Workshops, Instruction, Consulting and Tours
Workshops 2009 top
Friday through Sunday, 12 - 14 June 2009: Dave Wyman just announced a new photo tour to California's Steinbeck Country.
I'll be there, too, whoo hoo!
I'll be helping as well as shooting; I'll be available to help you with any and all aspects of your photography. What I cover much better in person than here on this site is what really matters in photography, which is how to see a great picture when you're out and about, as opposed to equipment reviews.
October 2009: Bodie and the Eastern Sierra. Details coming.
October 2009: Autumn Light in Yosemite. Details coming.
Ongoing:
14-18 September 2009
12-16 October 2009
16-20 November 2009
Jay is among the the best of the best. Like most of the world's best photographers, his formal degree is in painting.
I had no idea he offered much in the way of workshops, and it looks like he runs a few each year. Most photographers on his level can't afford to run workshops because they are run ramshackled shooting $30,000-a-day jobs, so I'm impressed that Jay takes time out to offer these at all.
I've admired Jay's work for decades, and I learned more from sitting in on a 20-minute talk about what really matters in photography than I learned in many years of reading books, websites and magazines.
God only knows how much you'd learn taking one of his 5 full day workshops.
For instance, few photographers have any idea of what negative space is. If you don't either, you had better take one of Jay's workshops (or enroll in a university art degree program), because it's half of your picture!
Jay doesn't waste your time with irrelevant nonsense like Photoshop: Jay teaches you how to look, how to see and how to evaluate your work so you can improve continuously. You'll shoot digital in these workshops, but that's so everyone can see what you're doing while you do it. You'll be learning to take great pictures, not twiddle with software. Check out his workshops! Tell them I sent you.
To quote Jay: "The more equipment you take, the fewer pictures you'll take."
Nature Photography Workshops: Bird ace Steve Cirone does public and private workshop in San Diego. Steve's workshops are different: often he'll let you shoot using his gear like the Canon 800mm f/5.6 and 1Ds Mk III.
See these shots? These aren't his life's best; they were what was on his screen to send me from the day before so I could put some examples up here.
A Black skimmer ejecting accidentally snagged eel grass. A photographic first. They are fish eaters. No veggies!
Steve was chest deep in the channel at sunset. Canon 500mm f4 IS, handheld with the lens hood 3 inches off water surface.
The skimmer was so close he almost hit Steve. Steve could feel the air flow off his wing flaps. Decisive moments in spectacular light. Living a dream!
I've known Steve since the 1990s. Steve's bird work is the best I've seen, better than Artie Morris and as good as, but different from, Franz Lanting.
Steve is out there every dawn shooting birds, and has made the most incredible bird shots I've ever seen. What makes Steve's work special is that he's able to capture birds actually doing things with each other, while in motion, while in killer light.
Most photographers are still trying to figure out exposure and focus. That's the easy part with modern equipment. Steve is out there trying to figure out how to get the birds in the right light and then get them to perform.
I've seen Steve teach. He's a riot! He's able to explain everything in the funniest and simplest possible terms. Steve isn't out trying to sell you idiotic exposure calculators with 59 different scenes and exposure compensations, Steve gives it to you straight.
Group Instruction back to top
I teach when others invite me to events they have planned. For instance, I taught for a week in Italy in October 2003 and it was the most fun I've ever had. A university in Torino invited me to teach at their summer program.
I don't have any of my own scheduled workshops. I'm too busy photographing to spend the time it takes to manage and organize these. The photographers you see offering workshops usually spend more time doing workshops than photographing.
Please ask if you'd like me to address your group, whether it's graduate students at Oxford, a class of excitable first graders, the local Police or Fire department or your local photo club or charitable organization. For most groups just cover my expenses and I'm probably yours. I love to teach! Why else would I put so much effort into this website?
I give presentations a couple of times a year through volunteer organizations like the Sierra Club. Ask and I'll address your group, too.
Also take the photo tours my friends offer below. They'll also give you all the hands-on help you want. We all love this stuff!
Private Instruction back to top
Steve Cirone will tour you around San Diego for $595 a day. He's your guy, and he's very good.
Market Consulting back to top
If your business organization needs to learn how to deploy photography in the field, if you need to know the market viability of a new photo product, if you need to know how and where to sell your photo product, if you need executive-level product, market or design feedback, or anything else to be a success in your market, contact me.
Phone rates are $500.00 per hour, and of course I have to bill for any travel time in-person.
Day rates are $3,000/day, plus travel.
If you want private lessons, you want Steve Cirone above. I'd love to help you personally, except that my demand has skyrocketed my rates to corporate levels. If your organization is the local Police or Fire department, I'm probably free as mentioned at Group Instruction.
Tours back to top
As I've said, I'm not an outing organizer. These are personal friends of mine who take the time to organize these trips, as well as do great photography.
San Diego, California (two hours south of Los Angeles)
My friend Steve Cirone runs San Diego's best nature photography tours.
Africa
My photographer friend Paul Renner is always going to Africa. He was born and raised there and spent most of his childhood chasing or running away from wild animals. Paul's website is RennerSafaris.com.
Latin America
I suggest my friend Jim Cline's tours of Latin America. I've known Jim for years and he really takes the time to do the forward research for his trips. Every time we get together it seems he's just gotten back from a scouting expedition in advance for his next trip, in other words, Jim has probably been down there the month before the formal trip to check everything out before you go. Jim has been all over Latin America for a long time. He's not one of the usual guys who just lets you pay for his vacations; Jim puts a lot of work into these tours!
Scotland
I haven't met him, but Bruce Percy's work is extraordinary and he offers his "Light on Scotland" Workshops.
The Rest of the World
Another friend I've know for decades is humanitarian photojournalist Karl Grobl. Today Karl spends most of his time today documenting the efforts of humanitarian organizations throughout Asia, Oceania and Latin America. He's usually away on assignment for weeks at a time, but keep checking to see if he has anything recreational planned. He'll get you places for which you'll need to consult an atlas. If you want to get places no one has been before he's your guy. See what he has planned here.
Paul, Jim and Karl are accomplished, published, multiple award-winning photographers skilled at getting in and out of the right locations at the right time, are articulate and a lot of fun with whom to travel. I've been all over with all of them and wish I had the time to do more!
Previous Workshops top
April 2009: Lands of Fire and Ice: Exploring the Backroads of Northern California
Dave Wyman and I will see you again, Friday through Wednesday, April 17-22, 2009. More info. photos.
February 2009
Route 66: Friday through Sunday, 6-8 February 2009. More info.
Second Route 66 Photo Tour, February 8-10 2009 (Sunday-Tuesday): The first Rt. 66 photo tour this year was an instant sell-out, so to give more people the chance to make it, Dave Wyman added a second Rt. 66 photo tour which still has some openings.
Taos, Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico: Photos from trip.
October, 2008
Bodie and California's Eastern Sierra. and Autumn Light in Yosemite National Park: Photos from trip.
January 2008
The Route 66 Workshop, January 25-27 2008.
The 2007 Route 66 Workshop was written up in The New York Times's Travel Section, June 10th, 2007. The same great guy, Dave Wyman, is behind all of these.
October 2007
California's Eastern Sierra, October.
Thursday through Sunday, October 18-21, 2007: Bodie and the Eastern Sierra.
Stoneman Meadow, Yosemite National Park, October.
Monday through Wednesday, October 22-24, 2007: Autumn Light Photography in Yosemite National Park, California. I'll be helping teach this workshop sponsored by The Yosemite Association. Also see more about it here.