Redwoods and Rugged Coast: Oregon and California Photo Adventure

May 24 - 28th (2023) Sold Out, Inquire about our Waitlist

Location: Crescent City, California and Brookings, Oregon
Dates: May 24 - May 28, 2023

Tuition: $1799.00
Instructors: Dusty Doddridge and Josh Merrill

Tour Overview:
Have you ever stood amongst a forest of thousand-year-old, 200 ft, towering, monster Redwoods? It’s an experience that is difficult to put into words, and one that can be both challenging and rewarding to the contemplative photographer. On this photo adventure, we’ll spend some quality time with amidst the most majestic old-growth trees in the world. We’ll practice the art of creating compelling compositions in a forest setting that can often feel chaotic and busy. The Redwoods aren’t the only draw though. We’ll also photograph some world-class rugged coastline, with gardens of sea stacks, and tumultuous crashing waves. We’ve also timed this trip for the annual Rhododendron bloom, so that, we’ll have some added punctuation to the foggy Redwood forest. We hope that you’ll join us on this exciting new adventure!

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:
• Instruction in the field: craft and creative strategies for landscape photography
• Image reviews
• Instruction on digital darkroom workflow

Not Included:
• Food and Lodging
• Transportation to and from the workshop
• Participants can carpool, and are encouraged to do so

Fitness Level:
You'll need a moderate level of fitness to tackle some of the hiking and challenging weather conditions of the region. None of our hikes will go beyond 5 miles but you'll need moderate fitness and experience hiking in difficult terrain to manage this tour safely. 

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

Lodging:
Our base of operation for this trip will be Crescent City, California. As with all of our domestic workshops, these rooms are reserved for your convenience, but you are always welcome to make your own choices on where you stay at night.

Cancellation Schedule:
90 days or more 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 reserve the right to cancel the photo tour for any reason, including low enrollment in the tour. We also reserve the right to operate the workshop with one instructor if enrollment is lower than 6 participants.

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.