We’re quickly approaching the deadline to reserve seats on my upcoming summer and fall photo safaris. On these field trips, you’ll get to learn from me in a small group setting while capturing fantastic outdoor images. My groups are limited to 8 photographers and include both field and computer instruction. Full details after the jump… Continue reading Summer/Fall Photo Safaris Closing Soon
Sept. 17-21, 2017
2017 marks my 7th consecutive year of leading landscape photography safaris in South Dakota! I hope you’ll join me to explore fine-art landscape photography techniques in an environment that can only be described as surreal. We will explore light, texture and clouds over the tremendous rock formations that have formed from erosion over the last 500,000 years.
You’ll be treated to some amazing sunrises and sunsets and rock formations that could be mistaken for the moon. This safari is the perfect setting for photographers who not only want to photograph spectacular scenery, but also learn the behind the scenes techniques for processing and workflow, including HDR, infrared, and long exposures.
Each day, we will download and process our images together as a group, get critiques, and learn new techniques to transform your photos into fine-art masterpieces. I will work with you to capture and process the best possible images into beautiful finished products.
When: Sept. 17-21, 2017
Where: Wall, South Dakota (nearest airport: Rapid City)
I’m pleased to announce that I will be returning to Badlands National Park in South Dakota September 11-16, 2016.
This is a small-group (8) photo safari and creative landscape workshop. You’ll get to photograph the amazing scenery while learning the necessary computer skills to transform your images into fine-art quality masterpieces.
Registration is discounted if you place your deposit before December 31st. RSVP HERE. Continue reading Badlands Safari 2016 Now Open
As someone who does a lot of outdoor/landscape photography, great locations are important to me. Being in a photogenic location is a wonderful way to experience the outdoors. However, when you photograph a location can be just as important as where you are. The “when” of photography occurs on multiple scales. Within a day, within a year, and even across years. Consider one of my favorite locations to photograph, the South Dakota Badlands.
If you visit the Badlands like most tourists, you’ll arrive at a nice time during the summer after you’ve had your morning coffee. By this time of day, the sun is nearly overhead, and you’ll get photographs like this one:
Continue reading The When and the Where in Photography
During yesterday’s “Mastering the Lightroom 5 Develop Module” online class, we took a look at the power of RAW editing by working on an image that might not have been too inspiring straight out of the camera:
What I liked about the shot, though, was the light hitting the peaks and the clouds. This image represents a typical set of challenges in outdoor photography. Wide dynamic range between the sky and the foreground, mixed lighting between the sky (daylight) and the hills (shade), and low contrast overall.
We used the full set of tools in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 to adjust the RAW image, and then we applied Skylight Filter and Pro Contrast in Color Efex Pro 4 to make the final image pop. The end result is far more spectacular, and captures the feeling we had when we were actually there shooting this on the Badlands Photo Safari.
