Testimonials


Bill and Linda,

I have had three wonderful workshop experiences with Bill and Linda. Bill’s gentle approach with beginners (me) and helpful suggestions improved my nature photos tremendously. His interest in macro work inspired me and I also took advantage of his recommendations for lenses, tripods and accessories. Bill is amazing in his ability to put you in the right place at the right time for great photos.

Linda has helped me to realize that I can be successful and she is such a good, caring person that I feel good being around her. And to experience her food is just an added benefit. I’m not sure I can go on any photo
workshops without that great big can full of homemade cookies!

The critiques sessions are most helpful as Bill and Linda offer sound advice and talk about improving what participants have done. And I appreciate Bill’s enthusiasm and knowledge of proper exposure, composition and technique. I absolutely recommend Bill and Linda as workshop leaders; compared to other workshops I have attended, they are the best!

I should also note that I have attended their workshops with my daughter. There aren’t many things a dad and daughter can do together but sharing a few days with Bill and Linda is at the top of my list of things to do with your child. My daughter’s first published photo, in Popular Photography, was a photo she took with Bill in southern West Virginia on her first workshop experience with Bill and Linda. Bill and Linda were as proud as I was for her. I only wish I could arrange to attend more workshops with Bill and Linda Lane.

Bill Deaton

Bill and Linda,

It is my pleasure to tell interested photographers about my experience with Bill and Linda Lane and their classes and “expeditions”. It was terrific. I learned about photography. I felt as though I was the sole student even though there were other students. It met my every expectation. I have attended two classes and hope to attend others.

Charles Krumbein

Bill and Linda,

My name is Richard Hogg and I’m a “Technical Solutions Specialist” for Time Life Inc., a division of AOL Time Warner. I’ve gone on two of the Nature’s Image workshops and thought I’d relate some of my experiences.

The first workshop was the Westmoreland State Park in May, and the second workshop I attended was the
Watoga State Park, also in May. There always seems to be a good mix of skill levels at these workshops, from beginner to Professional. Groups are small and you never have to compete for shooting angles. Most of the time you learn from the professional, but some of the questions a beginner asks make you wonder why you haven’t thought of that. After taking these workshops I believe I have a clear understanding of exposure. I can’t say every image that I take is perfect, but I can say that each one is correctly exposed. If for some reason they are not exposed correctly, I know the reason for the problem. The composition of my photographs has also improved because of the workshops. Another great reason for taking a workshop is to find out about equipment. There are several different tripods, with different types of heads to use. This really helps with an upcoming purchase. Another great reason for taking a workshop is to learn about nature. You will always learn about the wildlife in the area. There are always plenty of subjects to photograph: wildflowers, old barns and waterfalls, to mention just a few. During the time when you are not shooting, there is time to view their fantastic images. Bill always explains how he approached taking the image, the subject, type of film used, time of day and the type of light used to capture the image. There is plenty of literature, from books by famous photographers, to magazines, to technical books on photography. l Bill is always available to answer questions or just to talk about photography.

The accommodations are great, and the meals cooked by Linda are worth the price by themselves. You will not be hungry at anytime during one of their workshops! I think they should change the name of the workshops to Gourmet Workshops.

I highly recommend these workshops to any level of photographer. I know I’ll be taking more workshops next year.

Happy shooting,

Richard Hogg

Hi Bill and Linda,

I attended your workshop in October last year in North Carolina.  Thank you for letting me ride in your car and I have really enjoyed the workshop a lot, and Linda’s cookies made it more memorable for sure!
 
This is one of my favorite photos from the workshop, it’s from that morning at the Pounding Mill Overlook, after the sun has risen, when everyone was packing up the gears, Bill instructed me to really zoom into the trees in the fog. It was an unforgettable moment when I looked into my long lens, just when I thought the show was over. 
 
Bill has also advised that I get a new tripod and as soon as I got back, I got a Gitzo Mountaineer Series and I love everything about it.  No other workshop teachers had advised me to upgrade my tripod and this has made a whole world of difference for me.  It is heavier to carry but it’s worth it. 
 
I have received the 2018 workshop schedule, unfortunately I have a full travel schedule this year and I can’t attend any of them.  I look forward to see your 2019 schedule, I hope to attend the Great Smoky Mountain workshop someday, and maybe repeat the North Carolina one again hoping for better luck with fall foliage.
 
Thank you both again for everything.  I hope to see you sometime next year!

 
Betty

Dear Bill and Linda,

a belated thank you for a simply wonderful photo trip to Brevard, N.C. and surrounding areas: Such stunning scenery. John and I both got some photos we like; thank you for helping me jump start my photography again. Watching the news lately and seeing the wild fires near Asheville, N.C. and beyond truly saddens me especially knowing an arsonist is probably at fault. So much beauty wasted.

You are both so special and talented. We felt really blessed to get into the class.

Sincerely,

Sally and John LeJeune

Hello Linda and Bill,

I trust you had safe travels back to Virginia!! I made my way back to Nashville, slowly but surely. I did not want the fun to end so I took several of the back roads. What a treat to see so many barns, horses and birds along the way.

I really enjoyed the workshop and wanted to say thank you, once again. I learned a bunch about photography and about myself as well. All the way around, it was great!! I will continue to practice, practice, practice and I will always keep my eyes and heart open and remain curious!

All the best to you both! Maybe it will work out for me to attend another workshop. I hope you had a chance to visit Black Mountain, N.C.

Fondly,

Mary Glynn

Linda & Bill,

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be part of your amazing workshop.

The both of you created such a welcoming atmosphere along with an experience that was fun and engaging for someone to learn photography no matter their skill level. The amount of information I absorbed during the workshop was incredible. I left the workshop with a feeling of excitement and wanting more. It’s something I will cherish and hopefully continue to build upon.

If the future allows I will definitely be trying to attend another workshop with you to continue my growth as a photographer and continue some great conversations with you both.

Thanks again to 2 wonderful people,

Mike Donech

Thanks to you and Bill for a great workshop. Chris went there with a little skepticism but all I’ve heard since was how much she learned and is now looking at her work and saying OMG look at these, they are amazing. Thank you again it was worth the trip.

Thanks

Have a great one

Bubba and Chris

 

I just can’t stop thinking (or talking!) about my excellent experience with you. I can’t wait to go again.

It was so much fun!
Sandy

Dear Linda and Bill,

I had to thank you for the super wonderful trip. For me, it was the most fun and needed get away that I have had in ages! I also know how hard you both worked behind the scenes to make it great. It couldn’t have been better. I learned so much (Thanks!) and I was inspired by you and by the others in our group. Your encouragement and theirs meant so much to me.

I just can’t stop thinking (or talking!) about my excellent experience with you. I can’t wait to go again.

It was so much fun!
Sandy

Dear Bill & Linda

I want to thank you so very much for a wonderful weekend on Tangier Island.

I had so much fun for alot reasons. First, the Inn was wonderful: quaint, cozy and comfortable and a very good breakfast. Next, I enjoyed talking to and get to know the people in our group. I really like how everyone shared ideas, skills and knowledge. My personal take away from this weekend was learning and understanding new skills (exposure tones, sharpness variables). Doing my best with the what the weather & nature gives us. Slowing down to look around for unplanned possibilities and finally stepping outside “my box” and trying something new (structures and patterns)that are not my usual subject matter and enjoying it.

Thank you for a well thought out and fun weekend experience and yummy cookies. I look forward to your Chincoteague Island trip in December.

I am so sorry about John’s medical emergency. I am glad to hear he is home and doing well. Please give John my best wishes. Tangier Island rescue did an amazing job.

Have a great summer

All the best
Cathy Snyder

I want to thank you very, very much. I belong to the Sudbury Valley Nature Photographers group. We had our meeting this evening.

I feel very much a newcomer and amateur next to some of the photographers and their work. After the main program members are encouraged to show a
few of their photos. I took a few in from the trip, a couple of water
photos, a couple of landscapes and a few close-ups of flowers. Thanks to you I finally learned how to shoot close up. And, I got thumbs up from the members, thanks to your excellent teaching. I mentioned your workshops to all. Most of them had seen your ad in the various photo magazines. A couple were interested in your programs.

Warmest regards,
Anne Umphrey

I want to express what a great personal and educational experience your
workshop provided. Wow, to be surrounded by so many great photographers at a
wonderful location was a dream.Thanks to you and Bill-so much.
I intend to strive for more consistent and improved results by employing the
“manual mode” rather than the Aperture preferred method. Also, when to
Matrix or spot meter the scene. Exposing for the highlights and placing the
tone at the right place on the scale will be new to me also.
Good luck to You and Bill in the future and I hope we’ll meet again.
Ed.

I wanted to thank you and Bill for a great week – learned a lot and really enjoyed meeting everyone. The enthusiasm that you and Bill have for photography and teaching is contagious and very effective. I especially appreciate your organization and preparation. You all really knew the area and as a result, we were treated to fantastic subjects to photograph. I really appreciated your willingness to work with each individual, recognizing their various ability levels. Your workshops truly are for everyone! Look forward to seeing you all again. I will definitely be back for more workshops.

Scott Teodorski
Thanks again and have a great summer!

Linda,I have not done this before because I felt is was self-evident that I thought well of your and Bill’s workshops, since I kept coming back. The thing I really like about them is the attention you pay to the student’s interests,helping the student to pursue his/her interest during the workshop. I believe it has been 5 years of coming to your workshops, and I still learn and enjoy them.

I feel my photography has improved tremendously. I am aware of much more in the art and I am constantly on the look out for things to photograph. Attending your workshops has made me more aware of the potential of my surroundings.

Thank you for what you have done and for what you will do in the future.
Joel

Hello Everyone,
I arrived in California safe and sound. When I’m asked about my trip to North Carolina with Bill and Linda Lane, I proudly reflect on the Southern hospitality that you all have shown me. I enjoyed my trip and really enjoy my photographs. My family, friends, and “ER family” have given me the utmost compliments. I’m honored in saying that I’ve been asked to decorate the walls of our ER waiting room with my photography. I’ve chosen six photos that I’ve taken with you all in North Carolina. They are currently being enlarged to 24″ x 36″, then will be matted and framed. This is so surreal! Your corner of the world exudes a natural beauty that isn’t here in the west. Thanks again for your camaraderie! I would also like to illuminate on the warmth and support from Bill and Linda. Glad I was fortunate to receive the last available position you had in this workshop.
Best Regards.
Claudette J. Devereaux, RN
Linda
I had an awesome time, and once again reminded me why I keep coming back to your workshops. You and Bill have mastered the art of presenting a professional workshop with the down home “have a good time” family get together. Also, as you and I discussed, there’s a right way and wrong way to do critiques and I really like the way Bill passes along feedback without making the photographer want to give up all together. I felt really good about the photos I brought to show, but with Bill’s feedback, I know how I can make them better.
I look forward to my next Bill and Linda workshop.Steve Harrison

Bill/Linda,I wanted to share this photo with you. I took it during about a half-hour photo session in my backyard after I arrived home from your MD. workshop this afternoon. I employed the focus tracking function that Bill painstakingly made sure he figured out where it was on my camera before the workshop was over. This tip, and your commitment throughout the past few days to making sure we got the most out of our time together, are just two of many reasons I look forward to the next opportunity to benefit from your expertise and passion for photography. Another is spending time with good people.

Thanks again.
Ray

Hi Bill and Linda,
I wanted to thank you and Bill for the workshop. I really really enjoyed it. I learned so much more with you guys than I have on my own and with the online classes. I felt like I was part of a family when I was there and have made long time friends. My husband Randy and I will be taking another workshop in the future. Everyone was so nice and so friendly. I love the teaching style that you and Bill offer. You both made me feel very comfortable to ask any question and help calm my nerves. I would have stayed to say good bye after class but I was worried about driving home by myself and getting lost.
Thank you again
Teresa Heavner

Linda,
It occurred to me after I came home from the North Carolina workshop that you guys have had more of an impact on my photography than any other thing I have done. I have taken college classes and gone to a number of workshops in different parts of the hemisphere, but I have improved most as a result of the four workshops I have taken from you. I just thought you should know. I have been to the Smokeys, Marlinton, WV, Tangier Island and the North Carolina workshops so far and will probably make them all before I’m too old.
Have a merry and blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year. I will probably see you in one of your workshops during that time frame.

Reno Unger

Bill and Linda,
I give you all credit for beginning my photography journey several years ago after attending a spring workshop in the Smokies.  I now travel across the US with my camera and use the images for programs, etc.  Twice I have won the Virginia Wildlife magazine’s annual photography contest.  I have had images selected for front covers of both magazines and books.  Blame it all on you!!! 


Harold Jerrell

I just got home a few hours ago but wanted to let you know, before other distractions interfere, what a wonderful time I had over the past few days with you and the other participants at the Great Smokies Photo Workshop! The shooting venues were fantastic, but more importantly, both of you were fantastic as well. You have a unique ability to impart your vast knowledge and guidance to people with enthusiasm, friendship, and genuine concern that they benefit from the workshop. I feel that great sense of accomplishment that I felt after my previous workshop in Marlinton. You folks are terrific and you can definitely count me in for another workshop next year and for several years after that! Thanks again for an instructive and fun few days in Tennessee!

Joel Friedman

Thank you for another wonderful workshop. This was my second workshop to Dolly Sods in the past two years. Both were terrific experiences. I highly recommend your workshops. The passion and knowledge you both have for nature photography is evident the entire workshop. I am constantly amazed at your teaching skills and your ability to make the technical side of photography so easily understood. Equally amazing is your skill at working with classes where the level of the students range from raw beginners to experienced semi-pros. The days are full of learning that is truly entertaining and fun.

Thanks again.
Dave McKenzie

I can’t begin to thank you both enough for this past weekend. I learned so much about the little parts of my D200. I needed to be forced into using it and outdoor photograph was just the ticket. You both were very personable and accommodating to me. I have been in other workshops and the instructors always seemed to be more interested in getting “their” shots and not in the development of their students. You both rotated around, checked on everyone, and were available to the rookies at all times.

Thanks,
Shelley Deneau

I can only apologize for my lengthy delay of not responding with my feelings concerning my two, absolutely great workshop experiences this year, The Great Smokey Mountains of Tenn. and Big Meadows on Skyline Drive, Va. I want to give my appreciation to two of the finest people I have met in my long lifetime. The two of you continue to totally amaze me as to your professional skills and to the apparent ease in which you teach these skills to many un-learned people such as myself. Your demeanor is always calm and your eagerness to answer questions or to give demonstrations is astounding. Your stamina during the long day (s) in the field is another wonderment, going from one student to another, answering questions, giving technical support, fulfilling the needs of each and every student. I get weary just watching. So much for the praise, which I know to be true and insufficient, I did enjoy myself at both of these great workshops and I do continue to learn from the two of you. You are fulfilling a lifelong dream–“To be able to take a photograph not just a snapshot”. I know I’ll never be as talented as the two of you but you have already given me more skills then I thought possible. As you said Linda, ” You can teach an old dog new tricks”.

With much appreciation and respect;
Jim Anderson

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