ANCIENT GIANTS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

A springtime photography tour and workshop in the amazing Redwoods.

May 23 - 27, 2021

When you immerse yourself in the towering redwood forests of California, it’s easy to look up and feel small. From the forest floor to the massive trunks and all the way up to the treetop canopy, everything about these forests feels both grand and intimate at the same time. Some of the most impressive and unique trees can be found near Eureka, California which has a plethora of groves throughout the region. With 163 Coastal Redwoods Groves in Humboldt State Park, you could spend years photographing these magnificent trees and barely scratch the surface.

On this 5 day Photography Workshop we will explore these beautiful forest landscapes and work our way up the Northern California coast and finish with some extraordinary rugged beaches in Southern Oregon. This workshop is designed to dovetail with my Oregon Coast Workshop which will focus on the rugged coastline landscapes with some morning excursions into the Redwoods. On this photography adventure, we will be doing the opposite. There will be much more time spent in different Redwood groves, each having their own interesting characteristics. We will start off our journey deeper south in Humboldt County and travel north for a taste of the Oregon Coast as we wrap up in the Samuel Boardman scenic corridor. Participants that sign up for both the Oregon Coast and California Redwoods workshops will receive 10% off each workshop.

The small group size will ensure plenty of individual attention and instruction for those that attend. Helping clients create beautiful images will always be priority number one. The goal of the workshop is to give you the ability to explore, learn, and fine tune your photography skills both in the field as well in post processing development to bring your images to life.                                

ITINERARY

We will gather the afternoon of Sunday, May 23, in Crescent City, California for a meet and greet and orientation on the region. Depending on the weather, we will then head out to shoot sea stacks on the beach at sunset or an impressive grove of large redwoods nearby. The following morning will will photograph a coastal grove known for light beams (cross your fingers) and then drive further south to the redwoods in Humboldt State Park. We will remain there for a couple more days before driving back north to Brookings, Oregon and shifting our focus to the Oregon Coast. Locations you can expect to see and explore will include Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the Samuel H. Boardman corridor, and plenty of places in between. There will possibly be some back tracking and repeating of some favorite spots. Each afternoon we will check into our new hotel, grab some food, and rest up a bit before heading out for sunset. In the afternoons and evenings we will also mix in post processing instruction in both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for those that are interested. This workshop will end after our morning photography field session on Thursday May 27.

USEFUL INFO / PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY

The sun rises at approximately 5:40am and sets at 8:40pm during this time of the year. Add in driving time to and from locations and this will make for very early mornings and late nights. Temperatures typically range from the 50’s to 70’s but can be colder, windy and rainy. Prepare for variable weather.

Physical difficulty of the locations will be easy to moderate. It is important for participants to be in good physical health. While many locations will be a short distance from a parking lot, there won’t be any long hikes but there may be some short steep sections to get down to beach areas.

AIRPORT / ACCOMODATIONS / RENTAL CAR

Closest airports to our starting point of Crescent City, California are Eureka (1.5 hour drive), Portland (5.5 hours), and Sacramento or San Francisco. We will meet on Sunday May 23. We will be carpooling as much as possible (considering COVID-19 safety precautions). A standard mid-size rental car will be sufficient. Lodging options will be sent out as the date approaches. Preliminary plan will be to spend night 1 in Crescent City, nights 2 & 3 in Eureka, and night 4 in Brookings, Oregon. Hotels will be approximately $150 per night or less and can be shared if participants would like to.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

A different kind of workshop to challenge and grow your creativity. From big vistas overlooking the ocean to small and intimate forests, your photography skills will get some work in finding compelling compositions and shooting in wide ranges of good light. This time of year along the California coastal forests provides excellent opportunities for weather, blooming flowers, and foggy mornings all making it possible to create interesting and beautiful images. There is nothing quite like wandering in these old growth forests with the fresh smell of springtime and rejuvenating life in the air. This unique and special place is the perfect environment to improve your landscape photography by recognizing the subtle beauty, creating order out of chaos in the forest, and using difficult light to capture compelling images.

As stated previously there will be early mornings and late evenings but the days are structured to not wear anyone out and get the most enjoyment of the surroundings and scenery. I will provide tips in the field to capture images correctly "in camera" with the goal being that part becomes second nature and students can then focus on the creative aspects of landscape and nature photography. Post processing instruction will run the gamut of importing and organizing files into Lightroom to processing images in Lightroom and Photoshop and finally prepping images for the internet or for print. I am an open book and willing to share any tips or tricks he's learned to help you turn your photos into art!

RECOMMENDED CAMERA GEAR, ETC

• DSLR & Lenses ranging from wide angle (12mm) to telephoto (300mm). A macro lens will also useful to bring as well.

• Camera manual

• Memory cards

• A very sturdy tripod

• Cable Release Trigger

• Filters (Circular Polarizing Filter, Graduated ND Filters and Solid ND filters for long exposures)

• Lens cloths, rocket blower, etc. 

• Computer with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop

• Notebook

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

• Meals and snacks

• Lodging

• Transportation

• Park entrance fees

CANCELLATION POLICY

We reserve the right to cancel the workshop if minimum participants are not met or in the event of an emergency. If a cancellation does occur, participants may either use the fee towards a future workshop or receive a full refund. We are not responsible for travel expenses incurred and therefore strongly recommend travel insurance to cover such costs.

Participants who cancel prior to 60 days before the workshop will receive their full deposit only if the space can be filled. Any cancellations within 60 days of the workshop will not receive their deposit back as it is extremely difficult to fill the space on that short of notice.  If an emergency arises we will do our very best to work with you as we understand things can happen.