Workshop participant safety and comfort is extremely important here at Peterson Photo Workshops. Covid-19 safety protocols will be followed in all workshops until the CDC declares the pandemic “over” – however long that may take.
First of all, I want prospective workshop participants to know that your instructor is vaccinated, boostered, and will be closely following CDC Covid-19 guidelines in operating workshops.
Specific additional steps I am taking:
- All workshops are limited to a maximum of 10 participants.
- 2023 workshop offerings are outdoor field workshops only, which are by definition formatted differently than my classroom and studio workshops. Participants in field workshops are “naturally” socially distanced. That is, social-distancing on these workshops is actually very easy. My Field Workshop format is such that participants gather frequently during the day in a wide circle for “outdoor classroom” content. These gatherings – even prior to the pandemic – seldom saw people gather within 6’ of each other, and I’ll be asking people to remain farther apart during the pandemic timeframe. After each discussion/learning session, participants disburse in the general area we’re working, and will shoot their own images of subjects that interest them. Again, prior to the pandemic, participants were generally dozens or sometimes even hundreds of fee apart as they sought out and photographed specific subjects of interest. The workshop day alternates between these “outdoor classroom” gatherings to discuss and learn about specific aspects of photography, then disbursing to employ them in our shooting. Content of each gathering builds on the prior ones.
- As participants shoot, I circulate among them individually to guide, coach, and assist, but will remain at 6’+ distance. If a participant wants or needs help that requires me to be closer, I always have a mask in my pocket.
- Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the workshop day
- Alcohol wipes will be available for participants to wipe down their camera equipment if – and as often as – they wish.
- During past field workshops, we gathered at the end of the day – sometimes in the field viewing camera LCDs, sometimes at a restaurant or coffee shop with laptops, to compare images and discuss favorites from the day. In 2023, we will instead meet via a Zoom meeting after the workshop for this activity. I’m planning 90 minutes for these next-day follow-up image sharing sessions.