Come chase the magic of spring in the Sonoran Desert together on this 3 night, 4 day photographic adventure. The Superstition Mountains are home to some of my favorite desert peaks and jumping cactus. Learn how to translate a vast desert scene into a magical wonderland through your lens.
BEGINNER - ADVANCED
*DISCLAIMER: HIKING DIFFICULTY LEVEL IS INTERMEDIATE. WHILE SOME HIKES CAN BE SHORT (1 MILE) SOME INCLUDE ROCKY TERRAIN.
• Scouting and evaluating conditions
• Composing an image to grab the viewer’s attention
• Composing an image with a person in frame to show scale and tell a story
• Utilizing apps, such as PhotoPills, for more efficient planning
• Choosing the right lens and filters for wave photography
• How to shoot with a plan and vision for editing your image
• Histogram - how to read for perfectly exposed images
• Exposure control - how to use ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed in different scenarios
• Bracketing, Perspective Blending and Focus Stacking
• Long Exposure - how to capture motion in water
• Stacking Stars for Noise Reduction - how to shoot the proper frames to stack
• Lightroom and Photoshop - learn our post-processing workflow
• Luminosity Masks
• Dodging and Burning
• Understanding layers and masks
• Finishing touches using clone stamp and removing distractions
• Creating Orton glows and painting with light
• Build Social Media Presence - how to maximize engagement
Our goal is to leave you feeling confident, motivated and passionate about your photography with a new set of ideas and perspective! We will teach simple and actionable techniques to scout out incredible compositions and the process of how to approach and execute unique photos in any environment or conditions. The classroom portion of this adventure will teach you a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop workflows and methods that will allow you to create some powerful images. We decided to keep the group small and intimate, thus allowing us to focus and give you much more access to the instructors and 1-on-1 attention. We will always be with the group providing thoughts and real time critique as the light changes from sunset to the enchanting night skies.
The remaining balance will be due in full 90 days prior to the workshop.
Day 1
Our workshop begins at 4:00pm with a meet and greet at our set location(TBD). After we go over the agenda and get to know one another, we will grab our gear and head out to explore some of the magical jumping cactus and enchanting views while photographing the sunset and twilight.
Day 2
Classroom session begins directly after an early lunch. You will learn some applicable editing tips to apply to your post processing arsenal. After class, we will pack our camera gear and adventure out to some of the magnificent cactus scenes and flowers peaking for some sunset, blue hour and Milky Way fun.
Day 3
There is nothing better than catching the morning light trickling through the magnificent glowing chollas and flowers. Another classroom session will follow after a morning of chasing sun rays through the blooming flowers and cactus. We will have a quick break before heading back out for sunset, blue hour and Milky Way.
Day 4
Wrapping up our amazing week with a working breakfast to go over any final questions about techniques or critiques on your photos.
We will be chasing conditions and constantly monitoring the weather. The itinerary may change based on what conditions are during the workshop.