December 6-11, 2015
New Mexico Photography Workshop
Join me for an extraordinary photography workshop in Bosque Del Apache national wildlife refuge and White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico in December 2015.
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Bosque del Apache is the crown jewel of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the best location for bird photography in the United States. The refuge serves as a winter home for tens of thousands of snow geese and Sandhill cranes.
Bosque he is located 9 miles south of Socorro New Mexico and comprises nearly 60,000 acres along the Rio Grande River and is critical for sandhill cranes and other migratory birds providing food protection and shelter.
One of the highlights of a winter visit to the refuge is a morning flight out or blastoff which is a sight and sound you must experience in person to fully appreciate. Thousands of snow geese take off all at the same time creating a solid mass of waiting before your eyes.
White Sands National Monument is one of the world’s great natural wonders. This is home to the worlds largest gypsum Dune field which comprises over 275 square miles of desert. Winter is one of the best times to photograph this fantastic location as there are few people in the landscape appears as if your the first person to ever walk on it. This is an area for some unique and beautiful landscape photography unlike anywhere else in the world.
Workshop Itinerary
Dates:
December 6-11, 2015
Sunday
Meet in Socorro New Mexico on Sunday evening o Feb 19, 2012 for an informal get together to meet and to get acquainted with members of the workshop, and plan for Monday morning predawn session and find out just how little sleep you will be getting.
Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday
Early morning and evening photos shoots with personal instruction, with afternoon training sessions for downloading and processing with Adobe Lightroom.
Thursday
We will check out and do an early morning shoot at Bosque del Apache, then travel to Alamogordo, with a visit to Valley of Fire to photograph lava flows, and White Sands for a shoot before sunset.
Friday
We will do an early morning shoot at White Sands, return to Alamogordo for lunch and a final wrap up of the workshop.
Locations:
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge – Socorro, New Mexico
White Sands National Monument – Alamogordo, New Mexico
Cost
The workshop fee will $795.00 per participant.
The workshop fee includes all lectures, fieldwork and critiques of your images during our sessions. This is a photography workshop, not just a photo tour, my goal is provide as much personal hands on help as possible. I will check with each participant to see how you are doing and if you need help, if you wish for assistance let me know, if not just let me know, and you will be free to shoot on your own. I will be more than willing to look through your viewfinder or at your LCD to check your images.
Workshop Policies and Information
About the Workshop
Our workshops are based on digital photography, the assistance that I can provide and the immediate feedback of digital make “in the field” workshops one of the most effective teaching formats available. Whether finding the correct exposure, looking through the viewfinder for the perfect composition, or learning how to use the equipment, you can’t beat real world experience. Classes are kept small, it’s all about personal, individual attention.
Digital offers a number of benefits for learning photography including:
- Immediate feedback on exposure and composition
- Immediate critique from the instructor an other participants
- Ability to do reviews and projection
- Automatically capturing all shooting information (Meta Data)
- Ability to manage work flow while still on location
Group Size
We keep our group size small, this provides for a high degree of personal attention and a great amount of flexibility in making the workshop the best possible experience for the participants.
This workshop is limited to a maximum or 8 participants.
Changes to the Itinerary
In order to offer the best experience possible for the workshop participants we reserve the right to alter the itinerary when our judgment warrants it. This could be due to unforeseen circumstances, closures, weather or other conditions beyond our control. We may also alter due to new or unexpected photographic opportunities that may arise.
What is Included
Your workshop fees include full instruction and location guiding. Upon receipt of your deposit, you will be supplied a trip checklist to assist with your preparations., technical articles, and more.
What is Not Included
Transportation to and from the workshop, lodging, meals, incidental expenses and items of a personal nature.
My philosophy on lodging and meals is that by not including them in the workshop each participant is free to choose their own level of accommodation and choice of meals. I have some participants stay in high end motels, while others prefer camping or RV’s. If these items were included in the workshop fee, it would simply be increased to cover the expenses plus a margin to be sure I did not loose money.
Lodging
Lodging is not provided, you will need to make your own reservations.
Meals
Meals, drinks, and snacks are not provided, and are the responsibility of the participant. Most of the time we will eat as a group to be able to continue discussions and interact with other members of the workshop, but you are free to eat on your own.
Health and Physical Considerations
All participants should be in generally good health, walking and moderate climbing may be necessary in outdoor workshops and you will be responsible for carrying of your own equipment on location shoots. If you are taking any medications be sure to bring a supply sufficient for the duration of the workshop.
If you have any concern about your ability to participate in a workshop please contact us before registering.
Equipment Needed
To get the most from the workshop you should have a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera, tripod and an assortment of lenses. That being said, it is the photographer not the camera that makes the photo. A laptop computer with Adobe Lightroom or other editing software installed.
For photographing birds at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge a 300mm or longer lens is recommended.
We will be doing image processing with Adobe Lightroom during afternoon sessions. You should have a laptop computer with Adobe Lighroom installed. If you do not have Lightroom you can download a free 30 day trial before the workshop to use, or use your own software if your prefer.
Transportation During Workshop
We do not provide Transportation on field trips, carpooling will be done among participants for these workshops. If you do not have a car let us know and we will be sure there are enough seats with other members during the workshop.
For those travelling from Fort Smith and Northwest AR region we will work out car pooling for the trip.
Registration, Payment, and Refund Policy
You can register any way you like, just so I get your information, you can use the online registration, the contact form, email, postal mail, or call me on the phone (479-414-6889) either to register or just ask a question. Registration is done on a first come basis, so register early to secure your space. A deposit of $600 is required to reserve your space, and full payment is due 30 days prior to the workshop. Enrollment is limited in our workshops, so once you have been accepted your participation is important to us – we are counting on you to attend. If you must withdraw from a course, we must receive written notice of your cancellation, and then apply the following refund policy: We do not make refunds on workshop fees. We do not make partial refunds for unused portions or services of a workshop for any reason whatsoever. If we are able to fill your space in the workshop we will give full credit towards another workshop. If we are not able to fill your space we will issue 50% credit towards a future workshop. If there are openings I will accepts last minute registrations when possible.
We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in the services to be provided. We reserve the right to change our arrangements should conditions necessitate, or to cancel any aspect of the workshop due to exceptional circumstances.
In the unlikely event that we need to cancel a workshop we will refund all monies paid, in full. Notification of our cancellation will be made via either a telephone call or an e-mail to you at least 14 days prior to the beginning of a workshop other than an emergency. We cannot be responsible for phone messages and e-mails not being received in a timely matter due to your service providers. We cannot be responsible for non-refundable airline tickets unused or other travel arrangements because of a workshop cancellation. All workshops have a minimum participation level which must be met or the workshop will be canceled.
Non Photographer (Spouse, significant other, or friend)
We welcome spouses to join you on the workshop experience however “workshop activities” are limited to registered, paid attendees. You may have a non photographer accompany you to all activities but they must pay for the workshop. If they wish to accompany you on the trip but not attend the workshop activities, but stay with you, finding other activities during the day, and meet for meals and social type events that is perfectly acceptable.
Liability Waiver
All participants will be required to sigh a liability waiver before beginning a workshop. As there is always an element of risk in any adventure associated with the outdoors, participants must read the liability release form carefully. Participant’s signed/dated release will certify that said participant is physically fit and capable of participating in outdoor photography exercises in field locations, and is fully and completely aware of any associated risks created by field locations and weather.
Weather
The more the better, at least as far as the photography goes. Workshops will not be canceled and no refunds will be made due to weather, we will not be responsible for any additional costs that may be incurred by weather delays or cancellations due to weather, flight delays, or other. Participants should come to the workshop prepared for all weather conditions. We will generally update everyone within a few days of the workshop so that they know what type of weather to expect.
Trip Extensions
We may be able to extend your trip in the area, if you would like more time and personal instruction. Please contact us for more information and rates before the workshop.
Smoking
We prefer that you do not smoke, however if you must please abide by the following guidelines. Smoking is not allowed in or near vehicles, during instructional sessions, during group meals, or at other times when in close quarters with other workshop participants.
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