Death Valley Through Your Eye: A Death Valley Photography Workshop

Death Valley is an amazing place filled with stunning and surreal scenery.

Use your camera to see this spectacular place in a whole new way. The act of photography can focus our vision to reveal previously unseen details and relationships, and inspire different perspectives.

The Death Valley Institute (DVI) is pleased to offer this opportunity to experience the wonder of Death Valley and also learn new skills to help you capture your vision of this special place.

DVI has partnered with professional photography instructors David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick to provide park supporters a special, intimate and intense, 3-day learning experience, with the proceeds supporting our mission of helping preserve and interpret the natural and cultural resources of the Death Valley region with visitors from all over the world. Program includes four sunrise/sunset shoots, four class sessions, plus 1 night shoot. The group will visit the large salt flat at Badwater, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, mud cracks, and Zabriskie Point. David and Jennifer have scouted out some special stops for participants to get a different view of these iconic Death Valley features. They will help you read the landscape, make the most of your equipment, and help you develop your own creative style and vision. Back in the classroom, post production techniques will help you raise your photographs to the next level. The class is limited to 8 participants. Whatever your current skill level, beginner to advanced, the low instructor-to-student ratio allows for personalized instruction and development.

DVI is the educational division of the Death Valley Natural History Association (DVNHA). DVNHA is opening registration to members first as a way of saying thank you for supporting our work here in Death Valley National Park. Registration for the general public opens June 28, 2019. If you are interested in becoming a member, to help support Death Valley National Park and receive advanced notice of special events, please visit https://www.dvnha.org/join to find out more.

Where to Meet: Furnace Creek Visitor Center Flagpole - 1:00 pm, Friday, January 17, 2020.

Cost: $675.00 ($644.85 + Eventbrite Ticketing fee $30.15)

Itinerary:

Friday, January 17th
1:00 pm - Meet in front of the Visitor Center in Furnace Creek for introductions
3:00 pm - Leave for sunset at the Mud Cracks
6:30 pm - Dinner in Furnace Creek
7:30-9 pm - Presentation at the Visitor Center
Saturday, January 18th
5:00 am - Leave for sunrise at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
9:00 am - Breakfast in Stovepipe Wells Village
10:30 am - Post-processing in Boardroom at the Inn
2:30 pm - Leave for sunset at Badwater
6:00 pm - Leave for a night shoot at Zabriskie Point
8:30 pm - Dinner in Furnace Creek
Sunday, January 19th
5:30 am - Leave to shoot sunrise at Zabriskie Point
8:00 am - Breakfast in Furnace Creek
10:00 am - Image review/critique in the Boardroom at the Inn
12:00 pm - Lunch at the Inn
1:00 pm - Post Processing in the Boardroom at the Inn
4:00 pm - End of the workshop

What You Will Learn:

In the Field

• How to read a scene to create compelling compositions using shapes, lines, visual mass, texture, and more
• Reading weather and lighting conditions to know when to go out on your own in the right light
• How to use apps to scout out your own locations and plan your next shoot
• When and how to use lenses to bring focus to your subject
• How and when to use a polarizer to make colors pop
• Depth of field and hyperfocal distance to help you create sharp photos
• Achieving maximum sharpness using focus stacking
• Creative use of ND Filters to create motion in clouds and water
• Creating panoramas without using expensive equipment
• How to take correct exposures for bright skies; to be later used for exposure blending
• Identifying the best light and how to expose correctly

Post Processing

• Making dull RAW files pop in Lightroom and keeping files organized
• Use of local adjustments for dodging & burning, and many more creative opportunities
• Using white balance to create mood in your images
• Properly sharpen and reduce noise for maximum image quality
• Stitching panoramas easily in Lightroom
• Exposure blending using HDR for natural looking results

FAQs

Who is sponsoring this program?

The Death Valley Institute (DVI) is sponsoring this workshop. DVI is the education arm of the non-profit Death Valley Natural History Association (DVNHA). The purpose of DVNHA is to support their federal land partners: Death Valley National Park and Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The goal of the educational institute, DVI, is to provide opportunities to experience and better understand these amazing resources. Learn more at https://dvnha.org.

Who are the instructors?

David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick run their own photography business, Exploring Exposure. They spend their time traveling the American West and teaching photography workshops. Their watchwords are “Nature”, “Photography”, and “Education”. Learn more about them at https://exploringexposure.com/. In addition, David and Jennifer are founding members of Nature First, an alliance to promote responsible nature photography; learn more at https://www.naturefirstphotography.org.

Is lodging provided?

Lodging is not included, but rooms are being held at The Ranch at Death Valley. Please call 760-786-2345; the block code number is: 858721. Rooms will only be held until December 17, 2019, so please book right away.

You may also choose to camp while here, reservations can be made at the Furnace Creek Campground, which is within walking distance of the hotel, albeit a long walk. The Sunset and Texas Spring campgrounds are a great option across the street from the hotel; they do not accept reservations, but it is extremely rare for them to fill up.

Are meals provided?

Meals are not provided. The group eats together, with everyone paying for his or her own food.

Snacks and water are provided out in the field.

Is transportation provided?

The group will carpool to the photo shoot sites.

How much walking or hiking is involved?

This workshop will involve walking up to 2-3 miles total daily. Not long in distance, but be prepared for uneven and unstable footing, sand, gravel, etc. The longest hike will be at the sand dunes, but do not let this discourage you! The hike is to the dunes, not in them. It is 1-1.5 miles one-way over fairly flat, hard-packed sand that just about anyone in good health can do. Once we arrive at the dunes you can choose how far you want to go; they are fairly low, rolling dunes with just a bit of up and down. For those who want to go higher, we can split the group since there are two leaders. If you have any doubts, please contact us.

Will I have cell signal during the Workshop?

Cell signal is extremely intermittent in most of the locations; you should not expect to be connected most of the time.

Will the instructors wander away to take photos for themselves during the Workshop?

The focus is on you and your learning; the instructors will not run off to make their own photographs. They may take a few photos, so you can see how they approach a scene and to show you the same type of images you will be taking for the post-processing session.

What do I bring?

• Your DSLR, nothing specific is required, although we do have a list of recommended gear.

• Extra batteries and memory cards.

• Clothing – Deserts can get cold! Temperatures before sunrise are the coldest. Be prepared: bring layers of clothing to be able to quickly adjust for conditions. Also, be prepared for standing still in cold temperatures during the night shoot.

List of Recommended Photography Gear

• Lenses - Extreme wide angle is recommended (16-35 range on full frame or 10-20 range on a cropped sensor), a mid-range zoom, and a telephoto of at least 200mm.

• Tripod - A sturdy tripod is necessary. David uses Feisol tripods, but also recommends Really Right Stuff, Induro, and Gitzo.

• Filters - A circular polarizer is the only requirement, but we recommend neutral density filters (10 or 6 stops).

List of Recommended Night Photography Gear

Because the program includes a night shoot the following equipment is needed to create high quality photos of the night sky, although you can still have fun with lesser equipment.

• A modern full frame camera will produce the best results, although a recently produced crop sensor camera can produce good results as well.

• A wide angle lens with a fast aperture. A range between 14-24 mm is preferred with an aperture of at least f/2.8 up to f/1.4.

• Shutter release cable with a locking shutter button, or an intervalometer.

Will weather cancel the Workshop?

Dramatic weather is when the best photographs are created! Unless there are dangerous conditions the weather will not stop us, in fact it will encourage us! No rainchecks will be given for any weather related circumstances.

What is the cancellation policy?

If you cancel 30 days prior to the workshop, your workshop fee will be refunded.

If you cancel after 30 days, the fee will be refunded only if we fill your spot.

We reserve the right to cancel the workshop if the minimum student enrollment is not met. In the event we cancel a workshop, participants will be given a full refund. We are not, however, liable for expenses incurred, such as airfare or accommodations, and for this reason we also recommend the purchase of trip insurance.

How to Contact Us

If you have questions about camera technical issues or the class itinerary contact either David or Jennifer at David@exploringexposure.com or Jennifer@exploringexposure.com, or calling (970) 372-0752.

If you have questions regarding registration, cancellation, or want to learn more about DVI and DVNHA contact Renee Rusler, Institute Director, at dvi@dvnha.org.

Assumption of Risk form

Participants must sign the assumption of risk wavier located at the end of this pdf document, in order to take part in the workshop. Please bring it with you.

These will be collected on Friday when we meet in front of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. Extra copies will be available to sign for anyone who has forgotten theirs.