Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest: Night Photography Adventure
July 29- Aug 1 (2019)
Location: Bishop, California
Dates: July 29- Aug 1st, 2019
Tuition: $999.00
Group Size: 8 Participants
Instructors: Wayne Pinkston and Josh Merrill
Tour Overview:
High up in the White Mountains of California, within the Inyo National Forest, lie the oldest known living organisms on earth. These twisted Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees are full of character, and make for an incredible foreground for the night sky photography that we’ll do on this trip. We’ve planned the trip for the very best time to photograph the Milky Way’s Galactic Core as it rises above this wonderful landscape. With some of the darkest skies in the lower 48, you will stand in amazement at the brilliance of the night sky,
On this workshop we will specifically be focused on photographing the Milky Way, but opportunities for photographing star trails will also be available.
Photo Credit: JR Eldridge
Wayne Pinkston and Josh Merrill, two experienced night photographers, will be your guides and instructors on this trip. We’ll present you with our methods for capturing the wonders of the night sky, and then we’ll go out and put those techniques to use in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
Topics:
All of our instructional workshops will cover two key areas: Craft and Creativity
Professional Craft for Landscape Photography:
• Getting fluent with your gear and developing a consistent workflow in the field
• Achieving an optimal exposure
• Managing depth of field
• Capture for multiple exposure blending
• Capture for panoramic stitching
Creativity in the Landscape:
• Core compositional elements in the landscape
• Long exposure techniques
• Learning and practicing new compositions
And we'll also do at least one image review session and share some advanced digital darkroom workflow techniques.
Tour Includes:
• Instruction in the field: craft and creative strategies for nightscape photography
• Image reviews
• Instruction on digital darkroom workflow
Not Included:
• Food and Lodging
• Transportation to and from the workshop
• Participants can carpool
Fitness Level:
You'll need a moderate level of fitness to tackle some of the walking/hiking conditions of the region. None of our hikes will go beyond 1 mile, but you'll need moderate fitness and experience hiking in difficult terrain to manage this tour safely. Additional note, we’ll be photographing at elevations of 10,000-11,000 feet, where even short walks can be exerting.
Suggested Equipment:
• Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera
• Tripod
• Cable Release, and an Intervelometer if you plan to photograph Star Trails
• Wide Angle Lenses with wide apertures
• Lots of Memory Cards
• Extra Camera Batteries
• Micro-fiber Cloths
• Camera Bag/Backpack for Gear and Food/Water
Clothing for a variety of weather conditions from 25F to 80F (Temps at high altitude get much lower than you would think for July)
• Down Layer
• Trail Shoes or Hiking Boots
• Gloves and Hat
• Plenty of Wool Socks
• Moisture Wicking Base Layer
Lodging:
Our first base of operations will be Bishop, California. We have a block of rooms reserved for our group and we'll include all the information in the detailed itinerary once you register. You are welcome to camp or arrange lodging anywhere you like.
Cancellation Schedule:
90 days or prior to day 1 of tour = Refund of all registration fees and deposits
60-89 days prior to day 1 of tour = Josh Merrill Photography will retain tour deposit
59 days or less prior to day 1 of tour = Josh Merrill Photography will retain full tour tuition
We strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance if you need to cancel your tour and are unable to complete the tour for any reason.
We also reserves the right to cancel the photo tour for any reason including low enrollment in the tour.
Payment:
All you need to do is contact me via the form below and tell us which tour you'd like to attend. We'll e-mail you an invoice that allows you to pay online by credit card. If it's 60 days or less prior to the start of the tour, the full tuition amount will be due in order to complete your registration. Prior to 60 days out, we'll invoice you for a deposit of 30% of the total tuition to hold your spot. We'll then invoice you again for the balance prior to the 60 day point when the full amount is due.
Contact Us
If you're interested in this workshop, please fill out the following form to let us know. If you are ready to register, or if you just have some additional questions, this form will put you in touch me.