Travel with our mentors and try out all of the latest equipment from Nikon! Including world class digital SLRs, Nikkor lenses and the Coolpix line of Digital Cameras.

Thursday afternoon started with a meet and greet of the Trekkers hosted by the Mentors Mark and Steve along with the team from Popular Photography. A photo presentation by Mark and Steve left us hungry to get started. Our hosts challenged us to experience photography in a way that would ultimately shape us into better photographers. Our dawn till dusk Treks would have us photographing the city from the rivers to the top of the skyscrapers.

On Friday morning we started our Trek with a walk to our own private water taxi. The water taxi took us down the East River and over to the Statue of Liberty and Elis Island, and up the Hudson River to the west side. The weather provided the perfect conditions for shooting on the water. Our Captain navigated his vessel close to the landmarks, which provided us with prime photo opportunities as he gave us insight on the landmarks we were shooting. Mark and Steve were always available for help and even tossed out suggestions on camera setting tips. Next we then set off for the Brooklyn Bridge. It was exciting walking over the bridge being mixed in with all the pedestrian commuters while beneath us rush hour traffic was speeding by. The view from the bridge by itself was spectacular and the dusk setting provided great photo opportunities. After dinner we ended the day in Times Square walking and photographing amidst the neon-lit sea of people.

Saturday morning started, with my favorite photo opportunity of the Trek; sunrise at 'Top of the Rock”. Our group was granted exclusive access to the observation deck of Rockefeller Center at 6am; just the stillness of the morning and us. Despite the early hour and the occasional wind gust the view and photographs from this location was the most breathtaking of the entire Trek. Our group felt a collectively sense of awe at the photographic wonderland before us; even our Mentors were captivated by this venue. As dawn broke over the city the skyline illuminated by the just the city lights gave way to a breath-taking sunrise over the city. We were all able to hone our composition, lighting and shot selection skills as we clicked away. After breakfast we trekked to Central Park for a walking tour lead by Vanessa, Michelle, and Erica. In this fast-pace metropolis it's easy to forget that there is this oasis of green forest with meadows and lakes. While we walked both as a group and separately through the park I think my peers and I enjoyed the peace and serenity along with the photo opportunities. After the park we then went over to the Photo Expo at the Javits Center before returning back to the hotel for our Digital Review. I found Mark and Steve's comments both helpful and thought provoking while I listened to their tips on my photos and those of my comrades. Later in the day the weather finally caught up with us, the clouds moved in and a light rain began to fall as we left for Roosevelt Island. We boarded the tram for our special access trip to the island and made the most of our opportunity to shoot in gloomier lighting conditions. Despite the rain the day ended with a fun Double Decker bus ride through the city.

Sunday started off with another Digital Review before heading out to the photography candy store known as B&H Photo. We felt like celebrities as we were treated to early access to the store. Before they let us loose Mark Alberhasky gave us a presentation of a photo edited from start to finish. We returned to the hotel and finished our Digital Reviews with the Mentors. A working lunch followed as we each selected 10 shots for the final slide show. The slide show was fantastic and we all enjoyed each other's photos. We could easily see the positive results from our time with the Mentors. The Trek came to an end with closing comments and a thank you to and from Mark, Steve Vanessa, Michelle, and Erica as well as a flurry of exchanged email addresses. This may have been my first Trek but it certainly will not be my last.