I've liked San Francisco ever since I was a kid and my parents took us there for a family vacation. Now the City by the Bay is just an hour away from my studio.

So it seems odd that I've never organized a workshop there... that is until May 2014 when I'll debut the TDS San Francisco Street Shooting Workshop.

As you can image, there are a million details to address to pull off this type of weekend event. But at the core of the planning is the location where we'll have our classroom sessions, informal gatherings, and sleeping accommodations.

In order to find just the right place, Leah and I have spent the last month researching hotels around Union Square. We narrowed the list to five candidates. And today, I visited each one to determine where our camera bags will rest in May.

After spending time at each facility, the field quickly narrowed to two. And the finalist is the Cartwright Hotel on Sutter St. It's wonderful - classic San Francisco architecture and furnishings, a terrific meeting room, and helpful staff. And when you step out the front door, you're immediately immersed in the charm of the city.

I've stayed in so many San Francisco hotels over the years. And my favorites are the unique establishments that couldn't exist anywhere else on the planet.

The Cartwright Hotel is one of those places. And I can't wait to host my first San Francisco workshop there.

-Derrick