(CLARIFIED) Best Nature Photography School?

Okay, sorry if i sound confused. Here's the deal. For our

magazine we like to send someone out into some kind of

learning experience and have them write a first person narrative

about it. Like off-roading school, kayaking, et cetera. And for a

photography school i'm looking for something that caters to

30ish male where really get out somewhere far and learn

photography and experience nature, the good and bad. Looking

for something that is also fairly accesible with the current

situation that the U.S. finds itself in. e.g. within the U.S. Obviously

we'd be sending out a fairly experieced photographer that'd be

able to get something out of the experience. If you have an ideas

please let me know. Thanks.

I don't think there are any gonzo/x-games schools of photography, since the average photographer (from what I've seen) isn't much of an athlete. You'd be lucky to find a photo workshop that didn't serve gourmet food at dinner! Nobody is going to run a workshop which entails treking 20 miles/day through the wilderness with 50lbs of camera gear on your back. The average wealthy dentist who goes on photo workshops isn't looking for that experience.

 

You can get to exotic locations (Africa, Antarctica, Geeenland, Himalayas etc.), but in relative luxury. Photoworkshops tend to try to avoid the "bad" side of nature. Within the US I'd guess staying at a Motel 6 might be as rough as it gets and the major physical challenge would be getting up early enough to catch the van that drives to the best spot to photograph the sunrise!

 

However, if you should find what you're looking for, I volunteer to go and write the article for you!

RE: Bob's advice - The wealthy dentist stereotype - well if you'd like to have some cosmetic veneers I'll be glad to schedule an appointment (you may think that a 600 f4 IS is a bargain), on the other hand maybe we should just leave the cheap shots off of the forum.

Richard J. Frank, D.M.D.

It was an innocent remark, sorry if it offended. But there do seem to be a disproportionate number of photo-dentists (I personally know two of them) and photo-doctors around! Not quite sure why. It's not imcome since I don't seem to meet many photo-bankers (though I do know at least one photo-lawyer).

 

On the other hand it could be that cosmetic veneer/600f4 tradeoff...

 

The basic principle (minus the cheap shots) holds true though. I don't think too many photo workshop participants are looking for a genuine, tough, wilderness experience, so there aren't too many workshops catering for that market. Is there a "whitewater rafting down the Colorado river eating only dried food and sleeping out rough" photo workshop? True "excitement", "wilderness", "delicate expensive heavy photo gear" and "workshop" just don't seem a good match.

I understand that gonzo/Xgames doesn't really flow with

photography. However i'm sure that Ansel Adams was not just

parking on the side of the road snapping some photos. I'm just

looking for a few outfitts that specialize in outdoor photography

that are respected just to start getting an idea.

Art Morris leads tours to the Pribilofs, which seems moderately adventurous to me. Info at www.birdsasart.com.

You might try Joe Van Os <a href="http://www.photosafaris.com/">photo safaris</a> if your pockets are moderately deep ($2000 - $7000+). $2400 per person for 6 days in Acadia National Park (travel to Maine not included) in the fall does seem a <em>litle</em> steep. I just spent two weeks in Maine (3 days in Baxter and the rest in Acadia) and I doubt my cost was much over $500 including driving there from NJ. His tours do go to some of the wilder places though (but Acadia in the fall isn't one of them).

Oh and BTW, perhaps the most famous of Ansel Adams images - Moonrise over Hernandez, NM - was made from the side of the road. He saw the images as he was driving by, leapt out of the car and snapped the picture!

A.A. did pack out into Yosemite though, both unassisted and with pack animals.

 

Was it Weston who said something to the effect of "Anything that can't be seen within 100 yards of the car isn't photogenic"?

It was Edward Weston, but he was more adventurous than you give him credit for. I think the quote is "Anything more than <em><b>500</b></em> yards from the car just isn't photogenic"!

I'll address two points:

1) as a photo-doctor I took no offense, but I do beg to differ. I love the adventure/hiking stuff for real. I've climbed mountains, hiked in the Brooks range, and risked my life on buses in Bolivia. I don't think I'm alone.

 

As to the "why", for me it allows me to exercise a part of my brain and personality that might otherwise atrophy if my life revolved only around the stress of working in the ER. Almost all of us medical types have some artistic 'escape' be it music, art, photography, whatever. It doesn't hurt that we can afford some decent equipment though I still can't cough up 10 grand for a 600f4--but it's coming!

 

2)Moose Peterson and Galen Rowell routinely have some fairly adventureous photo trips. Galen's are harder to find (I'm not talking about his regular workshops), and Moose fills quickly but both have been to some pretty 'extreme' locals that there's no way there are luxuries unless sleeping in a dry cabin with a wood stove is a luxury.

--evan

Evan E. Fusco, MD-Photographer

Can we have just one thread for a topic? Now we have two separate threads and we cannot consolidate the discussion into one place any more. I'll delete the old thread shortly.

Here's the text of the "other thread". Shun is quite right. One thread for one topic!

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<h3>Answers</h3>

<blockquote>To be more specific I'm looking for something pretty adventurous

hopefully in the U.S. with someone who's pretty respected and

goes to a lot of far out places. I quess the question would be if

you could go with anyone for a workshop who would it be?

Thanks.

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-- <a href="/shared/community-member?user_id=402873">Tyler Graham</a>, October 17, 2001; 02:18 P.M. Eastern

 

 

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<hr width=300><blockquote>The school of hard knocks.

Yes, you can go to workshops & some can help if you will let them. Best to learn & work towards good technique & images & then go to a workshop.

Or, put together a good sum of cash & give the photographers you most admire a call & make an offer for a few thousand for a day or a few of their time in the field. The worst they can say is NO.

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-- <a href="/shared/community-member?user_id=16895">Dan Smith</a>, October 17, 2001; 03:37 P.M. Eastern

 

 

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<hr width=300><blockquote>Tyler, take a look here.

http://www.photo.net//neighbor/one-subcategory.tcl?category_id=0&id=8

I have been on week long workshops with John Gerlach and think he and Barb do a fine job. You will also see reviews of many other workshops. I am sure you will have many great ones to choose from.

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-- <a href="/shared/community-member?user_id=24672">Steve Thompson</a>, October 17, 2001; 03:40 P.M. Eastern

 

 

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<hr width=300><blockquote>Popular Photography has pages that list the upcoming adventure shoots that you can go on with pro photographers. You can chose when and where you go. They usually have pros from National Geographic (whom are my heroes!).

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-- <a href="/shared/community-member?user_id=339080">Rick Falck</a>, October 17, 2001; 04:08 P.M. Eastern

 

 

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<hr width=300><blockquote>There are so many outstanding nature workshops, it is hard to pick just one. If one or two interest you, repost and get some feedback on those. You want to select on the basis of the leader, the number of participants, the ratio of instructors to participants the length and the location and main subject. All will expect you to have basic cameral skills throughly know everything your camera can do and be in very good physical condition and be prepared for a long day, (up before sunrise and stop after sunset). Check photo magazines and web sites.

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-- <a href="/shared/community-member?user_id=21313">M. Huber</a>, October 17, 2001; 06:41 P.M. Eastern

 

 

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<hr width=300><blockquote>And when you do repost, add more details. Do you have an open calendar? Are you on a budget or can you splurge once in awhile? Do you want to stay only in the U.S.? When you say nature, do you mean lions? bears? birds? flowers? vistas? What might appeal to me, might not appeal to you at all. On the basis of your opening question, I would lean toward an Alaska workshop.

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-- <a href="/shared/community-member?user_id=21313">M. Huber</a>, October 17, 2001; 07:05 P.M. Eastern

 

 

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<hr width=300><blockquote>If you're looking specific photogrpahers that are the a class all by themselves, I'd look in Outdoor Photographer magazine, PhotoGraphic magazine, and Popular Photography. They list workshops from the best of the best with just about every issue. There's everything from Safari's in Africa, to Nikon school here in the US. Do you shoot Digitally? If so spend the time, and the money to do a workshop with George Lepp. He might be the most knowledgable man on digital nature photogrpahy in the business (personal opinion) one of the instructors is a personal favorite of mine John Shaw (the man's work inspires me). He's a field editor for OP mag. There are hundreds of workshops going on all over the world, from remote exotic shoots, to your own backyard. Take the advise of the other responses and sharpen your technique before going out to pick the brain of the master's. Their knowledge if you're not prepared will go right over your head and it'll be a waste of money, and a disappointing experience! Hope I could help!

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-- <a href="/shared/community-member?user_id=369272">Jayson Cardwell</a>, October 18, 2001; 09:31 A.M. Eastern

 

 

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<hr width=300><blockquote>Can't speak for anyone else, but at least in my own case, it takes years to develop photography skills. I don't think there is a "crash course" for someone to become a good nature photographer overnight.

 

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What level of nature photographer are you? If you want to learn the fundamentals, there are one/two-day or week long workshops given by established photographers such as George Lepp, John and Barbara Gerlach, Galen Rowell, Joe and Mary Ann McDonald, etc. IMO, you need to shoot some, get it developed and have a critique session; repeat that process over and over. When I was a teenager, several of us went through a lot of that with a high-school teacher in a city setting.

 

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I have gone on a few trips to far away places with well known nature photographers. I don't think those are good settings to learn nature photography. Maybe with digital you can get instant feedback, but it is hard to get film developed at a remote area so that you can learn. In some cases the pros are busy shooting for their own stock too.

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-- <a href="/shared/community-member?user_id=24372">Shun Cheung</a>, October 18, 2001; 11:16 A.M. Eastern

 

 

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Bob, I didn't know you were such a cynic. I've never had the luxury of staying at at Motel 6 and food was stopping at the nearest "greasy spoon" or stopping at a grocery store to pick up lunch supplies or cooking over a campfire. Most of the participants would like or have enoyed experience's described by Evan. You do expect to carry at least a 40# back pack, but not hike 20 miles as that leaves no time for instructon or camera set up. Usually the leaders and the crew are in great hiking condition. I would also suggest Peterson, Rowell and Lepp. Note. I have usually knocked workshops because they tend to end up in overcrowded, over photographed, over publicized national parks, etc.

Add on to my post on newest thread . However, I am not at all aure many of the better work shops would be happy to have a tag-along such as this when they are concentrating so hard on their job, although I have seen articles like this and everyone seems happy.

Uh, people (dragging everyone back to spot-on topic):

 

1 - The userID for this poster is deleted. Makes me think troll/spam.

 

2 - The mag looks like "Cosmo" for men - a lotta fluff. Oh well, to each his own.

 

3 - He wants a workshop to learn photography? Yeah, that'll go over real well having to ask Van Os, Rowell, or Morris what an fstop is.

 

If they're sending an experienced shooter, why do they need to learn? My impression of workshops is more one of a working shoot with critiques. Hell, I'm still not sure what this guy really wants (because he's a mag editor?<g>) but it's been an interesting thread nonetheless.

Personally I would like to go to Alaska with Moose Peterson - but ... I'm in Australia -

Moose Peterson's Brown Bear safari's are based at <a href="http://www.silversalmoncreek.com/">Silver Salmon Creek Lodge</a href> in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Guests fly into the lodge from Soldotna, AK, in a 6-passenger Cessena that lands on the shore of Cook Inlet. The lodge normally hosts fisherman, but is branching out to wildlife photography. It's pretty much your normal AK back-country lodge. Comfortable, but not palatial.

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It was a great experience a couple of years ago, and I can only believe it's gotten better. Moose and David Coray are dedicated to protecting the wildlife and photographing it, in that order.

Tyler,

The Appalachian Mountain Club has photographic adventures. I

just spent a long weekend along the summit of Mt Clinton in the

presidential range of NH. I carried 35 lbs of equipment and

supplies 2.7 miles to the Mazpah hut where I stayed with a

number of other photographic enthusists. The instructor was a

master from Wales and he gave us classroom instruction, slide

show critiques and hiking up to the summits three times a day.

This adventure is not for the weary, the pace was vigorous. I

would be happy to contribute a narrative of my experience.... :) It

was quite an adventure. The weather was not for the

lighthearted. Although I did not have the BEST results

photographically, but I can assure you I learned a great deal

about outdoor photography and weather. The instructor was very

seasoned and very , very informative. I have a series of storm

photographs taken atop of summits. Please view them. I was

expecting beautiful fall foliage, and instead I had to point to the

sky for there was no light within the treeline, and once above the

treeline we were pelted by 40 mph winds and a driving rain.

Pleasse check out http://www.outdoors.org<div></div>

I highly recommend Rocky Mountain School of Photography (http://www.rmsp.com/). They have a variety of workshops at their home base plus workshops in the field. You should find any kind of opportunity you are looking for here.

I am a school teacher that lives in a small goverment town on the

edge of Yosemite National Park. I'm obsessed with landscapes

and insects. I recently moved up in format by buying an old

Mamiya C220 6x6. Each year my composition and techinical

understanding improves just by trial and error. I would

recommend buying John Shaw's books and roughing it for a

while. Don't be afraid to backpack. Spend hours alone - and

please use a tripod.