We are pleased to partner
with Acteva.com to offer convenient, secure
online registrations for classes. If you would
like to take advantage of online registration,
you will see a "Register Now"
button (like the one below) at the end
of each seminar description. Just click
on it to register. A minimal processing
fee will be charged.
You can also call us to register for classes at 415.663.1200 ext. 373 or download and print a registration form that you can mail or fax to us.
Bill Helsel
May 18–20 • 7:00 PM Friday – 4:00 PM Sunday • $270 $245 Members)
The Point Reyes spring landscape is alive with color and a treat for the senses. Translating what we see into beautiful photos can present a challenge. Join us for a weekend designed to expand your vision and refine your skill in capturing intense and subtle colors at the some of the Seashore's most beautiful locations.
Our weekend will be divided between classroom and field sessions. In the classroom, we'll review the fundamentals of good composition with lots of examples, discuss techniques for seeing with fresh eyes, and talk about digital capture image enhancement techniques, films, and the creative use of filters. We'll also discuss the ways in which to work with different kinds of light and weather, the sun, moon, tides and seasons, and good locations in and around Point Reyes. Field sessions will take advantage of weather and tide conditions to capture the best of Point Reyes while Bill provides mentoring in choosing subjects and designing composition. Back in the classroom, we'll review some of your digital photos to evaluate what worked best and what can be improved. Sunday will conclude with an optional late afternoon until sunset photo session, weather permitting.
Participants may work with any digital or film camera provided it allows manual control of focus, aperture, and shutter speed.
Participants must be thoroughly familiar with their camera and its operation prior to attending the class.
Rustic cabins provide dormitory-style accommodations at the Clem Miller Environmental Education Center, included for all participants.
Please call (415) 663.1200 x373 to register.
Harold Davis
June 1-3 • 7:00 PM Friday – 4:00 PM Sunday • $245 ($230 Members)
This weekend workshop will explore the wondrous world of the very close in nature. We will photograph in the studio and also in the field in order to take advantage of the marvelous opportunities that Point Reyes National Seashore has to offer. Participants will leave the workshop confident in their ability to photograph close-ups indoors and out. In the field, we will use subjects including wildflowers, shells, and bones. In the studio, participants will learn to create and light still-life compositions without the use of expensive equipment. Topics covered will include macro photography, still life compositions, photographing natural artifacts, post-processing photos, staging and lighting close-ups indoors, photographing using a lightbox, using backgrounds, and flower photography.
Instructor and award-winning photographer Harold Davis will work with each workshop participant to refine their skills.
This workshop is intended for photographers at all levels of expertise.
Rustic accommodations at the charming and historic Lifeboat Station are included for all participants.
Barrie Rokeach
Saturday, June 30 • 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM • $110 ($100 Members)
Learn how to take advantage of the beautiful and varied landscape of Point Reyes to make stunning and intimate portraits of your family and friends. In this class we will discuss the basic principles of portraiture, including composition and framing, lighting, settings, props, aesthetics, lenses, and other technical considerations. We'll touch on posed versus candid strategies, and individual versus group shots. After discussing portrait principles and techniques, we'll head into the field to explore practical applications of these principles, using each other as subjects. We’ll regroup at the end of the day to show and analyze our results.
All levels of experience are welcome.
Film or digital cameras are acceptable (and if you have a laptop please bring it as well).
Also open to youth (age 16-17) with parental permission.
Sean Arbabi
Saturday, July 28 • 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM • $110 ($100 Members)
Many people are intimidated by the topic of exposure, yet learning to control it enables us to greatly improve our photographs. This class will provide a clear and easy to understand explanation of exposure and how to control it. By the end of the classroom presentation, participants will have grasped a working knowledge of settings, modes, and functions, all designed to assist you in handling exposure in the field. Topics will include shutter speeds and apertures, metering, the concept of middle grey, how to fool a camera meter, and how to work with white balance, histograms, and challenging lighting situations. With cameras in hand and fresh knowledge to implement, participants will join instructor, commercial photographer, and author Sean Arbabi on a quest for incredible photographs in beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore.
Extended walking and/or hiking should be expected.
Also open to young adults (age 16-17) with parental permission.
Harold Davis
August 17–20 • 5:00 PM Friday – 10:00 AM Monday • $790 ($750 Members)
Join award-winning photographer Harold Davis, author of bestselling Creative Night: Digital Photography Tips & Techniques (Wiley), for a once in a lifetime adventure high in the White Mountains of Eastern California. This workshop will be co-lead by Steven Christenson, a 2010 Astronomy Photographer of the Year and co-founder of Star Circle Academy, and have the assistance of Eric Harness, a light painting expert and faculty member of Star Circle Academy.
The gnarled, ancient, and beautiful Bristlecone Pines are the oldest living things on earth—but their isolated location makes photography, particularly at night, logistically difficult. The White Mountains are among the least light polluted in the continental United States and a frequent favorite destination of astronomers. This class is timed to coincide with the dark phase of the moon in order to maximize the potential combination of star circle photography with imagery of the ancient trees. Classroom demonstrations include instructions on using an intervalometer (interval timer), how to minimize noise in long exposures, nighttime safety considerations, and post-processing night photographs.
Lodging at the 10,000 foot Crooked Creek Research Station allows participants ample time for night photography of the ancient Bristlecone Pines in the Patriarch Grove, as well as daytime photography in the magnificent environs of the White Mountains. The dramatic scenery includes views of the grand Sierra Nevada crest, Nevada's dramatic basin and range country, the desert landscape of Death Valley, a nearby picturesque abandoned mining settlement, and local wildlife including Bighorn Sheep. Comfortable dormitory-style lodging and delicious house made meals are included.
Please note: The drive to Crooked Creek includes a stretch of 15 miles of primitive unpaved roads along the crest of the White Mountains where cell phone coverage is not available.
This class is currently full, please call (415) 663.1200 x373 to be added to the waitlist.
Betty Sederquist
September 7-9 • 7:00 PM Friday – 1:00 PM Sunday • $245 ($230 Members)
Camera sensors and film record the world differently than our human eyes. We behold the beautiful vistas of oceans, animals, and plants of Point Reyes with our hearts and translating that into a meaningful photograph that evokes what we feel can be challenging. Friday evening will include a discussion of basic camera settings, exposure, composition, and getting to know your particular camera. During this time, more advanced photographers may wish skip the beginning session in order to capture the magic of sunset. Insomniacs might enjoy a possible special session on night photography. Saturday will include shooting photographs from dawn until dark, allowing the wonderful serendipitous lighting and changing conditions of the landscape to guide our field excursions, whatever the weather may bring. On Saturday night Betty will present a few Photoshop tips for "polishing up" images, bringing participants’ photos closer to what the mind’s eye has captured. After a short shoot on Sunday we’ll review some of the great images made over the weekend.
Designed for beginning and intermediate photographers.
Rustic accommodations at the charming and historic Lifeboat Station are included for all participants.
Also open to youth (age 16-17) with attending parent.
We offer gift certificates for specific classes or the dollar amount of your choice. Email or call 415.663.1200 ext. 373 and we can create a certificate for you to give as a gift.
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This page last modified May 15, 2012.
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