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The
Premier Wilderness and Night Photography Workshop in the U.S.!
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Night photography will be tremendous. -plus-
Catered barbecue
dinner at 11,500 ft. Elizabeth Pass
Total cost: $3,375
per person Space is available Note: Registrations must be for full payment
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Everything is provided. All you have to do is show up and take
pictures. There will be a wrangler to care for the horses, a cook to
feed us, and a helper to do everything else. |
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We WILL have two hot showers |
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All food is provided
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There will be two small Honda generators to recharge batteries for
the laptops and digital cameras. |
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| All bedding will be provided; 3-inch foam egg-crate mattress with a warm sleeping bag in a 4-man tent. (Double occupancy) | |||
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All you will need is your photo gear, personal items (limit 40 pounds, excluding photo gear), mosquito repellant, and a smile! |
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Day 1, Saturday, August 7 |
| You will arrive in Fresno, where we will meet and carpool, caravan, etc to Horse Corral Pack Station in Sequoia National Park. Cold beverages and hors d'oeuvres will be waiting for us. Dinner will be at 6pm, which will leave enough time to shoot the sunset if you desire. Time also to arrange your gear, last chance to get those items you forgot, meet with Charley the owner of Horse Corral Pack Station for horse assignments, orientation ride, and instructions for the trail. |
| Day 2, Sunday |
| Leave at
7:30am after breakfast for 20 mile ride to Deadman Canyon at the 9,500 foot
elevation. Travel time should be about 8 hours by horseback.
Although you will not be able to include your full photo pack on your horse
during the trip (it will be hauled separately by mule), you will be able to sling your camera
over your shoulder, and I highly recommend you do so. We will stop
regularly to shoot the scenery on the trip. Camp will be setup and waiting for us; cold beverages will be on ice, hors d'oeuvres will be available, and chicken or pork tenderloins will be on the grill when we arrive in camp! The helpers will set up everyone's tent, unroll the bedrolls, and leave the mint on the pillow! (Not really) Claim your fireside lawn chair, grab a beer (provided) and relax! |
| Day 3, Monday |
| Breakfast
will be at whatever time we decide we want it. Then an unstructured day is
scheduled to allow acclimation of the altitude, rest from two days of
intensive travel (you will be somewhat saddle-sore) and orientation of the rest of the week's activities.
Of course, if you want to hike up to Big Bird Lake (1.5 miles) at 10,000 feet,
or down to the Roaring River you are
welcome to do so. Your host will be available for hiking and one-on-one photo
instruction if desired. Again, if you have the energy to get going right off
the bat, then so do I! In the afternoon we can take the horses and shoot the sunset at
Elizabeth Pass. Dinner of barbecued chicken or pork loins with fresh vegetables, salads etc. Night photography with one-on-one instruction from your host, Phil Hawkins |
| Day 4, Tuesday |
| Up at 5am, breakfast, and then set off on horseback to Cloud Canyon for shooting Big Wet Meadow, Moraine Meadow and Ranger Meadow. We'll learn usage of polarizing filters, composition, clouds, and split-density filters. Back to camp, and an incredible rib-eye steak dinner. Night photography as desired with personal one-on-one instruction from your host! |
| Day 5, Wednesday |
| (Tentative) Arise 4am; breakfast and early departing on horseback along the Roaring River, through meadows to Morraine Meadow and Morraine Ridge, for the sunrise and then on to Avalanche Pass at 10,000 feet. Shooting the pass area, the lower end of Kings Canyon, and then back to camp by 6pm, then sunset photography and review of photos. |
| Day 6, Thursday |
| Day for last-minute trip decisions. I have learned that structuring these backcountry trips to the minute goes right out the window sometimes when contrary opportunity presents itself. So, although there is no planned outing at this writing, we can decide on a destination based on where the best opportunity lies. Otherwise, it will be a free day, sleep in, hang out, fish, do whatever. if we decide to go somewhere as a group, then so be it. If not, you are free just to lie back and read, or sort images, or whatever moves you. Shooting schedules will be dictated by the weather.This will be the peak night of the Persied Meteor Shower and for those of you with the new super-sensive DSLR's, the meteor show will be beyond your imagination. |
| Day 7, Friday Dinner at 11.500 feet! Shoot the sunset! |
| Easy morning, then the crowning excursion! Dinner at 11,500 ft Elizabeth Pass! We leave around noon, take our time and travel by horseback to Elizabeth Pass arriving at around 5:30 or 6pm. Wine, cheese-and-crackers hors d'oeuvres and cool refreshments will be available as we wait for the barbecued chicken or grilled pork loin dinner with fresh vegetables, bread and dessert to be ready. We'll eat a sit-down dinner with tables and chairs, prepare for photographing the sunset. Then, around 8:30 or 9pm we will head back to camp. Portraits of the group will be taken at the pass. (This excursion is weather and conditions permitting) |
| Day 8, Saturday |
| Break camp, head back to the Horse Corral Pack Station. Arrive late afternoon for showers, dinner and relaxing evening. Review and critique of the shots. |
| Day 9, Sunday, August 15th |
| Breakfast at 7am, off to Fresno for flight connections, journey home. |
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| Details |
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Items to bring: |
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1) WARM clothing. It will be cold at night, especially
at the 11,500 foot elevation for the sunset/moonrise photo shoot. The
wind will be blowing and it could get down to 30 degrees. In camp the
night time low will probably be around 40 to 35 degrees. I suggest a
down or comparable jacket and something with a hood on it to keep the wind
off your head. Helps with the mosquitoes too. 2) Mosquito repellant There COULD be rather pesky mosquitoes at this elevation. Although by mid-August the mosquitoes are less prevalent, we cannot rule out their omnipresence. 3) Lip Balm This may sound trivial, but you will be at the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada range and it will be very dry. With the wind and drinking water that is high in minerals, (dee-licious!!) it will dry out your lips and nothing is more uncomfortable than to have cracked, dry, chapped lips at elevation. 4) GOOD, high-quality polarized sunglasses (with the little strap that keeps them tight around your head and around your neck so you don't lose or drop them) the sun is very intense at elevation. Also, a broad-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your ears, neck and nose. 5) Fishing gear we will be near the Roaring River most of the time, and if you want some down time, you'll have an opportunity. Besides, we may be able to use the setup for shots. There is limited terrain that allows for a backcast for fly-fishing, so plan on ultra-light spinning gear. 4-lb test is standard, artificial or natural bait allowed (salmon eggs). A California fishing license will be required and is available from the packer. 6) Toiletries We will have showers, so plan accordingly but don't go overboard. 7) Sun block The sun is very intense and you will burn like a piece of bacon without sun block. 8) Rain gear Usually this time of year it is very dry and seldom rains, but in the high country, especially at altitude, we could get a quick thunderstorm. We have arranged for a retreat tent to place photo gear if it rains, so if you want something in case we get hit on the trail, it might be wise. 9) Car Rental If you are flying in to Fresno, you will need to rent a car. However, arrangements can be made for someone to car pool if preferred.
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| Photographic Items |
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Although it does not matter what equipment you have, you will get the most
out of it if your camera has manual settings and shoots RAW and the ability
to connect a cable release.
Obviously, bring your wide-angle lenses. People ask about telephoto lenses;
bring 'em! It's surprising the opportunities for shooting with a
telephoto. Bring several lens cloths
and cleaning liquid; the area will be dusty and you will be cleaning
regularly. I will have liquid, but bring your own cloths, if possible
please. Also, a bulb-type blower. You may have to clean your sensor. Laptop computer with spare batteries. We will have two Honda portable generators with which to charge batteries. Don't forget your CF card reader!! People forget these all the time! On Saturday you will have ONE opportunity to stop at Boots Camera in Fresno to pick up the items you forgot. They are a Canon and Nikon dealer and will have most anything you need. |
| Terms and Conditions |
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A deposit if $1,000 is required to reserve
your space. Full payment of the balance of $2,375 per person is due 60
days prior to the workshop on June 7, 2010. Reservations made after June 7,
2010 will require full payment. In the unlikely event that the workshop does not fill enough spaces to warrant continuing, the class will be canceled and a full refund given. You will be notified at least two weeks in advance if a workshop is not going to take place. The High Sierra Wilderness Photography Workshop is not responsible for non-refundable airline reservations in the event of workshop cancellation. Travel insurance might be recommended if you have a concern. Participant-initiated cancellations received prior to one month before the workshop will receive a refund minus $800 unless the spot can be refilled, in which case 100% refund will be given. Due to the unusual complexity and extensive planning required for this workshop, and the low number of participants allowed, no refunds will be offered for participant-initiated cancellations after 30 days prior to workshop date unless the spot can be re-filled. Special note on wilderness
conduct Our trails are safe and have been specially constructed for stock use and are maintained regularly by the High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew. Bears
MEDICAL NOTE
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| Copyright 2010 Phil Hawkins Photography |
| http://philhawkinsphoto.com |
