Epic Grand Landscape Photo Workshop
Eastern Sierra, California
DATES
June 23 - 25, 2023
August 4 - 6, 2023
LOCATION
The Mount Whitney Gallery
126 N Main Street
Lone Pine, California
TUITION
$795
(Use coupon code SUMMER100 to save $100 )
Class limited to 7 students.
BOTH SESSIONS CURRENTLY SOLD OUT
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Have you ever looked at photos on Instagram or in Outdoor Photographer Magazine and you were totally blown away, but at the same time you were totally frustrated because your photos didn’t look like those photos?? I felt that feeling A LOT when I was first learning and it left me confused, but inspired.
I set about dissecting those amazing photos and understanding exactly what they’re made of. I discovered there are 9 elements that go into those stunning grand landscape photos. Those 9 elements are what you’re going to learn in this workshop so that you can shoot these kinds of photos anywhere you are, whether it’s New Zealand, Italy, or Death Valley.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
This Eastern Sierra epic Grand Landscape photography workshop is comprised of two classroom sessions, four field excursions, and two processing sessions. In the classroom we will learn everything that goes into making beautiful, impactful photos, including the required gear, camera settings, compositional strategies, understanding light, and how to process our photos. We will work together as a group to understand what it takes to create powerful grand landscape photos, then go into the field to bring them to life!
During the class we will have four field sessions to photograph the stunning landscapes of the Alabama Hills and the Eastern Sierra.
The classroom and post processing sessions for this class take place at The Mount Whitney Gallery in downtown Lone Pine, California.
SKILL LEVEL
This class is aimed at beginner and intermediate photographers. Specifically, it’s for anyone who wants to learn what goes into creating striking grand landscape photos.
Beginning Learning Goals:
- Learn to identify the 4 qualities a location needs in order to work as a Grand Landscape.
- Choosing the right lens for a Grand Landscape and how to vary your focal length to emphasize the parts of the scene most important to you.
- How to tell your story of a landscape by choosing specific foreground, midground, & background elements.
- Horizon placement and how it affects the story and depth of your images.
- Learning to shoot in aperture priority mode.
- How to create a painterly feel with the light and exposure of your images.
- Simple, powerful post processing steps to make your images pop.
Intermediate Learning Goals:
- How to pull your viewer into the frame and lead them on a visual journey.
- Using camera position to control the visual flow of your photo.
- Bulletproof strategies for simplifying and improving your Grand Landscape compositions.
- How to get a scene in focus from front to back every single time.
- How emotional impact determines the shutter speed you should be using.
- How to create connection and strengthen the visual narrative of your photo.
- The paradox of artistic intent versus proper exposure.
- Learning to shoot in full manual mode.
- Reading the histogram and knowing when to bracket exposures.
- A step-by-step approach to using 10- and 6-stop ND filters for long exposures.
- Aligning and blending multiple images in Photoshop (for example, blue hour foreground shot with nighttime Milky Way shot).
This class does NOT cover:
- Focal length blending.
- Luminosity Masking.
- Advanced Dodging and Burning.
- Know how to quickly adjust your aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Even if you aren’t fully comfortable with understanding these settings, know how to change them.
- Be able to turn on your 2/5/10 sec timer, and change your shooting mode from single shot to timer and back.
- Be able to turn exposure bracketing on and off.
- Be able to quickly zoom to 100% in Live View and Playback.
- Enable Back Button Focus.
- Know how to change from autofocus to manual focus and back, be able to move your focus point, and turn on focus peaking.
- View the Histogram in Live View and Playback.
- Activate the Level in your Live View.
- LENR – Know where to find Long Exposure Noise Reduction in your settings and how to turn it on and off.
- Know how to change the brightness of your screen.
- Know how to access your Menus, quickly scroll through, change and confirm settings.
- Know the basics of the Develop Module and Masking Panel in Lightroom / Adobe Camera Raw.
- Understand the basics of layers and masking in Photoshop.
YOUR TEACHER
Joshua Cripps – Professional Photographer and Guide
Josh is an acclaimed landscape photographer and educator from Lone Pine, California, where he owns and runs The Mount Whitney Gallery. He gives presentations for companies like Nikon and leads exciting photo tours around the world. Josh’s photos have been featured internationally by numerous agencies including BBC, NASA, CNN, Outdoor Photographer, and more.
ITINERARY AND LOGISTICS
Getting to the workshop
This grand landscape photography workshop meets in Lone Pine, California, 3-4 hours north of Los Angeles, 4 hours west of Las Vegas, or 1 hour south of Bishop. The class location is:
Transportation during the class
You are responsible for your own transportation during this class, but we will organize carpools for the excursions.
Lodging and Meals
Lodging and meals are up to you. Lone Pine has a wide array of dining and lodging options, from inexpensive to high end.
Itinerary*
Arrive at the Whitney Gallery a little after lunch (the exact time will be sent to you in advance of the class).
- Early Afternoon: Introduction to grand landscape photography.
- Mid afternoon: break.
- Evening: sunset photography excursion.
Day 2
- Early morning: sunrise photography excursion.
- Mid morning: break for breakfast.
- Late morning: basic grand landscape post processing techniques.
- Midday: break.
- Early Afternoon: Classroom session.
- Mid afternoon: break.
- Evening: sunset photography excursion.
Day 3
- Early morning: sunrise photography excursion.
- Mid morning: break for breakfast.
- Late morning: post processing.
- Midday: class ends.
* times are approximate and may change depending on conditions.
Weather and Conditions
Typically Lone Pine in summer is very hot, with day time temperatures in the 90-100 range, and nighttime temperatures in the 60s – 80s, making it extremely comfortable for shooting around sunrise and sunset.
Summer monsoons often come to the area on hot days, leading to spectacular conditions for photography.
Nevertheless, we make no guarantees regarding clouds, clear skies, rain, sun, or moon. We will likely photograph regardless of conditions, and no refunds will be given on account of the weather.
EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING
Camera Gear You Should Bring
- Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera
- Lenses. For this course, an ultra wide lens is the most important. But bring all the following lenses (or equivalent) to take advantage of the wide variety of scenes you will experience:
- Ultra-wide lens, such as a 14-24mm or 16-35mm
- Midrange, 24-70mm
- Short telephoto, 70-200mm
- A sturdy tripod
- Comfortable camera backpack you can hike up to 1 mile with
- Remote shutter release
- Rocket blower and shammy cloth, lens/sensor cleaning fluid, lens wipes, sensor swabs
- Extra batteries, charger, and memory cards
Recommended Clothing and Items
Typically Lone Pine in summer is very hot, with day time temperatures in the 90-100 range, and nighttime temperatures in the 60s – 80s. But due to variable conditions, we recommend bringing multiple layers of non-cotton clothing, like Merino wool, fleece, or synthetic fibers. Specifically you should bring:
- A jacket and pants
- A windproof rain jacket
- Lighter layers, like a sun hoodie or long-sleeved sun shirt
- A wide-brim hat and sunglasses
- Wool or synthetic socks
- Sturdy footwear that you don’t mind getting dirty or muddy. Lightweight hiking boots or hiking shoes are recommended for most outings.
- A large water bottle and sunscreen
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Trekking poles
COST - $795
Tuition Includes:
- All classroom instruction.
- 4 guided grand landscape shoots.
- Post processing instruction and Q&A.
- Access to my full Grand Landscapes online course and bonus materials.
Not Included:
- Airfare / transportation to Lone Pine.
- Transportation during the class.
- Lodging and meals.
- Personal items, souvenirs, passport/visa fees as applicable.
- Optional activities.
- Trip insurance .
Cancellation Policy
HELPING MOTHER NATURE THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY
Fully Insured and Permitted, Leave-No-Trace Advocates
We take pains to ensure our activities are 100% above board. We obtain all the necessary permissions, certifications, and insurance required in order conduct our tours.
We are also strong advocates of Leave No Trace (LNT) wilderness ethics. We teach responsible photography practices and never sacrifice the environment for the sake of a photo. Our goal is to leave our tour locations in better shape than the way we found them.
Carbon Offset and Planting Trees
We partner with the Give Back to Nature Project to plant trees to offset the carbon emissions generated by this class.
WORKSHOP POLICIES
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Payments are refundable up to two weeks before the workshop, less a $50 administrative fee.
If we cancel this workshop due to unforeseen circumstances, we will refund your tuition or transfer it to another class.
Weather Policy
We make no guarantees regarding clouds, clear skies, rain, sun, or Milky Way visibility. Because we plan to photograph no matter what the conditions are, no refunds will be given on account of the weather.
COVID-19 Policy
We do not currently have any COVID-19 requirements. That being said, if you feel sick before the class, please stay home and let us know. We will transfer your registration to another class of your choosing.
This policy will be updated as CDC, WHO, Federal, and state guidelines change.
