Experience fall in the Rocky Mountains with instructors Jason Odell and Rick Walker, hosts of the popular podcast, The Image Doctors. We deliberately picked the days for this workshop (Sept 27-30, 2009) to coincide with great fall colors; aspen trees turning golden, orange and red, coupled with the elk herds at their most active. The elk will be in the midst of their annual rut, so the bulls will be bugling, moving the herd around and engaging in fights with other males. It's a great spectacle to both watch and hear; we'll add to that by photographing it! In addition to the landscape shots and elk herds, there will also be marmots at higher elevations and potentially moose in lower altitude river beds.
Expect lots of sunrise and sunset landscape shooting, coupled with wildlife photography during the golden hours. We'll also spend time at our hotel base in Estes Park discussing technique, shooting tips, and how to efficiently post-process your images. We'll also be on hand to offer constructive criticism of your shots if you so desire.
Small Group Setting
To make this a more intimate and frankly fun experience, we're limiting the number of participants to just eight. That will allow us to put your needs and desires first, so that you come back with a portfolio you love.
Shooting in the Rockies
This is not a strenuous trip, but the elevation at Estes Park is over 8000'. We'll stay at lower altitudes the first day to allow you time to acclimate. Most of our shooting will be short distances from our vehicles, and we promise that no mountain climbing is required.
Equipment Recommendations
RMNP is one of those places where you can use most anything you own, but you don't need exotic lenses to get good shots. While the final choices will be up to you, we'd recommend having a range of focal lengths between 18-200mm (DX) or 24-300mm (FX). A good tripod is an absolute must for capturing sunrise and sunset scenes, and we recommend a set of 2 and 3-stop graduated ND filters. The elk are large and get fairly close, so you don't need the big exotic telephotos to get great images of them.
Workshop Pricing
The workshop fee of $949 USD covers all instructional time during the trip and transportation into the park from our base, which is the Holiday Inn in Estes Park. Food, lodging and transportation to Estes Park are not included in this price.
Meals and Lodging
We've reserved a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn in Estes Park at a very good rate--$109 per night, excluding taxes. Once you're enrolled in the workshop, we'll provide you with the details regarding how to reserve a room should you choose to stay there. Staying at this hotel will ease the logistics and maximize your workshop experience, but it's your choice. We'll also plan nightly group dinners, but your attendance at those is also optional.
Transportation
The nearest major airport is Denver International Airport (DEN), which is approximately a two-hour drive to Estes Park. Once you arrive in Estes Park, we'll provide all transportation to the shooting locations.
Registration
You must register by July 15, 2009. We will notify all participants no later than July 22, 2009 regarding the final decision to hold the workshop. Please do not book any travel plans until we contact you with the final details.
Refund Policy
Due to the small group size, the workshop fee is non-refundable. However, if you cancel and we are able to fill your slot with someone from the waiting list, we will refund the price of the workshop less a $50 cancellation fee. If we do not fill the workshop, we will provide everyone with a full refund. Registered participants will be notified no later than July 22, 2009 regarding the final decision to hold the workshop.
Update 6 June 2009: SOLD OUT.
If you would like to be on the waiting list for this workshop, please email me. |
