I feel the huge bond that you created from, and for, this group in your words here Pam Boling.

I feel the huge bond that you created from, and for, this group in your words here Pam Boling. There is almost nothing that makes my heart beat faster with thrills than to find such an enormity created out of a simple concept: go out and share the gifts you've been given with others. Pam, you are on my list of people who truly make this world a better place. Brava, my dear, brava. A huge "THANK YOU" to all the helpers and hearty congratulations to all the mentees for all you contributed to make this not only a successful mentorship, but a life-changing, memorable event!

Originally shared by Pam Boling

+A Camel, You Say?

To name just a few things I had the pleasure of seeing in my G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers on Seeing Compositions which has since been dubbed the CamelComp Mentorship:

• Push pins, tiny glass figurines, a crystal cat, teacups, silverware, timepieces – one in bottle even

• Chess pawns, original 1935 Monopoly, Wile E. Coyote, marbles, a real live Dr. Seuss

• Scrabble pieces that spell N☐G☐T☐V☐ SP☐C☐

• Roses, seed pods, tulips, crocuses, snowdrops

• Puppies, dogs, cats, a (beautiful) wild-eyed house cat – I fell in love with that cat!

• Ladybugs, lemurs, a caracal, a roadrunner, a snake, birds

• Camels . . .

Lots of camels. Camels in the desert, camels in the wild, camels in the city. 

Pack camels. Camel races.

The best camel of all: Cami the CamelComp Official Mascot! Linda Villers’ cute stuffed camel started appearing in several of her assignment posts … after the camel shots from mentees and moderators started appearing. That’s how this mentorship came to be known as the CamelComp Mentorship.

I have the BEST group of mentees ever! I’m biased, I admit, but they all gave me good reason to be biased. They worked hard. I gave them difficult lessons. They asked questions; they struggled. They persisted until they got it right. Then they made me proud! And they had fun doing it!

I also had a great group of moderators without whom my ship would have sunk! With a group of 35 mentees, it would have been nigh on impossible for me to keep up, to answer all the questions, to be there to help out every time someone needed help. I appreciate all of you so much! Thank you all!! Special thanks to John Getchel, who responded to nearly every single post! 

Also, I want to thank all of the G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers program directors, without whom this opportunity wouldn’t have been possible: Robin Griggs Wood, Ron Clifford and Alex Lapidus, as well as founder Randy Jay Braun.

Meet my mentees: 
Alan Mason Alex Bellanger Anita Woods Beena R Carla McMahon Chinh Luong Chris Sutton Christine Bichler Cooksterz Littlefield D Stuart Dawn Molitor Denise Speckhardt Eve Aebi Gurun Setiawan Heather Szarka Ian Gager Jasbir S. Randhawa Jo Houlbrook Joanna Koziara Keith Brodeur Ken Fowkes Krystina Isabella Brion Lee Wilkinson Lisa Ellis Magda Sz Marilyn Benham Marlène Rak Sharon Woodward Steffan Correll Tee Gee Terry Gardner Valerie Liney Wendy Chase 

...and the team of moderators:
Alex Lapidus Craig Szymanski Diana Boyd Doug Welch (my remote brain, aka squirrel!) Elizabeth Lund Ellie Kennard Frances Schermers Gazzaroonii T. Gene Bowker Giselle Savoie John Getchel (who also completed the program while commenting on nearly every post, bravo!!) Lauri Novak Linda Villers (another moderator who completed the program and helped me backstage ... brava Linda!) Michael B. Stuart Rachael Switalski (who has her hands in many pies!!) Rainer M. Ritz and Shannon Adelson 

Thank you ALL ever so much, both moderators and mentees!! You all did a super-fantastic job!!! I will always be indebted to you for one of the best and most memorable photographic experiences of my life!!