Although autumn may not seem to be the most opportune time to talk about spring and summer subjects, it’s definitely the right time to prepare for those upcoming seasons. I say this because, just recently, I finished teaching a photo course
dealing with remote flash and camera triggers, and although some participants had the proper gear, most did not know how to use what they had. By the time the course ended, summer was waning and the opportunity to really exploit the gear they had was quickly disappearing. The winter months, when distractions might be a bit less for many of us, is the perfect time to get to know, practice, and master unfamiliar gear or concepts.

My students only had a week to do this, although they did have the advantage of my instruction in explaining concepts and in demonstrating the use of the various equipment. I had several projects available that my students could work on, and though they enjoyed varying degrees of success, their efforts motivated me to work on the same projects after the course ended. Too frequently, other demands distract me, but motivated by their enthusiasm, I decided to apply to my own projects what I taught to my students. Fortunately the frequent rain and thunderstorms that often…