What to Expect

Each 'Masters Program' Workshop and ‘Wandering Around Outdoors’ Field Workshop is unique.  The beauty of the natural landscape and the dynamics of the weather influence where, when and what type of work we do.  Unique to the workshops are the instructional presentations by Tom and Van that will inspire and challenge your artistic vision.

The four day Masters Program Workshop (see the 4 day weekend workshop schedule below) begins on Thursday and includes our proprietary ‘Digital Photography Boot Camp’  which offers detailed instruction and hands-on experience in mastering the tools of digital photography.  Both the 4 day and the shorter 3 day ‘Digital Photography Boot Camp’ offering (see the 3 day weekend workshop schedule below) are designed to help you get to know and understand your digital camera well enough so that taking it off “auto” is the norm rather than the exception. For many photographers the range of choices offered by today’s digital camera’s can be overwhelming.  Understanding the technological possibilities and mastering them can be a challenge.  Both the 4 day and the 3 day versions of ‘Digital Photography Boot Camp’ focus on many disciplines and techniques including Photoshop and other creative applications specifically aimed at the needs of landscape photographers. Many digital photography techniques are demonstrated and applied in hands-on practical situations.

The three day Masters Program Workshop begins on Friday and includes an abbreviated edition of ‘Digital Photography Boot Camp’. In both versions we focus on the tools and techniques that you will use most often and demonstrate how those skills can be applied to other image software and storage applications. In this component of the program, we will cover numerous techniques like cleaning up and spotting images, layers and compositing, correct exposure and color correction.  You will learn specific techniques for stitching together images into a panorama and creating HDR (High Dynamic Range) photographic composites of high contrast subjects. 

Friday afternoon opens with detailed lectures on the history of landscape art from the Greeks and Romans through the Renaissance to the present with hundreds of examples both painted and photographed. It is a rich source of artistic inspiration setting the tone for the remainder of the weekend. The visualization devices through which artists have observed nature and used in their art are described in detail. Many artistic compositional techniques as well as professional photography secrets are shared throughout the weekend.

The ‘Masters Program’ curriculum explains in detail the guidelines to artful composition as well as how to use today’s digital photographic technologies to create your own “eye catching” art. By asking and answering the question "What am I making a picture of?" students are guided to a more serious consideration of all aspects of their photographic efforts. The arrangement of the elements of a scene into a composition that expresses the artist's emotions, thoughts and vision is demonstrated both graphically in lectures and in the field. 

A typical ‘Masters Program’ Workshop‘ including ‘Digital Photography Boot is much like the following:

4 day ‘Masters Program’ weekend workshop schedule

Thursday (opening)
12:00 – 1:00pm - Check in / Register  
1:00 -  2:30pm – ‘Digital Photography Boot Camp’  Classroom session - Digital camera mysteries…taking your camera off “auto” and other unknowns explained.
2:30 – 2:45pm - Break
2:45 – 5:00pm – Takin’ it to the field  - Mastering your camera without the owner’s manual
5:00 – 6:30pm – Dinner
6:30 – 7:30pm - Review the days work and constructive critique   

Friday (morning)
6:00 – 8:00am - Morning Field Session
8:00 – 9:00am - Breakfast
9:00 - 11:00am - Digital Photography Boot Camp continues
                            Photoshop and other necessities for Landscape Photographers.

3 Day ‘Masters Program’ Weekend Workshop schedule

Friday (afternoon)
11:00 – 12:00pm - Check in / register  
12:00 -    2:00pm – ‘Masters Program’  Opening classroom session
2:00 –    2:15pm – Break
2:15 –    4:00pm – ‘Master Program’ Digital Photography Boot Camp  classroom           
                         session 
4:00 – 4:30pm - Break
4:30 – 6:30pm – Sunset/Twilight evening field session
6:30 – 7:30pm – Dinner
7:30 – 8:30pm – Evening review

Saturday
6:30 – 8:00am - Morning Field Session
8:00 – 9:00am - Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30am – ‘Masters Program’  classroom session 
10:30 – 10:45am -  break
10:45 – 12:15pm – Masters Program / classroom session
12:15 -  1:15pm – lunch
1:15 – 2:45pm - Masters Program / classroom session 
2:45 – 3:00pm - break
3:00 – 4:30pm -  Masters Program / classroom  session
4:30 – 6:30pm  Sunset/Twilight evening field session
6:30 – 7:30pm – Dinner
7:30 – 8:30pm – Evening review

Sunday
6:30 – 8:00am - Morning Field Session
8:00 – 9:00am - Breakfast
9:15 – 12:00pm – Masters Program / critique / questions / comments / discussions
           12:00pm  -  Closing remarks

 
Photographers will have an opportunity to download copies of their field work to a workshop computer for display to the group on Sunday.  Students should bring three or four examples of their previous work to share with the group as introduction and for evaluation and review.