WORKSHOPS
Autumn in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah October 26-29, 2012
The well-watered canyons of Capitol Reef National Park support extensive groves of cottonwood trees which turn brilliant yellow during the last week of October. Combine this dramatic & colorful display with the spectacular sandstone formations of the Waterpocket Fold, and Capitol Reef provides one of the most beautiful locations in southern Utah to witness this change of the seasons. During this workshop, we will visit some of the same locations as in our other Capitol Reef workshop in May but we will also explore and photograph new locations to take advantage of the autumn colors and the different sun angles at this time of year. The formal designation of Capitol Reef National Park in 1971 protected a vast region of water-sculpted canyons and spectacular sandstone formations along the Waterpocket Fold in south-central Utah. Due to its location off the main travel routes, Capitol Reef has far fewer visitors than Utah's other national parks and offers an ideal setting for photography with its wide variety of landforms. We'll explore the hidden recesses of the park and discover deep narrow canyons with clear streams shaded by brilliant yellow cottonwood trees; colorful eroded formations reminiscent of Arizona's Painted Desert; waterfalls; natural bridges; breathtaking overlooks and 100 million years of exposed geologic history. The 75-mile long serrated sandstone ridge known as the Waterpocket Fold is one of the most spectacular geologic formations anywhere on the Plateau and forms the backbone of the park. It was uplifted during the Laramide Orogeny from 40-70 million years ago and forms the eastern edge of a long monocline which extends from the slopes of 11,000-foot Thousand Lake Mountain in the north to Glen Canyon in the south. The name "Capitol Reef" refers to the many dome-like formations of Navajo Sandstone along the Fold's crest which resemble the US Capitol building. The term "reef" was coined by early settlers to the region to describe these high, impenetrable barriers of jagged sandstone which impeded their travel. Join us and get off the beaten path to explore and photograph this remarkable landscape.
WORKSHOP FEE: $750.00 - Lodging, meals and transportation to and from Torrey not included.
Register now with a $200.00 deposit. Register before July 26, 2012 and receive a 5% discount on the full workshop fee.
We will charge your card for the balance 30 days prior to the workshop. (See cancellation policy below.)
(Note: When you register, choose the option "Ship to this Address" in the Billing Information section and then in the next window, choose the option "Workshop - No Shipping Fee".)
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Dates: October 26-29, 2012
Based in: Torrey, Utah
Maximum # participants: 8
Photography Skill Level: All levels - Novice to semi-pro - Jim will work with each participant based on his/her individual needs. Each participant should be familiar and comfortable with the functions and operations of his/her camera equipment.
Lodging: E
ach participant is responsible for booking his/her room in Torrey. We're using Austin’s Chuckwagon Motel in Torrey as our base. Rates: $75.00/night. It’s close to restaurants and occupies a beautiful shady grove of large cottonwood trees in the center of town. They fill up well in advance so we would recommend making a reservation as soon as you register for this workshop. The motel is closed between Nov 1 & March 15 but they take reservations year round. Email or call them and ask for Michelle. Tell her you are with our group and she will do her best to help you out. You can reach her at 800-863-3288 or info@austinschuckwagonmotel.com
Physical Difficulty - Moderate: Most of our photography vantage points will involve short walks of less than 1/2 mile from our vehicles with minimal elevation change. We will also have several moderately strenuous hikes; the longest involving a total round-trip distance of 4 miles along a canyon bottom with a total elevation gain of around 300 feet. Participants should be in good physical condition and feel comfortable hiking off trail over uneven terrain. For specific details on every hike, see the workshop schedule below.
Upon registration, participant will receive a detailed clothing and gear list and other pertinent information.
WORKSHOP ITINERARY
Friday October 26, 2012
6:00pm - Meet at Austin’s Chuckwagon Motel in Torrey, Utah.
6:30pm - Dinner and orientation.
Saturday October 27
6:30am - Depart motel and drive to our trailhead in the spectacular Waterpocket Fold in the heart of Capitol Reef where we’ll hike to our sunrise photo location beneath a 125 foot-tall natural bridge. This will involve a 1.5 mile round-trip hike along a maintained trail with an elevation gain of 450 feet.
9:30 - Arrive back at our vehicles and return to Torrey for breakfast.
11:00 – Depart Torrey and return to the Waterpocket Fold to spend the afternoon exploring and photographing a seldom-visited, deep, narrow canyon filled with brilliant yellow (hopefully) cottonwood trees beneath soaring walls of Navajo Sandstone. Once we are deep in the canyon, we’ll find a comfortable spot to relax for a while so Jim can discuss some of the important techniques we will be using over the next 3 days. This hike entails a moderate two-mile round-trip off-trail walk along a sandy canyon bottom with little elevation change.
3:00 – Arrive back at our vehicles and return to Torrey to regroup for our evening photo session. If we have the energy, we could stop along the way to photograph yellow cottonwood trees beneath soaring cliffs of Navajo Sandstone along the Fremont River. These locations would involve a short walk from our vehicles.
4:30 – Depart Torrey for our sunset location along the western edge of the Waterpocket Fold. We’ll capture last light as it illuminates a wonderland of Navajo sandstone domes, fins, towering cliffs and eroded slopes of the colorful Chinle formation. This will involve a short walk of less than ¼ mile from our vehicles with minor elevation gain.
7:30 – Dinner in Torrey
Sunday October 28
6:30am – Depart Torrey and drive to our trailhead in the Waterpocket Fold where we’ll hike along a cottonwood-lined stream into one of the most beautiful canyons in Capitol Reef. Reaching our photo location will involve a moderate off-trail hike with a round-trip distance of 4 miles and an elevation gain of 300 feet. Our early start will allow us to photograph a beautiful section of the canyon in warm, soft reflected light before the harsh rays of direct sunlight fill the canyon. We may need our headlamps for the first 15-20 minutes of the hike.
12:00 - Arrive back at our vehicles for lunch snacks.
1:00 – After lunch, we’ll drive to the historic pioneer town of Fruita to spend the afternoon photographing brilliant yellow cottonwood trees in a lush oasis along the Fremont River beneath soaring cliffs of Wingate sandstone. Fruita was the spot chosen to build their homes by the original settlers to this area since it afforded year-round water along the Fremont River and flat areas to grow crops. One of these original homes with its barn has been preserved by the Park Service and is open to the public. Perhaps you've already seen photographs of the picturesque barn nestled in the valley beneath the cliffs.
2:30 – We'll head back towards Torrey and stop along the way to photograph a grove of yellow cottonwoods lining Sulphur Creek beneath the imposing sandstone formation known as “The Castle”. This will involve easy walks of a few hundred feet from our vehicles.
4:00 - Arrive back in Torrey to regroup before our evening sunset photo.
4:30 – Depart Torrey. The location Jim has chosen for this evening’s photo session will take your breath away. Our vantage point is high on the rim of a deep canyon and provides a stunning panorama of the Waterpocket Fold and surrounding region. Reaching this location with involve an easy/moderate walk of 1/3 mile from our vehicles with little elevation change. If skies are clear to the east, we’ll be greeted by an enormous, nearly-full moon rising above the domes and pinnacles of the Waterpocket Fold as the last rays of sunlight illuminate the cliffs beneath it. If the weather cooperates, this will be an absolutely glorious scene.
7:30 – Dinner in Torrey.
Monday October 29
7:00am – Breakfast in Torrey.
8:30 – Depart Torrey for our morning photo session on a bluff overlooking a cottonwood-lined stream with the rugged profile of the Waterpocket Fold as a backdrop. When the autumn colors are at their peak, this is one of the most beautiful vantage points along the entire Waterpocket Fold.
11:00 – We'll find a secluded spot by the creek and have lunch at our vehicles.
12:00 – After lunch, we’ll drive along the Fremont River to a location where we’ll explore and photograph a colorful eroded landscape reminiscent of Arizona’s Painted Desert. We’ll be surrounded by kaleidoscopic-colored slopes of red, white, blue, gray, green and maroon Bentonite Clays of the Morrison Formation. We’ll be able to photograph this location from the edge of the road or with short walks from our vehicles. We’ll spend a couple hours here before heading back towards Torrey. Along the way, we may stop to photograph more yellow cottonwoods along the Fremont River.
3:00 - Arrive back in Torrey to regroup.
3:45 - Depart Torrey for our sunset photo session.
4:00 - We'll begin ascending a trail to our sunset vantage point overlooking the Fremont River gorge. Once at the overlook, we'll be greeted by a sweeping view of Navajo sandstone domes and fins along the crest of the Fold with yellow cottonwood trees filling the canyon below. As the sun sinks in the western sky, these sandstone formations will begin to glow with the last rays of light. Accessing this vantage point will involve a moderately strenuous 45-minute climb along a well-maintained trail with 400 feet of elevation gain and a one-way distance of 3/4 miles.
7:30 Dinner in Torrey.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS WORKSHOP
Jim will provide insight into every aspect of landscape photography based on his 30 years of experience as a professional photographer. He will offer detailed instruction in all the technical aspects of photography dealing with camera functions, histograms, light metering, exposures, depth of field, white balance, filters, lenses as well as the most important but more subjective areas of lighting and composition. He'll also provide instruction on the technical aspects of stitching images together to create high-resolution panorama files; what to look for when shooting for B&W conversions; using Live-View to enhance pre-visualization; HDR techniques; focus stacking to achieve extreme depth of field; night photography; and how to guarantee razor-sharp images every time. Based on the desires of the group or if we have inclement weather conditions which prevent us from getting out into the field, Jim can also provide instruction on image-editing techniques using Lightroom or Photoshop and offer insight into how to back up and store our most important image files. He will also discuss his personal philosophy of photography; what inspires and motivates him and will help each participant begin to develop a philosophy and style of their own.
OUR CANCELLATION POLICY
When you register more than 30 days prior to a workshop, we will charge your credit card for the deposit only. We will then charge your card for the remaining balance 30 days before the workshop begins. If you cancel more than 60 days prior to the workshop we will refund 75% of your deposit. If you cancel within 30-60 days of the workshop, we will refund 50% of your deposit. If you cancel within 30 days of the workshop, and we can fill your spot, we will refund 90% of the full workshop fee. If we cannot fill your spot, we will refund 70% of the full workshop fee.
TRIP INSURANCE
In the event of a medical, family, or other emergency, we strongly recommend purchasing trip insurance. For these same reasons, we may also need to cancel a workshop on short notice. If we cancel, we will refund 100% of all monies collected from you.
