“… nature – unadulterated and unimproved by man – is simply chaos.” Edward Weston.

There’s no argument that Edward Weston was one of the finest photographers that ever tripped a shutter.  And one of the aspects of his photography that he is most revered for is his compositions.  He was the absolute master in his studio but when it came to photographing nature he admitted that it was the most difficult of all.  Why?  Because nature is chaos.

Nature is Chaos

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We wrapped up the 2010 Death Valley photography workshop this morning and most everyone is on their way home now.  The grand finale was photographing Telescope Peak from Bad Water.  How was it?  See for yourself.

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On the morning of day 3 of the Death Valley photography workshop, the weatherman called for rain and wind.  With that in mind we decided that Zabriskie Point would present the best opportunities for sunrise and hoped to get a few good black and white photographs of the badlands.  When we left for Zabriskie at 5:15 it was windy as anticipated.  But overhead it looked like a few stars were twinkling although it was hard to tell for sure in the dark night sky with the Stovepipe Wells Village parking lot lights shining in our eyes.

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Yesterday morning our photography workshop shot sunrise from Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley National Park.  One of the really fun aspects of sunrise out there is trying to arrive on site before the sky starts to get light.  In other words, we start heading out to the dunes while it’s still dark, very dark.  We strike out into the desert without being able to see our destination.  It can cause a bit of trepidation amongst the attendees.

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The days have gotten by and here’s the first posting from during the workshop.  So far, we’ve covered Zabriskie Point, Mesquite Dunes and Artist’s Palette.  I’ve spent way more time helping the attendees than shooting myself.  And virtually no time working on images.  But last night at Artist’s Palette I came away I came away with a couple of images that I’d like to share.

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The Death Valley photography workshop will officially kick off in a couple of hours.  But some of the attendees have already shown up and we’ve been out shooting last night and this morning.  It’s all been very informal.

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One week from today I’ll be arriving in Death Valley National Park for the 2010 Death Valley Photography Workshop that runs from February 20-23.   This will be the second time Jack Graham and I have teamed up for this exciting workshop.  And we have a great one planned. 

Death Valley is filled with photographic opportunities.  February in Death Valley is really extraordinary, especially this year.  It’s an El Nino year which for California means we’re getting higher than average rain fall.  And Death Valley is getting its fair share – relatively speaking that is. Already Death Valley has received its average annual rainfall with more storms on the way.

A friend who was in Death Valley a couple of weekends ago reported that Cotton Balls Basin was already filling with water.  Cotton Balls Basin is the large salt pan north of Furnace Creek and near the Harmony Borax Works.  Oh, and I learned where it got its strange name.  Cotton Balls is another term for borax.  In the old days they mined borax there.  Cotton Balls Basin is where we got the unbelievable Death Valley Reflection photographs last year.

If the water is still there this year we’ll be out there for sunrise.

Speaking of sunrise, we will be shooting sunrises and sunsets of course.  For sunrises we will photograph that fantastic period before the sun comes up when the earth is awash in the cool, soft dawn light.  After the sun sets we’ll continue to shoot the beautiful twilight light.  And we’ll take full advantage of the wonderful warm light and long shadows of the golden hour, the hour after sunrise and before sunset. 

But in the middle of the day, when the light is simply not there, we’ll devote our time to photo reviews and instruction.  Every participant will have an opportunity to share the photos they are taking with Jack, me and the other participants for some instant feedback.  And we’ll  be covering some great photography topics.

I’ll be talking about the photo foundation – exposure and focus.  I’ll also do a presentation on composition as well as one on the important subject of HDR.  Jack will talk about his 20 tips to be a great photographer, his workflow and close up or macro photography.  And in the field, Jack and I will be working closely with the students to help them get the most out of each location.  You can see in addition to great photography this workshop is packed with photographic learning opportunities.

So, like I said at the start, we have an exciting workshop planned for next week.  If you want to get in on the fun but missed the Death Valley workshop, Jack and I will be leading more.  You can find Jack’s photography workshop schedule on his website.  And my workshops are listed on my site.

But as far as Death Valley is concerned, we’ll definitely be back next February.

To see more of my photographs click here.

The Death Valley Workshop is less than a month away – February 20-23, 2010 .  This is shaping up to be a fantastic winter.  The storms that rolled through California last week dropped a half inch of rain in Death Valley.  Now, that may not sound like much until you realize that that is half the annual rainfall and just in one week.  With more storms on the way this is shaping up to be a very exciting winter.

Last year we also encountered some incredible weather and while we can’t promise a lake in Cotton Balls Basin like the picture above, we can anticipate some exciting photo opportunities.  One never knows that’s in store but the more weather, the better the chances of experiencing something amazing.

But we only have six spaces left.  So if you want to be there this winter with a group of fellow photographers, all passionate about landscape photography, this would be the time.

Check us out.  Click this link for more information.

Death Valley Workshop

You won’t want to miss out.  But remember, there are only six spaces left and when they’re gone, there won’t be any more until next year.  So sign up now.

To see more of my photographs click here.

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Death Valley has so many fantastic locations to shoot.  But it’s not easy to get great photographs.  It all depends on catching the right light.

That’s where it pays to sign up for our workshop.  We know the valley and can get you to the well known and not so well known locations when the light is at its best.

We’re going next month: February 20 – 23, 2010.  It’s an amazing time of the year. 

Come join us.  You’ll be glad you did.  Sign up by January 15 and take advantage of the 10% early bird discount.  Click on the link below for more information.

2010 Death Valley Workshop

Do you love photography?  Is it a passion within you?  Are you inspired by nature?  Do you want to get out to some great locations and come back with some stunning photographs?  Do you want to become a better photographer?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, than you should consider taking a photography workshop (or another workshop if you’ve already started down that path).

What Makes for a Good Workshop?

What are the reasons for taking a photography workshop?

Well, first, you get to photograph an area with someone who is really familiar with it. They know both the great iconic locations plus some out of the way, intimate places.  They are aware of how the light plays on the subjects and can get your to them at the best times of day.  They can respond to developments with the light such as sudden storms and take you to the best locations to take advantage of them.  In other words, they draw upon their intimate knowledge of the area to bring together the two most important factors that go into creating outstanding nature photographs – great subjects and fantastic light.

Second, good workshop leaders will freely share their ‘secrets’ with you.  They have acquired a vast amount of knowledge, not only about the area but also about photography in general.  They have their own personal approach to photography.  There can be a lot you can learn from them and they are willing and eager to pass it along to you.

Third, good workshop leaders will spend time working with you one-on-one to help you develop your skills, whether they be creative or technical.  They will spend time working with you in the field on things like exposure, focus and composition.  They will look over your shoulder as you work and offer constructive comments and tips.  They will also take time to review your work and provide you with ongoing feedback. They will also not confine their help to techniques in the field but help you with the critical post processing where the true potential of the photograph is ultimately realized. 

The best workshop instructors will also probe you a bit to find out what you want to work on and help you with it.  If you’re not sure, they can help you identify areas of focus.  Their assistance will be very much personalized to your specific needs

How to Select the Workshop for You

There are several things you should think about and look for when selecting a workshop.

Start by thinking what you want to get from the workshop.  Are you primarily interested in a new and exciting location?  Do you want want to grow as a photographer?  Are there specific skills you want to work on?  Is there a photographer whose work you particularly admire?  All of these factors are things you should consider when you start looking for a workshop.

Finding Candidate Workshops

Search engines such as Google and Bing are very effective in helping you find a workshop.  Often people will search for a workshop in a particular location such as “photography workshop, Utah” or “photography workshop, Eastern Sierra.”  This works well if your goal is to photograph in a specific area.  These search sites can produce pages and pages of workshops, especially for the more popular workshop destinations.

Maybe you’re interested in a time of year such as “photography workshop, Napa Valley, fall” or “photography workshop, Death Valley, winter.”  Searches like this can get you to locations when conditions are most favorable and also when you can take enough time off for the workshop.

Finally, you may be interested in the work of a particular photographer.  Searches like “photography workshop, Ralph Nordstrom” or “photography workshop, Jack Graham” will prove effective.

Selecting the Workshop for You

Once you have a list of candidate workshops, how do you go about narrowing it down to just one?

You’ll find lots of information about the workshops on the web.  Based on what it is you determined you most want to get out of the workshop, review the information.  The following are factors you can consider.

Location

This is almost always an primary consideration.  If you’ve searched for workshops by location you should have lots to choose from.  Some websites will post itineraries.  Some will be general while others are very specific.  Take these itineraries with a bit of a grain of salt, especially the very detailed ones.  Rarely does a workshop follow the itinerary.  Conditions will change and the good workshops will adjust to make the most of them.  Itineraries are good, however, to give you an idea of what sites you will be photographing.

Time of Year

This is often another important consideration.  The workshop schedule need to fit with your availability.  But more importantly, they need to be scheduled when the light is the best for the location.  Again, if you searched for this you should have a sufficient number of workshops to choose from.

Personal Attention

This is where some workshops start to stand out from others.  This is the single most common reason workshop attendees are not totally satisfied with a workshop.  Review the information carefully to see what it says about one-on-one attention.  Read the references from past workshop attendees.  If the workshop leader does not call attention to this either in the information they provide or comments from past participants, chances are you’ll be disappointed in the level of attention you receive.

Reviews

Will the leader review your work?  This should occur early and often.  This way you can incorporate the feedback into subsequent photographs and practice the things they share with you.  Another aspect of this is print reviews.  Does the leader invite you to bring along prints of your work for review and feedback.  Again, review the information carefully looking for some mention of this.  If you don’t see it you may want to strike that workshop from your list.

Assignments

Will you be given assignments during the workshop?  Assignments with the follow-up reviews are terrific learning tools and you could benefit greatly from them.  Again, if this would be of interest to you review the information to determine if assignments will be offered.

Reputation of the Photographer

You may admire the work of a certain photographer and want to study with them.  In that case this could be a primary consideration.  Chances are excellent that they will be going to great locations at the best times of the year.  If the photographer is well known, one thing to keep in mind is their workshops fill quickly (often a year in advance) and they can be pricy – supply and demand you know.  Also, some of the big name photographers will give you lots of personal attention, some will make themselves available for questions but not necessarily reach out to you with suggestions and still others, it’s sad to say, will spend virtually all their time photographing along side you.

Cost

No discussion of workshops would be complete without a word or two about cost.  As mentioned above, the big name photographers will charge commensurate prices.  A few include transportation from the meeting point, lodging and meals but this will usually run several thousands of dollars for a three to five day workshop.  Some of the really high end workshops run as high as $10,000 and more.  Others will charge four figures but leave all the transportation, lodging, meals and fees to you.  You’ll have to evaluate these workshops to determine if you’ll get want you want from them and if it’s worth the price.

There are a lot of lesser known photographers whose workshops are terrific values.  Many of these are very talented photographers in their own right.  Because they’re not as well known their workshops will be more affordable, often half that of what the better known photographers are charging.  And many of them will work very hard to add value that may be missing from the big name photographers.  Generally, this value will be in the form of more personal attention.  When selecting a lesser known photographer’s workshop, be sure to check out his or her work to see if it’s what you like.  It doesn’t make a lot of sense to take a workshop from a photographer whose work you’re not particularly impressed with, no matter how inexpensive it is.

Contact the Photographer

If you think a particular workshop is for you but you still have questions, don’t hesitate to contact the photographer.  Send an email or make a call.  Ask your questions.  Don’t pass up this step.  The photographer will be happy to explore the suitability of his or her workshop with you.

Photography workshops are excellent ways to take your photography to the next step.  But workshops can be costly.  So, when you’re ready to take that step it’s important to make the right decision.  Following the suggestions discussed in this article will help you select the workshop that is right for you.

Join me on an upcoming workshop.

To see more of my photographs click here.

Become a fan on Facebook and follow along.