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Workshop Dates: April 18 - 21, 2013
The premier season for photographers in Yosemite Valley is spring, with its countless blooming flowers, tall green grasses, roaring rapids in the Merced River and the showcase of them all: over a dozen waterfalls pouring over the towering cliffs of the valley's rim, dropping thousands of feet in sheer free-falls, stair-cased steps or series of cascades. Coupled with the dramatic backdrop of the sheer granite walls and iconic lofty, precipitous spires, peaks and domes, spring time in Yosemite is a sheer photographer's playground.
This workshop focuses not only on the 'where' to take the pictures, but also on the 'how' to take pictures, incorporating photographic education throughout the workshop at each location. By building on the previous location's techniques and lessons, this allows for culmination in a comprehensive lesson in composition, modified exposure, light controls, Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS), and Infrared (IR) photography.
This truly is a collaboration of extensive, comprehensive landscape photography education coupled with a dynamic location.
You can also read what last year's workshop participants had to say about the experience.
Also, you can look at the images from the 2011 workshop in the Yosemite Spring gallery
And, lastly, for a wonderful and very entertaining first-person perspective of the workshop experience, read Todd Jackson's blog
ITINERARY:
Day 1 - Following an early afternoon session at our meeting location reviewing the workshop schedule, safety, photographic concerns and techniques, we will depart for our first location at the Cascades, photographing the convergence of two waterfalls above our vantage point into a roaring cascade just below us, beginning our exercises in visual composition and application. We will then return to Yosemite Lodge for an early dinner before heading to a profile vantage point of Bridalveil Falls at sunset. Evening time will be spent reviewing images in the group environment at the Curry Village Lounge.
Day 2 - Following an early breakfast, we will depart to photograph Yosemite Falls from the Merced River, at a specific time and specific place. Late morning will be spent focusing on the blooming dogwoods, apples and other spring flowers in the center and west end of the valley. Following lunch, we head back to Curry Village for edit, review and critique of our images from the past two days. We will depart the valley in late afternoon to head south to Wawona for a photographic study of the Merced River and spring foliage in an unlikely but remarkable location, held secret and in high regards by Yosemite landscape photographers. (This secret location is a favorite of all those who attend, prompting countless return visits!)
Day 3 - The entire day will be a hike from atop Glacier Point (2000 feet above the valley floor) back down to the valley passing three glorious waterfalls in full force with photographic angles not easily acquired by the passing tourist. We will begin with the light still striking Illilouette Fall before heading down toward Nevada Fall as the afternoon sun shifts to fall on the waterfall and Liberty Cap in the background, before continuing down to Vernal Fall in the late afternoon light, then heading into the Valley for dinner. Following dinner, we head back up to Glacier Point to photograph sunset on Half Dome and the valley below.
Day 4 - Following an early breakfast, we will depart to the east end of the valley for first light on Mirror Lake, just below Half Dome. After, we head to to Yosemite Lodge for our workshop conclusion/farewell lunch, allowing to return to Fresno International Airport, for late/early evening departures
NOTES:
The workshop pricing includes training and resources, but does not include lodging or food. We will be carpooling or using the free park shuttle to get to our shooting locations each day. The airport of arrival & departure should be Fresno-Yosemite International Airport (FAT).
Member prices are only applicable to Nikonians Silver, Gold and Platinum Members. Non-members can register as Nikonians members here. Nikonians Basic members can upgrade the membership level here. Membership payments help sustain the growth of the Nikonians community and its services such as the Nikonians Academy.
