Finding your way in the dark: Night photography from capture to print at Mono Lake California

October 1-4th, Mono Lake, California
with Scott Martin and Lance Keimig
Participants can register for Night Photography only, or Digital Workflow and Night Photography.

Early October is peak season for the fall foliage in the Eastern Sierra, with the aspen groves ablaze with yellow. It’s a great time to visit this remote location that is a favorite among photographers for its unique geological formations. Mono Lake’s signature monolithic rock structures that extend upward from the lake are ideal for night photography. Other photographic locations include the dramatic granite moonscapes of Tioga Pass in Yosemite, and the world famous Bodie Ghost Town. Choose whichever workshop better suits your needs. Participants should expect to share some of their images for review, as the goal of this workshop is to enjoy the creative process, learn from each other and to grow as image makers. Techniques and inspiration will be constantly discussed, demonstrated and put into practice. We will all work closely together, sharing our knowledge and experience. The Getting There, Accommodations, and Meals information is the same for both options, and can be found at the bottom of this page. Beginners to Night Photography who have a sound understanding of basic photography principles, advanced amateurs, and professionals looking for a fresh approach will all benefit from these courses. The price difference reflects that there will be an additional 8 hours of intense instruction on digital workflow.

Option 1 – Night photography digital workflow from capture to print with Scott Martin and Lance Keimig

This workshop will have both field and classroom instruction. We will be in the classroom each day from 11 a.m or noon, until 5:00 p.m. Class room time will begin with an in depth look at the entire digital imaging workflow from capture to print with night photography in mind. We will learn the skills necessary for high quality digital image capture, RAW file processing with Adobe Lightroom and preparing files for fine art printing. We will examine digital fine art printing processes, and look at some of the processes available today complete with sample prints. Color management and recommendations will be discussed. After the lunch break, we will be joined by those taking only the Night Photography portion of the workshop. The afternoon session will consist of presentations on Night Photography, shooting techique, and critique of images from each night’s shooting. After a dinner break, we’ll venture out to a different location each night for full moon photography and light painting. Lance brings his twenty plus years of experience with night photography to the workshop with composition techniques, night photography guidelines, light painting techniques, and inspiring slides shows of historical and contemporary night photography. Scott will bring his extensive digital imaging training experience. Maximum of 15 participants. Register early to secure your place and accommodations. Your $200 deposit will reserve your place until August 1. Payment must be received in full by August 1, 2009.

$975 Pay in full for this workshop.
$200 Hold your place until August 1, with a deposit.
$775 Pay your balance if you made a deposit before August 1.

Option 2 – Full moon night photography for film and digital photographers with Scott Martin and Lance Keimig

This option is intended for alumni of Lance or Scott’s previous workshops, film photographers, and advanced digital photographers who have a well established and organized digital workflow, and are confident with their raw processing skills. There will be some material that is relative only to film, and some only to digital, with lots of overlap.

This workshop will have both field and classroom instruction. We will be in the classroom each day from 2:30 until 5:00 p.m. Class room time will consist of presentations on historical and contemporary Night Photography, techique, light painting, and review of images from each night’s shooting. Both film and digital processing will be briefly addressed, but the emphasis will be on shooting. After a dinner break, we’ll venture out to a different location each night for full moon photography and light painting. Participants can stay out shooting as long as they, or their camera’s batteries, hold out. We will have discussion and assistance while in the field each day. Maximum of 15 participants.

$650 Pay in full for this workshop.
$200 Hold your place until August 1, with a deposit.
$459 Pay your balance if you made a deposit before August 1.

Getting There

The Eastern Sierra is isolated. The closest major airport is Reno, NV-140 miles away. Driving from Reno is about 2 1/2 hours. San Francisco is about a 5 hour drive through Yosemite National Park, and Los Angeles is about 6 hours away by car. It’s well worth the effort to get there. If you are interested in carpooling or sharing a rental car from Reno or the Bay Area, let us know, and we will try to connect you with someone.

Accommodations

Workshop participants stay at nearby resorts, hotels or campgrounds in or near Lee Vining. We recommend the El Mono Inn or Murphey’s Motel in Lee Vining. Links to other hotels in town, as well as general information about the area can be found at the Mono Lake website. Plan to arrive on the evening of the 4th, and checking out on the 9th, and the workshop begins at noon on the 5th. Participants are responsible for booking their own accomodations. We have reserved all available rooms at Murpheys, and several at The El Mono for the workshop. The accommodations in town are almost full already, so you will need to request one of the rooms reserved for the workshop when you register, or reserve a something independently as soon as you confirm your spot in the workshop.

Meals

Morning coffee is at the wonderful Latte Da Cafe at the El Mono Hotel. They serve up homemade muffins and strong coffee to get us off on the right foot each day. If you need a bigger breakfast, there’s always Nicely’s, an old fashioned coffee shop. There are a couple of markets in Lee Vining if you prefer to picnic, but most people eat at the fabulous Whoa Nelly Cafe at the The Tioga Gas Mart in Lee Vining. Sounds strange, but this place serves excellent food – everything from omelets, gourmet pizza, and barbecue, to fish tacos, seared tuna, and herb crusted pork loin!

Registration

Once you secure your spot by paying with one of the Paypal buttons above, you will be contacted with detailed information about the workshop. Refunds, less a $50 cancellation fee to cover time and paypal costs are available until the payment due in full date. AfterAugust 1, 2009, you will be refunded the amount you paid, less the $200 deposit. If the workshop is cancelled for any reason, you will receive a full refund. Thank you, and we’ll see you in the Eastern Sierra of California!