skills, or build some new ones, summer photography workshops are a great way to score a learning vacation that can also be a tax write-off. Sure, the programs can be a lot of work, but the beautiful settings, celebrity instructors and social collaboration are often stronger draws than the actual training. We've compiled a list of our favorite summer and fall photography-workshop programs. If you work for a company that has a budget for vocational instruction, these are some of the best ways you could spend it. (Did we miss any? Please let us know in the comments.) __Above:__ __[Maine Media Workshops](http://www.mainemedia.edu)__ __Location:__ Rockport, Maine __Enrollment:__ Class-dependent __Dates:__ All year __Description:__ We recommend checking out Bob Krist's "A Sense of Place: Digital Photography Workshop" in July. Krist’s work has been seen regularly in *National Geographic Traveler* and *Smithsonian*, and he's known for being a knowledgeable and giving instructor. What better way to spend a week of vacation than geeking out with a photographer who has been just about everywhere? *Photo: Bob Krist*
Dustin Chambers02mountain-peoples
__[Mountain Workshops](http://stories.mountainworkshops.org/workshop/2010/)__ __Location:__ Changes each year. The 2011 program is in Somerset, Kentucky. __Enrollment:__ Applications open July 1. __Dates:__ Oct. 18 to 22 __Description:__ A must for all aspiring photo editors and photographers. Spend a week in the heart of Kentucky, immersed in storytelling with an impressive list of working professionals. This program gets newbies started down the right career path and offers a much-needed reboot for seasoned pros. Watching the stories unfold over the week is nothing short of amazing. *Photo: Dustin Chambers*
03missouri-photo-workshop
__[Missouri Photo Workshop](http://www.mophotoworkshop.org/)__ __Location:__ Changes each year. The 2011 program is in Clinton, Missouri. __Enrollment:__ Applications must be received by July 14. __Dates:__ Sept. 25 to Oct. 1 __Description:__ Historic workshop where all the *National Geographic* dawgs cut their teeth. Confirmed faculty include Randy Olson, Melissa Farlow and Dennis Dimick, all of *National Geographic* fame, as well as the participation of three Pulitzer Prize–'winners: Kim Komenich, Barbara Davidson and Craig Walker. *Photos: From Anna Moore Butzner's essay, "The Village Square," completed at the Missouri Photo Workshop the last time it was held in Clinton, in 1982.*  
04julia-dean-workshops
__[Julia Dean Workshops](http://www.juliadean.com)__ __Location:__ Los Angeles __Enrollment:__ Class-dependent __Dates:__ All year __Description:__ Julia Dean has built an almost cultlike following in Southern California. Most of the workshops she offers are of the once-a-week variety, but this July she is offering "Stretching Your Frame of Mind" with Joe Baraban — an intensive week that focuses on tapping into students' creativity rather than teaching technical skills.
© David Alan Harvey / Magnum Pho05look3
__[Look3](http://look3.org/)__ __Location:__ Charlottesville, Virginia __Enrollment:__ Class-dependent __Dates:__ June 4 to 11; exact schedule varies with classes. __Description:__ Look 3 is a festival-workshop hybrid event that aspires to be the Perpignan of the United States. If you are a fan of Mary Ellen Mark or David Alan Harvey, this is the perfect opportunity to get a little one-on-one time with them. Wired.com has it on good authority that there a still a couple of spots open in just about every workshop. Even without shelling out for a class, the exhibition and social atmosphere of the festival are still a great way to immerse yourself in photography. The nightly photo projections, which are free to the public, are inspiring and on their own worth the trip to Virginia. *Photo: David Alan Harvey*
06vii
__[VII Agency Workshops](http://www.viiphoto.com/news/category/education/workshops/)__ __Location:__ Varies __Enrollment:__ Class-dependent __Dates:__ All year __Description:__ How about spending your summer vacation [photographing in Rwanda](http://www.viiphoto.com/news/workshop-bleasdale-knight-rwanda/) with world renowned photojournalists Gary Knight and Marcus Bleasdale? These two VII photo agency members will help you make a group of photographs that hold together as an essay, walking you through the process from shooting and editing to presentation. *Photo: Marcus Bleasdale*
07photography-at-the-summit
__[Photography at the Summit](http://www.photographyatthesummit.com/)__ __Location:__ Varies __Enrollment:__ Class-dependent __Dates:__ All year __Description:__ Not for the faint of heart. If your idea of a good time is sleeping in a bed hanging off the side of a mountain, taking pictures while plummeting down Class V white water and standing over a camp stove eating your evening rations, this just might be the perfect workshop for you. With doctor's permission, we recommend hanging with the likes of [Corey Rich](http://www.coreyrich.com/) at the Adventure Summit Workshop Sept. 24 to 29 in Jackson Hole, WY. *Photo: Derek Diluzio*
08mediastorm
__[MediaStorm](http://mediastorm.com/train/workshop/mediastorm-advanced-multimedia)__ __Location:__ New York City __Enrollment:__ Class-dependent __Dates:__ Varies __Description:__ Learn the art of multimedia production from Brian Storm and the rest of the genius team at MediaStorm. The Advanced Multimedia Workshop will give you a chance to sharpen your narrative story-telling skills by following a project from inception through to a completed project. But you better hurry: Applications for that class must be in by May 27.
