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Greetings,
How did October get here so quick? Summer sure seemed to last a long time.
Lots to get to this month, so let's get to it
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A new workshop company
Do you have a yearning to do something more with your photography other than staring at it on your computer screen or cluttering up all your available walls?
My friends David Middleton and Brenda Berry have come up with a new workshop concept and their idea has born fruit in the form of Crossroads Workshops. The idea is to teach photographers how to put their talents to use in helping out non-profit organizations: photographing with a purpose.
David can explain it much better than I can, so I'll just refer you to his blog post about it here.
These workshops are not for beginners. Participants are expected to already know how to take well composed, properly exposed, in-focus images. You should also be proficient at downloading, sorting and editing your images.
Instead, these workshops will show you how to find and work with non-profits, how to work with the organization to create your shot list, working the "assignment", and how to edit and present your work.
If you're looking for a purpose for your photography, Crossroads Workshops may just be what you're looking for. Take a look at their new website for more.
Note: If you look at the Instructors page you'll see a familiar (if slightly younger) face. I do have an affiliation with this company in that David has asked me to be a part of it. I'm not scheduled to lead/co-lead any workshops yet but I'm going to try to show up for at least one of the 2015 scheduled workshops, most likely the one in Sitka.
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Northwest Territories workshop report
 Have you ever photographed auroras? I had never even seen one before traveling to Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territories. On my very first night there I got to witness the eye of an aurora storm directly overhead. And over the six nights spanning the workshop, we got to see and photograph auroras during four of those nights.
Aurora photography is addicting. It's unlike anything I've done before. Much of your time is spent either waiting for something to happen or frantically trying to photograph in two directions at once. And sometimes you just have to look up and say Holy Wow! It's also tiring. One night we didn’t return to our hotel until about 3 a.m.
I really appreciated my new D810 during our aurora shoots. ISO 1600? Why not. 4000? What the heck. Sure there was some noise, it can't be helped. But Lightroom's noise reduction does a great job handling it. Other utilities like NIK Dfine or Imagenomic's Noiseware do a great job too.
During the day we drove to other locations to photograph waterfalls and fall colors. The colors were brilliant: yellows and oranges from the aspen and larch (tamarack) trees. Reds from some wild rose leafs, more yellows from willows and even some deep bright reds from bearberry. And Yellowknife's old-town area offered a cornucopia of local quirk and color.
Interestingly, "tamarack" is Algonquian for "wood used for snowshoes". Thought you needed to know that.
And Yellowknife was a great base for a trip like this. Everything you need is in town and good aurora viewing areas are relatively close.
Next fall I'm planning another trip to Yellowknife. Victoria Dye and I will be leading our own tour to see and photograph the auroras and the local fall color. Perhaps even a few critters.
Just by the responses from our Facebook postings, this trip looks like it could be a popular one.
Let me know if you're interested in having the most amazing photographic experience of your life (I'm talking about the auroras) and I'll put you on an early announcement list so you'll have the first chance of signing up.
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More 2015 workshops posted
I've been rearranging my workshops schedule. Due to some complications, I've removed a couple of trips. But I've also added a couple. And I'll likely be adding some more.
In early May I'll be leading a trip to Oregon's Columbia River Gorge to photograph the many waterfalls as well as some great wildflower displays. This trip does involve some uphill hiking as well as photographing along stream sides (or stream middles) so be ready for a bit of exertion. Not a crazy amount though. We're photographers, not decathletes, after all.
I've also posted my 2015 Olympic National Park workshop. This year I'll co-leading this trip with Victoria Dye. We're also adding an optional Lightroom Boot Camp add-on. This is the same Lightroom boot camp we offer with our Palouse trip. So now you have choices. Choices are good. Plus we'll have more chances for amazing sunrises up on Hurricane Ridge or Deer Park.
(and if you would like to have this class on the Oregon Coast…well, we're thinking of that too. Let me know if you'd be interested in a trip based out of either Bandon or Newport)
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Because I know you subscribed to this newsletter just to keep up with my domestic projects, I'd like to announce that I'm finally finished with the latest bathroom remodel. I'd really like to.