Archives: Lessons
Mud Cracks / Tiles
Aguereberry Point
Ubehebe Crater
Lee Flat (Joshua Tree Forest)
Photographing the Alabama Hills
Ask WHAT? and WHY? to Create Powerful Stories for Your Photos
Let’s dive into Visual Storytelling. Before we begin, you need to understand that the subject and story is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of any photograph. If you don’t have this you don’t have a photo. And yet, most landscape photographers never consciously think about the story that they want to tell when they are photographing. […]
How to Use Composition, Technique, & Light to Tell Your Story
In the previous lesson we learned to create our story of a place by asking What we like, and Why we like it. Now it’s time to turn that story into a photograph. We can do that by asking a third question: How? “How can I exaggerate the elements of my story using my camera?” […]
Wide Angle Foregrounds
This area is rich with fascinating patterns and objects that can serve as impactful foregrounds in wide angle compositions. To make the most of these, here are some suggestions: Using this simple framework will allow you to create stunning in-your-face wide angle compositions like these.
Learn to See in Telephoto
Telephoto landscape photography composition is an endlessly complex topic we can spend our whole lives exploring. So in this article I want to simply give a few ideas of good scenes for using your telephoto lens. Things to look for include: Here’s an example of how a telephoto lens can be used to pick out […]
Photographing Dunes
The dunes are arguably the most challenging, fun, and satisfying location we will photograph during the tour. Because of that, we will visit the dunes at least 2-3 times (if not more). Special Precautions We highly recommend you bring a buff from your mouth and nose, and wrap-around sunglasses or safety goggles for your eyes. […]
Zabriskie Point and Other Badlands
We could have an entire workshop centered entirely on photographing badlands, and it would never get old. These locations are among the best there are for learning to see patterns, lines, shapes, light, and color. But because these areas are so complex, they can be easily overwhelming from a photographic standpoint. My advice, as always, […]
Badwater, Cottonball Basin, and Other Patterned Flats
Camera Settings You Need to Know
Don’t fight your gear. Here are settings we see people struggle with over and over on our workshops and tours. Practice changing or accessing these settings before the trip and you will have more success in the field. Know how to quickly adjust your aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Even if you aren’t fully comfortable with […]
How to Make the Most of This Trip
1) Get Rid of Your Photography Expectations There is arguably nothing more important to having a satisfying photographic experience than shooting from a standpoint of zero expectations. For example, while we all love to see dramatic clouds and intense colors in the sky, that doesn’t happen frequently in Death Valley. But that’s ok, because there’s […]
The Four Things Every Great Photo Needs
Just like your heart has four essential chambers, every successful landscape photo is built from four essential parts: This is one of the most important things I can ever teach you. In fact it’s so important I call it the Golden Rule of Landscape Photography. If you have those four things, I guarantee you will […]
Hotel Information
Sep 28 – Oct 1: Bishop Best Western 1025 N Main St, Bishop, CA 93514 +17608733543 Oct 1 – Oct 4: Tamarack Lodge 163 Twin Lakes Rd, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 +17609342442
Food, Transportation, LNT, Group Etiquette
Food Breakfast and Dinner are included every day of the trip. Snacks – there are endless snacks throughout the trip. Fruit, cracks, chips, cookies, popcorn, etc. Eat them! Lunch – Lunch is on your own during this tour. There are many dining options in both Bishop and Mammoth. Field Etiquette Common courtesy is king. Don’t leave your bags […]
Packing Lists
Camera Gear and Other Equipment Clothing Due to variable conditions, we recommend bringing multiple layers of non-cotton clothing (Merino wool and synthetics are highly recommended). Specifically you should pack:
Weather
Expect a wide range in temperatures, in general from around 30°F to 60°F. However, mornings at the Bristlecones can be as cold as 15°-20°F. Days in Bishop could be as warm as 75°F. Also, the Eastern Sierra can be a windy place, and wind chill can make the ambient temperature feel much colder. So please bring […]
