"I learned more in the first two days with you than in the last 3 entire workshops I have taken." - Sonia, workshop student January, 2012 "I can and do travel anywhere in the world and yet I chose to come back to Yosemite for a second Phil Hawkins workshop - something must be right." -Derek, from Glasgow, Scotland; workshop student February, 2012 and November, 2011. "I learned more from you in 2 days than I did in 4 days with (well known photographer) and (well known photographer)" -Ron, workshop student January 2016. "I could not have asked for anything more; it was perfect!" -Edoardo, workshop student June, 2014

Award-winning landscape photographer from Fresno, CA.
Photoshop, RAW processing and Lightroom instructor.
I've been backpacking and photographing the High Sierra for 36 years.
My work has appeared in National Geographic books and magazine, Outdoor Photographer, Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, Digital Photo Pro, and many other publications.

Want to see my work? See http://philhawkinsphoto.com

Feel free to call 559-307-7773 for more information.
 

Hands-on, one-on-one photography instruction conducted in awesome
Yosemite National Park, California


* Intensive 5-day and weekend workshops in different seasons
* Go places only a 36-year, award-winning, local Yosemite photographer will know
* Learn how to get those "Wow!" shots.
* Night instruction; shooting during a full moon (conditions permitting), capture star tracks, get the elusive "Moonbow" from Yosemite Falls
* All week-long workshops include post-processing instruction.

You'll learn
Concepts of exposure; the histogram and how to read the graph.
ISO speeds, aperture and shutter speed, how to ignore the numbers and get GREAT shots.
Composition; learn the rules and then how and when to break them.
Use of polarizing filters.
Use of neutral-density filters.
"Dragging the shutter"; extended exposures (motion blur), even in full sunlight.
How to make sure you got "the" shot in any given situation.
Learn the value of patience; how to read the weather
Reflections in small pools or on the majestic Merced River (seasonal conditions permitting)
Yosemite's waterfalls; the different ways to capture flowing water; Moonbows and "Sun" bows
Night photography; shooting the Milky Way, stars, and moonlight
Shooting for black and white conversion
Wide angle and telephoto lens use.

Plus, ALL workshops feature instruction on how to capture and process
stitched panorama photos!

Custom workshops can be arranged outside the published schedule. 
If you have a group or special timeframe that does not coincide with the scheduled workshops dates, let me know and we'll schedule a special date or group sessions.

What we do, how we are different;
Please read this!

The Yosemite Photo Workshops are different; please read below so you will not be disappointed when attending.   The goal of my workshops is to teach you to reduce the amount of time thinking about your camera and increase the amount of time thinking about your subject matter and still get mind-boggling shots.  I will teach you how not to agonize over settings and still get the highest quality image your camera can capture. The other thing I can absolutely guarantee, is that you will get exposure to all areas of the valley, all shooting vistas, all major Yosemite geographic views that your time will allow. The weekend workshops will cover the valley thoroughly with very little hiking. During early summer and fall, the weekend workshop can go to Glacier Point road and Sentinel Dome. The week-long can, obviously, do more, with trips to the higher elevations. IF OPEN (usually during fall and spring), we will visit Glacier Point Road, Sentinel Dome, Washburn Point, Taft Point, Tuolumne Meadow area and Tioga Pass area. Beginners are welcome! First, we are for any level experience photographer.  If you don't know the difference between an aperture and a hole in the ground, fear not.  There is no such thing as a dumb question.  We welcome brand new photographers.  Sometimes we have photographers who are well familiar with their equipment and only need to be shown where to shoot.  Or, they know the equipment, but have never shot night photography, so they need instruction.  But no matter your level of experience, you will come away with new knowledge about how to get the most out of your equipment and your effort.  Newbies are welcome and encouraged to attend! We have a strict limit of 14 spaces per workshop. Read This: For the most part, we do not get up at the crack of dawn in the Yosemite workshops.  Yosemite National Park is a west facing park, and the light is best during late afternoon and sunset.  During the summer, we will be shooting sunsets until 8:30 and 9pm, sometimes at Glacier Point, which is an hour's drive from Yosemite Valley.  We often do not get into bed until 11pm or midnight.  Night shooting adventures can keep us out until the wee hours if people want, so getting up at 5am is almost never an option.  (Many workshops will grind out an 18-hour schedule every day, leaving you burned out.  We want to have fun and not be pushed to the limit of physical and emotional endurance).  The opportunities for good sunrise shots are far less than what we can find at sunset.  Most mornings we start about 10am, and after a hard day hiking, or on the 3rd or 4th day of a week long, we might not start until 12noon.  Basically, we start late and stay out late.  HOWEVER, having said that, the exception might be during winter; if by chance, a strong winter storm clears out over night leaving a pristine blanket of snow on the valley, we will be up before dawn.  Nothing is quite so beautiful as Yosemite Valley early in the morning after a good snowfall.  We will know the night before if this is going to be the case... NO Itineraries  The whole reason one comes to Yosemite is to find the best opportunity to get the best shot.  And that is dictated by the weather.  We wait until we know what the weather is going to do and then decide on the next day's loose itinerary at that time.   Yosemite National Park is it's own climate.  Clouds, rain, snow, fog, mist etc comes and goes in fleeting moments.  Understanding these patterns comes from long experience, enabling me to know exactly where to be, when, and whether we need to race to the next location or simply wait for conditions to evolve. You will be able to take advantage of my 36 years shooting Yosemite to know where to be, when, and what to expect as conditions evolve.  My past students can tell you things can change on a dime.  We issue two-way radios to drivers in the car pool which enables me to instantly communicate with students when I see changes in light, clouds, etc.  We also use these radios for folks who wish to roam and explore alone, enabling them to maintain communication with the group and myself.  Many times we have been on the way to some area to shoot based on current observations, then en route, seeing a change, I have issued instructions that we are going somewhere else based on what's going on NOW!  We are flexible, always observant, and react quickly to avail ourselves of the best opportunities for the best shots possible. We also hike. Although people differ in their abilities, hikes are generally about a mile or less.  Some can be steep and require a modicum of fitness, although I can tell you several times that for folks who felt they could not make the hike, we split up their gear, carrying it for them, and several times we have actually assisted students walking up some of the steeper grades, literally bearing 50% of his or her weight as we go up.  No one is excluded from hikes and if we can do it, we will get you there.  I don't want ANYONE missing out on a potentially spectacular shooting scenario.  People in my workshops are extremely nice and helpful, and generally will do whatever is necessary to help a fellow student with access to the various, more difficult-to-reach shooting locations.  I can absolutely guarantee you that my workshop students are the nicest, friendliest and most outgoing people on the planet.  Lifelong friendships have been created many times as a result of attending my workshops.  I have frequent repeat students. If you want structure, schedules and rigidity, do not sign up for these workshops.  I will teach you how to get the most out of your camera and your efforts, and the way to do that is maximize what mother nature gives you.  Flexibility.  This is what we do. We help each other.  Experience levels differ, and when someone needs help, we help each other.  I'm a Canon guy, but someone else may know Nikon much better than myself and will help you out.  I can honestly say that by the end of every workshop, especially on the week long workshops, students have all become friends, and stay in touch after returning home.  We've had students from foreign countries (England, Scotland, China, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Italy and Japan), and from all over the US. The workshop begins at 6pm the evening before the first full day of shooting and ends after sunset on the last day.  Travel should be arranged to arrive on the day before the first full day of shooting and depart the day after the final day.  Food is handled by each student.  You are on your own for breakfast.  Lunch is either a sandwich on the trail or at the food court, and dinner is usually at the food court or the fancier Mountain Room restaurant.  In spring we can also eat at Curry Village. Lodging Lodging is the responsibility of each individual student except where noted in the workshop listing. For the May Early Spring workshop I strongly encourage you to secure your lodging early as you can, even if you're not sure you're coming, as accommodations go fast for this time of year. January is not too early. Although you are obviously free to stay anywhere you like, and so everyone is in the basic same area, we recommend Enchanted Yosemite Property Management for your condo in Yosemite West, just feet from the YNP boundary. Enchanted Yosemite Property Management -or- Scenic Wonders Property Management Questions? phil.hawkins@sbcglobal.net

Terms and Conditions

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 Yosemite Photography Workshop is not responsible for non-refundable airline reservations in the event of workshop cancellation.  I strongly recommend retaining trip insurance.

Participant-initiated cancellations of weeklong workshops received 60 days or later before the workshop will receive no refund. Participant-initiated cancellations of weeklong workshops received prior to 60 days will receive a refund minus $300. (Refunds for weekend workshops received after 60 days prior to a workshop will receive no refund. Cancellations received prior to 60 days will receive a refund minus $100.) Due to the unusual complexity and extensive planning required for these workshops, no refunds will be offered for participant-initiated cancellations after 60 days prior to workshop date unless the spot can be re-filled.

Bears
Bears are a natural part of the national park environment.  It's not likely, but it is entirely possible we will see bears.  There are NO Grizzly bears in the Sierra Nevada range.  Our species is 100% Black Bears, also known as 300 pound furry chickens.   If you follow the protocol for food handling we will have no problem with bears.

Weather

Yosemite Photo Workshops accepts no responsibility for extreme weather conditions that prohibits us from moving about as we wish, or accessing certain areas of the park.  Each student accepts responsibilitiy for providing your own tire chains in winter.  Carrying them at all times is required by park policy, and at various times you may be asked to show them in your car at checkpoints established by the park rangers.  

It is not uncommon for Yosemite National Park and surrounding areas to experience extended periods of electrical failure during bad weather, particularly in winter.  Yosemite Photo Workshops accepts no responsibility for inconvenience resulting in park closure or extended periods of road closures.  If the workshop is unable to function due to either weather or park closure (which, in 11 years of operation, has never happened), a spot in a future workshop will be offered to affected students.  No refunds will be given.

*Photoshelter's "50 Awesome Photography Workshops Around the World" February, 2014