MT. RAINIER: SUMMER ALPINE PHOTO ADVENTURE

DATES: AUGUST 2-6 (2024)

LOCATION: MT. RAINIER NATIONAL PARK

DATES: AUGUST 2-6 (2024) 

Cost: $1799.00 plus Lodging

Instructors: Dusty Doddridge and Josh Merrill

Tour Overview:

Mt. Rainier National Park is a special place during the summers when the snow begins to melt and sub-alpine meadows slowly come to life. Clouds might be above or below and wildflowers of all colors create an impressionist scene. Mt. Rainer itself, puts on show, revealing the snow capped ridges in soft light at the edge of the day. This mountain world has it all with reflecting lakes and waterfalls along the many trails to explore.

This workshop is timed for blooming wildflowers and a moon cycle for photographing the Milky Way. As with any natural phenomenon, wildflower timing can vary from year to year. We’ll follow the wildflowers wherever they are blooming, and have no shortage of compelling landscapes to photograph. We hope that you’ll join us on this exciting new adventure!

Lodging:
Our lodging on this tour will also be special, located within the park itself and is designated as one of the Great Lodges of the West. We can literally hit the trail just outside the door of the lodge. Lodging in and near the park is very limited and we’re excited to bring this special opportunity to the tour. Lodging cost is $1799.00 for single occupancy and $899.00 for double occupancy. These lodging costs cover the 5 nights of the trip, including the night of out initial meeting.

Fitness Level:
For this photo adventure you will need to be prepared for moderate to difficult level hiking at elevation. Ability to hike on rocky, uneven terrain, maintain balance and be away from vehicles or facilities for large portions of the day will be required.

Topics Explored: 

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 with focus stacking
• Capture for multiple exposure blending
• Capture for panoramic stitching
• Using filters effectively

Creativity in the Landscape: 

• Core compositional elements in the landscape
• Creative use of depth of field
• 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:

• Pre-trip instructional PDFs on a variety of topics
• Guiding and field Instruction: Craft and Creativity
• Image reviews
• Instruction on digital darkroom workflow
• Post tour image feedback and darkroom support

Not Included:
• Food and Lodging (Lodging at the Paradise Inn is a required additional cost)
• Transportation to and from the workshop
• Participants can carpool, and are encouraged to do so

Suggested Equipment:
• Digital SLR Camera
• Tripod with Cable Release
• Wide Angle Lens and Telephoto Zoom Lens (We use the 16-35mm and 70-200)
• Filters: Circular Polarizer
• 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 40F to 75F
• Rain Jacket and Pants
• Down Layer
• Trail Shoes or Hiking Boots
• Gloves and Hat
• Plenty of Wool Socks
• Moisture Wicking Base Layer

Cancellation Schedule:
90+ days prior to day 1 of tour = Refund of all fees and deposits
89 days or less, prior to day 1 of tour= All deposits/fees become non-refundable

It is strongly recommended that you purchase trip insurance if you need to cancel your tour and are unable to complete the tour for any reason. We reserve the right to cancel the photo tour or change the tour itinerary for any reason including low enrollment in the tour. Contact us for suggestions on trip insurance.

Payment:
All you need to do is click the Register Here button 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 90 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 90 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 90 day point when the full amount is due. 

We’ll be glad to answer any questions you have in advance of registration.