Using Hyperfocal to create depth from near to far. Glacier National Park, August 2008. Photographed with a 16-35mm II lens at 25mm, f/18, 2 seconds, ISO 100, Canon 1Ds mark III

Having good depth of field in a landscape image creates interest and depth to a photograph. For this effect, use a wide-angle lens. Tip, get close to the foreground! Using hyperfocal focusing on zoom lenses can be done with use of a chart or app to help getting everything in relatively good focus from foreground to background. Happy shooting! Jennifer

More information: Click here for Hyperfocal Handout

Iceland’s Breathtaking Landscapes

August 19-28,2012

Iceland is an island of contrasts. Volcanoes erupt in the middle of ice fields. Black lava flows are capped by electric-green moss. The island abounds in waterfalls of all description, from raging torrents to watery filigrees to leaping arcs. The sandy central highlands seem as lifeless as the moon while the coastal cliffs seem beset by a blizzard of birds.

We will explore the magnificent scenes of southern Iceland with forays into the wild interior. We’ll see the signature locations of Iceland, the most famous waterfalls, geysirs with geothermal activity, the spectacular Ice Lagoon set amid glaciers and tall peaks where icebergs float and run aground, the pastel hills and black lava flows of Landmannalaugar- the austere highlands, the rugged coast and gentle farmland. We’ll stop to capture images of the shaggy, sturdy Icelandic horses and the island’s characteristic architecture from Scandinavian modern to sod-roofed barns and churches. Timing is everything so we will photograph when the light is likely to be best for each location. Plus, we’ve selected several of our favorite spots that most tours pass by.

EXPERIENCE ICELAND WITH US

Feel the spray from explosive geysers and iconic waterfalls. Photograph icebergs stranded on a black sand beach. Dine on farm fresh local cuisine. Pet a friendly horse. Straddle the mid-Atlantic plate separating Europe from North America. Walk in the footsteps of the Vikings of the Sagas. Hear the rifle-shot crack of a calving glacier from a zodiac. Drive over multi-hued hills. Hold a chunk of ice older than civilization.

We focus on photography in the field. We forgo planned lectures, but critiques will be offered as well as guidance from two top professional photographers. You will have field demos and assistance by your side. We aim to expand your photographic techniques and enhance the way you see and compose. The photographic opportunities are so rich in Iceland, a photographer’s dream. We can’t wait to share this special place with you!

ITINERARY

Day 0: Aug 18: Leave the US for Iceland.

Day 1, Aug 19: Overnight in Reykjavik. After picking you up at the airport, we go over the schedule and information about the tour. We photograph around Reykjavik and shoot sunset, including geothermal activity and the blue lagoon area.

Day 2 & 3, Aug 20–21: Overnight in the Golden Circle area. Visit the icons of Iceland, Geysir and the powerful waterfall Gullfoss at the best times of the day. Hraufossar falls is comprised of dozens of falls and cascades offering limitless compositional possibilities. We travel into the interior of Iceland with 4×4 vehicles to photograph the pastel mountains and geothermal areas of the Highlands.

Day 4, Aug 22: Overnight in Vík We photograph two little-known waterfalls of striking beauty. Based on conditions, we’ll stop to shoot black sand beaches, Icelandic horses, a beautiful church, basalt sea cliffs, sea stacks, and rustic structures.

Day 5 – Aug 23: Overnight near Jokulsarlon. We arrive at Jokulsarlon, the spectacular Ice Lagoon fed by massive glaciers. We will shoot the lagoon and icebergs blown across the water, grounded near the shore, careening down the outlet stream, and stranded on the black sand beach.

Day 6 – Aug 24. Overnight near Jokulsarlon. We spend a full day around the ice lagoon area. Take our chartered boat through icebergs on the ice lagoon to the glacier terminus, weather permitting. We’ll visit a lesser-known lake ringed with glaciers and dotted with icebergs the crowds miss.

Day 7 – Aug 25. Overnight at a beautiful hotel in the south. We have a long day of travel. We’ll get our best views of the mountains and a close encounter with a glacier here with a cliff overview. Walk behind a powerful waterfall and photograph at the best time of the day!

Day 8 – Aug 26. Overnight at beautiful hotel in the south. An all day excursion to Landmannalaugar, a region noted for its varicolored pastel rhyolite hills, moss-covered lava flows, and vast expanses. This is the signature landscape of the Highlands of Iceland. Four-wheel drive is a must.

Day 9 – Aug 27. Overnight at beautiful hotel in the south. Photograph the rugged Icelandic horses, sheep and verdant countryside. We will shoot amid the spray and roar of the iconic waterfall, Skogafoss.

Day 10, Aug 28: Drive to the airport and leave for home. Leave with a trove of memories and stellar images.

VIEW IMAGES OF ICELAND

Workshop Participants Slide Show – View Images

Jennifer Wu’s images – View Images

James Martin’s images – View Images

SKILL LEVEL
The tour is intended for intermediate and advanced photographers, however any skill level is welcome and will enjoy Iceland’s photographic opportunities. Participants should have a working knowledge of their equipment. We will be doing some hiking over uneven ground and trails with the opportunities for more moderate hiking. Please email Jennifer if you have any questions. The 4WD roads are rough and not recommend for people with back problems or where a bumpy ride might be too difficult. We will spend about an hour each way on the rough road for two adventures into the Highlands.

GETTING THERE
Book a flight to Iceland to leave the US on August 18th and arrive on August 19th in the morning beofre 10 am. Plan to depart on August 28th in the afternoon after 3 pm. The workshop will be held August 19 – 28. Our tour will begin and end in at KEV airport in Iceland.

REGISTRATION
To register for Iceland’s Breathtaking Landscapes. Fill out the registration form and mail to the address listed on the form.

COST
Cost of $6,495 (double, two people per room) or $7,295 (single, one person per room). Deposit of $1500 reserves your space. Includes hotel for nine nights and ten days, all ground transportation, meals and weather permitting, a boat ride through the ice lagoon. Not included: airfare to Iceland, alcoholic beverages, medical expenses, travel insurance, additional hotel stays or activities that are not a part of the tour.

ACCOMMODATIONS
We will stay in guesthouses and elegant 4-star hotels. We are visiting some remote locations with limited choices but at each location we stay at the best accommodations available.

TRANSPORTATION
All ground transportation is included. We have comfortable 4WD vehicles that are capable of going over rough roads to the high country.

PHOTO TOUR LIMIT
Unlike some photography tours with 16 to 20 people, we limit to 10 participants.

CANCELLATION POLICY
You can cancel up to 150 days prior to workshop start date and receive a refund, less $50 fee. Less than 120 days there is no refund unless your space has been filled from a waiting list.

SPOUSES / PARTNERS
Spouses and partners are welcome to attend. They should know that we are focusing on photography and we will be staying out very late and getting up early. Sleep is at irregular hours. There is no discount for a spouse or partner.

QUESTIONS & INFORMATION
We are happy to answer your questions. Please use the Contact Us page to email or call us. Details about the schedule, airlines, accommodations, clothing and equipment recommendations are provided with registration or upon request.

TWO WORKSHOPS LEADERS

JENNIFER WU, a professional photographer since 1992, is a nature and landscape photographer as well as a night photographer. She received a BA in Photography from California State University, Sacramento. Jennifer was named by Canon USA to the elite group photographers, The Explorers of Light. A group comprised of the top 62 professional photographers in the country. Canon made Jennifer an Explorer of Light on the strength of her night photography, techniques she developed over years of experience. Jennifer’s images, featured in numerous magazines and books, have won a wide variety of prestigious awards. Whenever she is not on nature expeditions at some of the most beautiful locations in the world, she exhibits her images at nationally recognized galleries and art shows. She teaches workshops for the Light Photographic Workshops, Sierra Club, Canon and aFilm International Film Workshops (Barcelona). View her images at: http://www.jenniferwu.com

JAMES MARTIN has written and photographed professionally since 1989 with articles and photographs appearing in Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian, Outside, Backpacker, Climbing, Boys’ Life, Outdoor Photographer, and many others.

His most recent books are Digital Photography Outdoors (Mountaineer Books) and Planet Ice, a survey of ice that elucidates the relationship between climate and ice, and the action of ice on the landscape. He wrote Masters of Disguise: A Natural History of Chameleons, the first comprehensive book on chameleons in English with photographs by Art Wolfe. Sasquatch Press published a series of his coffee table books on the mountains of the West, including North Cascades Crest, Mount Rainier, and Sierra. Extreme Alpinism (Mountaineer Books), written and photographed with Mark Twight, concerns techniques for climbing and surviving the most difficult mountains. He has written books for children on natural history topics.

His travels led him to Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica, Europe, Borneo, Indonesia, Burma, and all the other S.E. Asian countries. He led photography tours around the world for Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris and now operates his own tours solo and in association with other photographers.

Visit his images at: www.jamesbmartin.com

The Best of Namibia

June 6-21, 2013

No other country in Africa presents photographers with such a range of opportunities. Near Sossusvlei we find orange dunes, some an incredible 1,000 feet high, towering over groves of dead trees. In the south dunes are reclaiming the town of Kolmanscop one grain at a time, an oddly disquieting scene. Quiver Trees grow amid the ruddy wind- sculpted boulders of the Giant’s Play- ground. We’ll stay out late to capture the sunset glow on the warm-colored stone and the arc of the Milky Way over the trees at night.

An amazing array of wildlife wanders the Etosha Pan, an unforgiving flat desert dotted with life- giving waterholes that concentrate the animals. Unlike Kenya and Tanzania where one patrols the landscape searching for animals, we will wait next to irresistible water features for the animals to come to us.

We’ll work closely with captive cheetahs and other cats in a natural environment. This is a marvelous opportunity to capture unusual angles and perfect portraits while enjoying an intimacy with the animals impossible in the wild. We’ll photograph one of the most interesting and photogenic tribes, the Himba, near a large desert waterfall. The women and most of the children adorn themselves with an ochre-red dust mixed with fat, giving their skin a lustrous tone.

EXPERIENCE NAMIBIA WITH US

We decided to create the most comfortable and photo-rich tour possible, staying in the best lodges available and flying when days of rough roads would yield too few good shots. Our two days shooting captive cats and other animals in natural environments will produce portraits difficult to match in the wild. We booked an extra 9 passenger safari vehicle in Etosha for a total of four vehicles to avoid crowding and each person can have their own row. There is no better site for photographing a true Himba village. We planned this for the time of year for good weather and to photograph the stars and Milky Way. We believe we’ve created the best photo tour in Namibia possible given the time.

ITINERARY

Day 0:  June 4 or 5

Leave home.

Day 1: June 6

Arrive in Windhoek, Namibia. We are not planning on doing any photography on this day. After arriving, take some time to rest after the long flight. We will meet for dinner and go over welcome, introductions, schedule and advice for being in Namibia. Hilton Hotel.

Day 2: June 7

Leave Windhoek and drive to Naakuse Lodge where we photograph habituated cheetahs, caracals, baboon babies, and wild dogs. Naakuse Lodge.

Day 3: June 8

We drive south to the Giant’s Playground, notable for its strange rock formations and signature quiver trees. We will shoot the trees against the blazing stars and do some light painting at night. This is the evening of the new moon, the darkest of the month for dark skies and brilliant stars. Central Lodge.

Day 4: June 9

We drive part way to the coast with a chance of photographing wild horses in the African desert. Stay at Klein Aus Vista Eagles Nest.

Day 5: June 10

We continue to Luderitz. From this base we will shoot the Kolmanscop ghost town, overrun with sand, flamingos in the lagoons, and we may see penguins. Nest Hotel Luderitz.

Day 6: June 11

After a morning shoot, we travel past Namib Naukluft Park to Sossusvlei, the heart of the giant dunes. We will stay at the only lodge in the park. Sossus Dune Lodge.

Day 7-8: June 12 & 13

In the Dunes. Sossus Dune Lodge.

Day 9: June 14

Drive through the desert over two passes to the coastal town of Swakopmund, a civilized respite amid dramatic scenery. Swakopmund Hotel

Day 10: June 15

This morning we tour the local dunes where guides will show us sidewinders, the bizarre Namaqua chameleon, the Palmato gecko, which gets its moisture by licking dew from its eyes, and other shy creatures. After lunch we fly beside the entire Skeleton Coast to Epupa Falls. Omarunga Camp:

Day 11: June 16

We photograph a Himba village in the morning and fly to Etosha mid-afternoon. Kempinski Mokuti Lodge

Day 12: June 17

Two game drives with four vehicles in Eastern Etosha National Park. You will photography with plenty of space from the safari trucks. Kempinski Mokuti Lodge

Day 13: June 18

We drive across the park photographing wildlife throughout the morning. After lunch, we continue to our lodge, which features a lit waterhole that attracts animals for afternoon and evening shooting. Okaukuejo Premium Waterhole Chalets

Day 14: June 19

After a morning drive we continue to far end the park to another lodge boasting an illuminated water feature. Frans Indongo

Day 15: June 20

Visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund to photograph the cheetah run. Return to Windhoek for departure flights or stay the night (hotel included). Hilton Hotel.

Day 16: June 21

Departing flights for home.  Leave with wonderful memories and beautiful photographs.

SKILL LEVEL

The tour is intended for intermediate and advanced photographers, however any skill level is welcome and will enjoy Namibia’s photographic opportunities. Participants should have a working knowledge of their equipment. A letter with detailed instructions on camera, lenses and other equipment for the night sky and for the safari will be emailed to you. Please email Jennifer if you have any questions.

GETTING THERE

Book a round trip flight to Windhoek, Namibia arriving on June 6th and departing on June 21st. You are responsible for lodging and transportation for early arrival and departure.

REGISTRATION

Fill out the registration form and mail to the address listed on the form. Click on the link below.

COST

Cost: of $10,500 for double (two people per room) or $11,950 for single occupancy (one person per room) for 15 day/night tour. Deposit of $1500 reserves your space. Remaining balance is due 150 days before the tour.

Not include in the trip cost is airfare to and from Windhoek, Namibia, alcoholic beverages, medical expenses and travel insurance.

ACCOMMODATIONS

All accommodations are included for 15 nights. Not included, arrival a day before or staying a day after the workshop.

TRANSPORTATION
All ground transportation is included. We have comfortable 4WD vehicles that are capable of going over rough roads to the high country. Two flights within Namibia to quickly reach our destinations and avoid the roughest roads.

PHOTO TOUR LIMIT

The workshop is limited to 10 participants unlike other groups with 16-22 people. We work with each photographer individually and as a group to enhance photography skills and mastery of the equipment

CANCELLATION POLICY

You can cancel up to 150 days prior to workshop start date and receive a refund, less $50 fee. Less than 150 days there is no refund unless your space has been filled from a waiting list.

SPOUSES / PARTNERS

Spouses and partners are welcome to attend. They should know that we are focusing on photography and we will be staying out very late and getting up early. Sleep is at irregular hours. There is no discount for a spouse or partner.

QUESTIONS & INFORMATION

We are happy to answer your questions. Please click on the Contact Us page to email or call us anytime.

Details about the schedule, airlines, accommodations, clothing and equipment recommendations are provided with registration or upon request.

REGISTRATION

To register fill out the registration form and mail to the address listed. Click on the link below.

WORKSHOPS LEADERS

James Martin has written and photographed professionally since 1989 with articles and photographs appearing in Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian, Outside, Backpacker, Climbing, Boys’ Life, Outdoor Photographer, and many others. His most recent books are Digital Photography Outdoors (Mountaineer Books) and Planet Ice, a survey of ice that elucidates the relationship between climate and ice, and the action of ice on the landscape. He wrote Masters of Disguise: A Natural History of Chameleons, the first comprehensive book on chameleons in English with photographs by Art Wolfe. Sasquatch Press published a series of his coffee table books on the mountains of the West, including North Cascades Crest, Mount Rainier, and Sierra. Extreme Alpinism (Mountaineer Books), written and photographed with Mark Twight, concerns techniques for climbing and surviving the most difficult mountains. He has written books for children on natural history topics.

His travels led him to Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica, Europe, Borneo, Indonesia, Burma, and all the other S.E. Asian countries. He led photography tours around the world for Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris and now operates his own tours solo and in association with other photographers.

Visit his images at: www.jamesbmartin.com

Jennifer Wu, a professional photographer since 1992, is a nature and landscape photographer as well as a night photographer. She received a BA in Photography from California State University, Sacramento. Jennifer was named by Canon USA to the elite group photographers, The Explorers of Light. A group comprised of the top 62 professional photographers in the country. Canon made Jennifer an Explorer of Light on the strength of her night photography, techniques she developed over years of experience. Jennifer’s images, featured in numerous magazines and books, have won a wide variety of prestigious awards. Whenever she is not on nature expeditions at some of the most beautiful locations in the world, she exhibits her images at nationally recognized galleries and art shows. She teaches workshops for the Light Photographic Workshops, Sierra Club, Canon and aFilm International Film Workshops (Barcelona).

Although Jennifer has not been to Namibia she does have experience in photographing the night sky, wildlife, sand dunes and landscapes for assisting you with photographing Namibia.

Greenland’s Magnificent Ice

August 8-14, 2012

Southwest Greenland best place in the world to see magnificent icebergs, and it certainly offers the easiest access. Several glaciers flow from the Greenland Icesheet into a narrow channel near Ilulissat to create the Icefjord, the greatest concentration of icebergs in the world and a World Heritage site. The Jakobshavn Glacier, the fastest moving in the Northern Hemisphere, slips into the sea at a rate of up to 35 m per day, but it is retreating up the channel even faster. This grand procession of icebergs will come to an end in this generation. In midsummer so much meltwater covers the ice sheet itself that travel on foot becomes nearly impossible. The surface lakes can be miles across and the rivers that form are too deep and swift to ford. This is ground zero for global warming.

We will explore the grandest scenery of the South-west of Greenland, from the ice-filled fjords to the Icesheet itself, second only to the Antarctic Icesheet in size. We will photograph from the shore and take a midnight cruise to the terminus of the Icefjord when Western light illuminates the ice and its ever-changing forms. We fly by helicopter to the Jakobshavn Glacier (weather permitting) to witness calving and to marvel at a newly revealed landscape.

OUR JOURNEY

Our adventure begins when we land at Kangerlussuaq, site of a World War II US airbase. A crude road follows a melt water stream to the ice sheet where we can photograph crevasses, seracs, and other glacial features. Along the way you’re likely to see a herd of musk ox and perhaps an arctic fox. The following day a one-hour flight takes us to Ilulissat and our comfortable hotel, the Arctic, where icebergs are usually visible from the rooms.

After several days in Ilulissat, we board a boat to the Eqi Glacier, another ice stream slipping into a fiord. Here we can photograph at leisure from the comfort of Ice Camp Eqi Lodge, a small assemblage of snug cabins complemented by a cookhouse that serves surprisingly excellent meals. We can wander around the tundra in the late afternoon and early morning before returning to Ilulissat the following day. We will take the boat as close as we can to shoot calving ice and stop at an Inuit village enroute to town. With luck we will see blue or humpback whales in these waters. The following day we return to Kangerlussuaq where participants can continue on to Reykjavik or Copenhagan.

WORKSHOP TIME
The workshop begins at 2:00 pm on Wednesday and ends on Sunday after the morning shoot & critiques, around 3 pm.

ITINERARY

August 8-14, 2012

Day 0 – August 7: Option to arrive at Kangerlussuaq.

Day 1 – August 8: Arrive at Kangerlussuaq.

Day 2 – August 9: Excursion to the Russell Glacier and the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Day 3 – August 10: Fly to Ilulissat. Fly by helicopter today or tomorrow to the Jakobshavn glacier and the ice sheet today, tomorrow, weather permitting. Walk to the Ice Fjord, a World Heritage site, at sunset.
Day 4 – August 11: Shoot in and around Ilulissat and the Ice Fjord. Explore the ice terminus by boat at dusk.

Day 5 – August 12: Cruise to Ice Camp Eqi. Shoot the tundra landscape and the glacier.

Day 6 – August 13: Photograph the calving terminus of the Eqi Glacier from the boat. Enroute to Ilulissat, stop at a colorful Inuit village.

Day 7 – August 14: Return to Kangerlussuaq. Departing flight Aug 14 in the evening or August 15th.

GETTING THERE
Book a flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Most flight go through Reykjavik, Iceland or Copenhagan, Denmark. Plan on arriving on August 8th in the morning and departing on August 14th from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland in the evening.

REGISTRATION
To register fill out the registration form and mail to the address listed on the form.

COST
Cost: $3,605 double occupancy. For payment by check the cost is $3495. Deposit of $750 reserves your space. Remaining balance is due 150 days before the tour on March 8, 2012. Flight

Includes hotel for six nights, all ground transportation, meals and weather permitting, a boat ride to photograph calving ice and a helicopter flight and plane to Ilulissat. Not included: airfare to Greenland, alcoholic beverages, medical expenses, travel insurance, additional hotel stays or activities that are not a part of the tour. Plan on arriving in the morning to Greenland and leaving in the afternoon. Hotel is not included for arrival a day before or leaving a day earlier.

ACCOMMODATIONS
All accommodations are included. Due to the limited facilities, rooms are double occupancy. We will pair you with another participant.

TRANSPORTATION
All ground transportation is included as well as the boat ride, helicopter flight and plane to Ilulissat.

PHOTO TOUR LIMIT
This tour is limited to 8 participants. We work with each photographer individually and as a group to enhance photography skills and mastery of the equipment.

SKILL LEVEL
The tour is intended for intermediate and advanced photographers, however any skill level is welcome and will enjoy Greenland’s photographic opportunities. Participants should have a working knowledge of their equipment. Please email Jennifer if you have any questions.

CANCELLATION POLICY
You can cancel up to 150 days prior to workshop start date and receive a refund, less $50 fee. Less than 120 days there is no refund unless your space has been filled from a waiting list.

SPOUSES / PARTNERS
Spouses and partners are welcome to attend. They should know that we are focusing on photography and we will be staying out very late and getting up early. Sleep is at irregular hours. There is no discount for a spouse or partner.

QUESTIONS & INFORMATION
We are happy to answer your questions. Please see the Contact Us page to email or call us anytime. Details about the schedule, airlines, accommodations, clothing and equipment recommendations are provided with registration or upon request.

WORKSHOPS LEADERS

Jennifer Wu, a professional photographer since 1992, is a nature and landscape photographer as well as a night photographer. She received a BA in Photography from California State University, Sacramento. Jennifer was named by Canon USA to the elite group photographers, The Explorers of Light. A group comprised of the top 62 professional photographers in the country. Canon made Jennifer an Explorer of Light on the strength of her night photography, techniques she developed over years of experience. Jennifer’s images, featured in numerous magazines and books, have won a wide variety of prestigious awards. Whenever she is not on nature expeditions at some of the most beautiful locations in the world, she exhibits her images at nationally recognized galleries and art shows. She teaches workshops for the Light Photographic Workshops, Sierra Club, Canon and aFilm International Film Workshops (Barcelona). View her images at: http://www.jenniferwu.com

James Martin has written and photographed professionally since 1989 with articles and photographs appearing in Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian, Outside, Backpacker, Climbing, Boys’ Life, Outdoor Photographer, and many others. His most recent books are Digital Photography Outdoors (Mountaineer Books) and Planet Ice, a survey of ice that elucidates the relationship between climate and ice, and the action of ice on the landscape. He wrote Masters of Disguise: A Natural History of Chameleons, the first comprehensive book on chameleons in English with photographs by Art Wolfe. Sasquatch Press published a series of his coffee table books on the mountains of the West, including North Cascades Crest, Mount Rainier, and Sierra. Extreme Alpinism (Mountaineer Books), written and photographed with Mark Twight, concerns techniques for climbing and surviving the most difficult mountains. He has written books for children on natural history topics.

His travels led him to Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica, Europe, Borneo, Indonesia, Burma, and all the other S.E. Asian countries. He led photography tours around the world for Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris and now operates his own tours solo and in association with other photographers.

Visit his images at: www.jamesbmartin.com

Death Valley the Landscape and Night Sky

February 22-26, 2012

Full – filled in one day. Email us to be placed on the waiting list and notified of upcoming Death Valley workshops.

Located near the border of California and Nevada, Death Valley is filled with breathtaking desert scenery and unique geological formations. It’s 3.3 million acres is home to rare desert wildlife, undisturbed wilderness, colorful rocks and canyons, unique evaporative salt features and miles of pristine sand dunes. Death Valley encompasses the lowest spot in the Western Hemisphere, Badwater at 282 feet below sea level, to Telescope Peak, rising to 11,049 feet.

This magical place is a photographer’s dream. We will shoot the graceful and ever-changing sand dunes, Zabriski Point, pastel clay hills, reflective pools, and the mysterious Racetrack. We will rise early and stay out late some nights to capture the most evocative light and mood in our images. Expect little sleep, but the images will be worth the effort.

Not only will we shoot these in the golden light of sunrise and sunset but then return to photograph the amazing night sky. We timed this workshop to take advantage of the new moon for the dark skies.

Death Valley’s dry desert air makes it an ideal site for night photography. The camera reveals more than the naked eye. We will photograph stars as points of light and star trails, sometimes painting with light and trying other special techniques for photographing at night, weather permitting. Death Valley is a rich photographic environment. You will come away with a host new shooting skills and a disk drive full of great images.

WORKSHOP WILL INCLUDE:

• Understanding the subtleties of light
• Improving your creativity & photographic vision by evoking mood & emotion in your images
• Learning to capture the crescent & full moon
• Light painting at night
• Photoshop techniques to improve your images
• Photographing the stars & star trails using single or multiple exposure techniques
• Critiques to open your eyes to different possibilities & improve your photographic skills

VIEW IMAGES OF DEATH VALLEY

Workshop Participants Slide Show – View Images

Jennifer Wu’s images – View Images

WORKSHOP TIME
The workshop begins at 2:00 pm on Wednesday and ends on Sunday after the morning shoot & critiques, around 3 pm.

Death Valley has many photographic opportunities and we are glad to suggest some additional locations to check out! You may want to stay an extra day or two to photograph Death Valley’s unique landscapes.

GETTING THERE
Death Valley is situated in eastern California and is about 4-5 hours from LA. The nearest airport is Las Vegas and it is a 2-hour drive to the hotel.

SKILL LEVEL
This workshop is intermediate to advanced photographers who have working knowledge of their camera and can set shutter speeds, f-stops and manual settings. This is not for beginners. You will need to be able to easily operate your camera in the dark. Basic Photoshop or Lightroom skills are needed.

GOOD PHYSICAL HEALTH
Good physical health is advised for this workshop. We will be hiking to the sand dunes and to the racetrack. It is about a 30 min walk to the dunes and at times we will be walking uphill in the sand so it can be difficult. The racetrack is a 20-30 min walk to the far rocks but there are some very close by as well. It is easy walk without elevation change. The racetrack drive in on rough 4-wheel drive road and can be very bumpy. Not recommended if you have back problems. Please contact Jennifer if you have any concerns.

COST
The cost for the workshop is $1135. Limited to 12 participants include workshop fee and special 4×4 jeeps for going to the racetrack. Workshop items not included are: lodging, meals, and transportation. We will carpool to locations and eat as a group at restaurants for socializing, asking questions and continuing lecture discussions.

REGISTRATION & INFO

1) To register for The Landscape & Night Sky in Death Valley fill out the registration form and mail or email to the address listed. Please use the Contact Us page to email or call us for more information.

2) Next, contact the hotel and make your room reservations. Furnace Creek Ranch: www http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/ Phone: 1-760-786-2345. Rooms are reserved under Majestic Peak Images ask for reservations and give the group booking #377950. There are two hotels, Furnace Creek Ranch and Furnace Creek Inn. We are staying at the Ranch, which is less expensive. If you would like something nicer then stay at the Inn.

WORKSHOPS LEADERS

Jennifer Wu, a professional photographer since 1992, is a nature and landscape photographer as well as a night photographer. She received a BA in Photography from California State University, Sacramento. Jennifer was named by Canon USA to the elite group photographers, The Explorers of Light. A group comprised of the top 62 professional photographers in the country. Canon made Jennifer an Explorer of Light on the strength of her night photography, techniques she developed over years of experience. Jennifer’s images, featured in numerous magazines and books, have won a wide variety of prestigious awards. Whenever she is not on nature expeditions at some of the most beautiful locations in the world, she exhibits her images at nationally recognized galleries and art shows. She teaches workshops for the Light Photographic Workshops, Sierra Club, Canon and aFilm International Film Workshops (Barcelona). View her images at: http://www.jenniferwu.com

James Martin has written and photographed professionally since 1989 with articles and photographs appearing in Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian, Outside, Backpacker, Climbing, Boys’ Life, Outdoor Photographer, and many others. His most recent books are Digital Photography Outdoors (Mountaineer Books) and Planet Ice, a survey of ice that elucidates the relationship between climate and ice, and the action of ice on the landscape. He wrote Masters of Disguise: A Natural History of Chameleons, the first comprehensive book on chameleons in English with photographs by Art Wolfe. Sasquatch Press published a series of his coffee table books on the mountains of the West, including North Cascades Crest, Mount Rainier, and Sierra. Extreme Alpinism (Mountaineer Books), written and photographed with Mark Twight, concerns techniques for climbing and surviving the most difficult mountains. He has written books for children on natural history topics.

His travels led him to Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica, Europe, Borneo, Indonesia, Burma, and all the other S.E. Asian countries. He led photography tours around the world for Joseph Van Os Photo Safaris and now operates his own tours solo and in association with other photographers.

Visit his images at: www.jamesbmartin.com