Dates: February 4 - 10, 2024
Location(s): Death Valley & Joshua Tree National Park's
Cost: $2,695.00 - (500.00 Deposit)
Instructor: Joseph Rossbach
Group Size: Maximum of 6 participants
4 Spaces Open
Description:
The Mojave Desert, together with the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin deserts, forms a larger North American Desert. Of these, the Mojave is the smallest and driest. The Mojave Desert displays typical basin and range topography, generally having a pattern of a series of parallel mountain ranges and valleys. It is also the site of Death Valley, which is the lowest elevation in North America & Joshua Tree National Park, consisting a fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. Dark night skies, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in southern California.
Vision & Focus:
Joe will focus on learning to “see” the landscape in new ways; unlocking creativity in situations that require conceptual and compositional ingenuity. In addition to composition and creative vision, we will discuss the best use of light and subject matter to create a memorable and publishable image.
During post processing sessions they will focus on teaching a logical, effective workflow that ensures the highest quality for your work, as well an image archive that is stable, consistent, and retrievable over the long term, and that ultimately liberates rather than burdens. He will cover step by step the process from shooting RAW files in the field to optimizing the final image in Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop.
Locations We Will Visit:
- Death Valley & Joshua Tree
- Mesquite Sand Dunes
- Badwater Basin
- Mud Flats
- Zabriske Point & other badlands
- Cottonball Basin
- Unique Canyons & Arches
- Jumbo Rocks
- Cholla Cactus Garden
- many other off the beaten path locations in both parks
Key Features:
- Gain a strong technical and creative foundation in outdoor photography
- Learn the importance of “seeing the light,” weather forecasting and location scouting
- Learn how to use filters in the field to control dynamic range
- Learn strategies for making dynamic compositions that have energy and engage the viewer
- Learn how to choose aperture and hyperfocal focusing for depth of field
- Bring your images to life using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop (beginner and advanced techniques)
- Get individualized instruction and critique in the field as well as classroom
- Photograph badlands, sand dunes, cholla cactus, mud cracks, desert vistas, otherworldly rock formations and more
- Photograph sunrise and sunsets and chase dramatic light and compositions of this unique desert environment
Schedule:
Day 1-4: Death Valley National Park. On day 4, after sunrise shoot, we will check out of the hotel in Stove Pipe Wells and have an approximately 4 hour drive to Twentynine Palms, CA, just outside of Joshua Tree National Park. After a break, we will head out into the park that evening for sunset.
Day 5-7: Joshua Tree National Park.
Daily Schedule: There is no “set” daily schedule, rather we keep things flexible in order to best respond to the weather and available light for making images. Typically, we’ll be out for sunrise, shoot until mid morning and then take a break for a meal and brief rest. We’ll convene in the conference room for instruction, post processing and critique during the mid-day hours when the light is typically less conducive to photography. We’ll then head back out into the field in the late afternoon and evening, ending our session after sunset. We’ll end our time together with a final morning field session on February 10th by no later than 10am.
Physical Difficulty:
There will be no strenuous hiking involved during the workshop and most locations will be close to the road. Some locations, however may involve a short hike of approximately a mile each way with no serious elevation gains. However, we will be walking in sand dunes which is more strenuous due to lack of firm ground. Participants should be able to carry all their camera equipment comfortably for 3-4 miles. We will be spending a lot of time outdoors shooting in late winter conditions. Daytime temperatures in the desert during winter can vary quite widely. It’s imperative that participants be prepared for outdoor winter recreation, lots of warm layers, hats, mittens, good outerwear and warm boots are a must. A modest level of health and fitness will greatly enhance your experience.
Accommodations:
The nearest airport is Las Vegas International Airport. The drive from Las Vegas Airport to Stovepipe Wells, CA is approximately 2.5-3 hours and from Twentnine Palms, CA (our ending location) back to Las Vegas is approximately 3 hours.
Clients will need to make reservations at these hotels on these nights.
Stovepipe Wells Resort (2/4 – 2/7)
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott: Twentynine Palms-Joshua Tree National Park (2/7 - 2/10)
Booking:
A non-refundable deposit of 500.00 USD is required to secure a space on this workshop. Final payment is due 60 days prior to the start of this workshop. There is no refund after the final payment has been made (unless we can fill your spot). Please see our cancellation policy for more detailed information.
