During April of 2023, 2024, and 2025 I was fortunate to attend three five-day workshops taught by  Barbara Eddy and Roger Tretham at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). According to their brochure about the workshop, “Few places rival the diversity of spring in the Great Smoky Mountains. The forest begins to awaken from its winter slumber in late March through early April, resulting in a full-blown eruption of wildflowers in mid to late April. Many species of trilliums, jack-in-the-pulpit, fringed phacelia, wild geranium, dwarf crested iris, and many others carpet the forest floor. Ferns emerge among the fresh green mosses and numerous mountain streams and waterfall are in full flow.” For each of these workshops, I joined six other like-minded photographers for this time of learning, enjoying the out-of-doors, and gaining inspiration from both our workshop leaders and the nature we photographed. My images from those special times…