7 days in the high altitude Sierra Nevada range of central California with 5 FULL days at the 9,500 to 11,500 ft elevation photographing some of the most spectacular scenery in the US.

Plus, there will be a full moon on the 16th, our last night.  We will be positioned at 11,500 ft. Elizabeth Pass to shoot the moonrise over mountain scenery you will never forget!
Sunset is at 7:49pm and moonrise is at 7:48pm.


Landscape Photography Workshops

5 FULL DAYS PHOTOGRAPHING THE HIGH SIERRAS, "The Range of Light":

  * Travel by horseback to a base camp in the upper end of Deadman Canyon
  * Daily treks on horseback to photograph lakes, waterfalls, mountain passes and meadows
  * Learn from an expert landscape photographer techniques to significantly improve your
    skill in shooting sunsets, sunrises and even moon rises!

  * All food, lodging, a horse, showers, cook and wrangler provided!
  * Only 11 spots available so make your reservations now!

  * No matter your experience level or equipment, you will see dramatic improvement in your landscape photography.

HON YOUR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS:

  * One on one instruction
  * Learn: composition, the effects of aperture on image, time exposure, better use of filters.
  * Experience the best way to capture star tracks and moonlight.
  * You will learn the tricks only the best landscape photographers know to get those WOW shots!


The Perseid Meteor Shower
(go here for more on the Perseids)

 ...will peak on the night of the 11th and 12th and we will have a ringside seat to the grandest lightshow imaginable.  Although there will be a moon out, at 1/2 to 3/4 phase, we will still be able to see a grand show.

Night photography will be tremendous.

-plus-

Catered barbecue dinner at 11,500 ft. Elizabeth Pass
for the sunset and full-moon-rise photo shoot! (see details below on Friday)

Total cost: $2,995 per person
Includes all food, lodging, personal horse for 7 days, cook, wrangler, tents, bed-roll and showers!
 Due to park restrictions only 11 participants allowed!

Space is available but filling fast.
(as of 5/18/08)

 

 



(Does not include ground transportation, airfare or adult beverages (beer, however, will be provided) 


We will travel via horseback to a base camp in the wilderness backcountry, removed from all vestiges of city life.  No cell phone, no radio, no newspapers...  25 miles from the nearest road, nothing to distract you from capturing the most amazing photos imaginable.  You will have a horse available for the entire 5 days taking you to waterfalls, sunrises and sunsets you will never forget, lakes, rivers, towering peaks, green meadows and lush forests.
 
Everything is provided.  All you have to do is show up and take pictures.  There will be a wrangler to care for the horses, a cook to feed us, and a helper to do everything else.
 
We WILL have two hot showers
 

All food is provided

 
There will be two small Honda generators to recharge batteries for the laptops and digital cameras.
 
All bedding will be provided; 3-inch foam egg-crate mattress with a warm sleeping bag in a 4-man tent. (Double occupancy)
 

All you will need is your photo gear, personal items (limit 40 pounds, excluding photo gear), mosquito repellant, and a smile!
 


Itinerary
Monday through Friday the schedule is tentative.  Depending on what weather conditions are, cloud patterns, etc the itinerary is fluid. Except for the Friday night dinner at Elizabeth Pass (see below), everything is subject to change according to the best opportunity presented to us at the time. If we decide to change, we can.

Day 1, Saturday, August 9
You will arrive in Fresno, where we will meet and carpool, caravan, etc to Horse Corral Pack Station in Sequoia National Park.  Cold beverages and hors d'oeuvres will be waiting for us.  Dinner will be at 6pm, which will leave enough time to shoot the sunset if you desire.  Time also to arrange your gear, last chance to get those items you forgot, meet with Charley the owner of Horse Corral Pack Station for horse assignments, orientation ride, and instructions for the trail.
 
Day 2, Sunday
Leave at 7:30am after breakfast for 20 mile ride to Deadman Canyon at the 9,500 foot elevation.  Travel time should be about 8 hours by horseback.  I am told by Charley, our packer, that you will be able to sling your camera over your shoulder, and I highly recommend you do so.  We will stop regularly to shoot the scenery on the trip.

Camp will be setup and waiting for us; cold beverages will be on ice, hors d'oeuvres will be available, and chicken or pork tenderloins will be on the grill when we arrive in camp!  The helpers will set up everyone's tent, unroll the bedrolls, and leave the mint on the pillow! (Not really)  Claim your fireside lawn chair, grab a beer (provided) and relax!
 
Day 3, Monday
Breakfast will be at whatever time we decide we want it.  Then an unstructured day is scheduled to allow acclimation of the altitude, rest from two days of intensive travel (you will be somewhat saddle-sore) and orientation of the rest of the week's activities.  Of course, if you want to hike up to Big Bird Lake (1.5 miles) at 10,000 feet, or down to the Roaring River you are welcome to do so.  Your host will be available for hiking and one-on-one photo instruction if desired. Again, if you have the energy to get going right off the bat, then so do I!  In the afternoon we can take the horses and shoot the sunset at Elizabeth Pass.

Dinner of barbecued chicken or pork loins with fresh vegetables, salads etc. and preparation for the Perseid Meteor Shower.  Night photography with one-on-one instruction from your host, Phil Hawkins
 
Day 4, Tuesday
Breakfast, and then set off on horseback to Cloud Canyon for shooting Big Wet Meadow,  Moraine Meadow and Ranger Meadow. We'll learn usage of polarizing filters, composition, clouds, and split-density filters.    Back to camp, and an incredible rib-eye steak dinner.  Night photography as desired with personal one-on-one instruction from your host!  (This is a cross-country trip in which the trail is not suitable for horses)
 
Day 5, Wednesday
(Tentative) Arise 4am; breakfast and early departing on horseback along the Roaring River, through meadows to Morraine Meadow and Morraine Ridge, for the sunrise and then on to Avalanche Pass at 10,000 feet.  Shooting the pass area, the lower end of Kings Canyon, and then back to camp by 6pm, then sunset photography and review of photos.
 
Day 6, Thursday
Day for last-minute trip decisions.  I have learned that structuring these backcountry trips to the minute goes right out the window sometimes when contrary opportunity presents itself. So, although there is no planned outing at this writing, we can decide on a destination based on where the best opportunity lies. Otherwise, it will be a free day, sleep in, hang out, fish, do whatever.  if we decide to go somewhere as a group, then so be it. If not, you are free just to lie back and read, or sort images, or whatever moves you.  
 
Day 7, Friday Dinner at 11.500 feet!  Shoot the sunset AND the full-moon rise!
Easy morning, then the crowning excursion!  Dinner at 11,500 ft Elizabeth Pass!  We leave around noon, take our time and travel by horseback to Elizabeth Pass arriving at around 5:30 or 6pm. Wine, cheese-and-crackers hors d'oeuvres and cool refreshments will be available as we wait for the barbecued chicken or grilled pork loin dinner with fresh vegetables, bread and dessert to be ready.  We'll eat a sit-down dinner with tables and chairs, prepare for photographing the sunset, then turn 180 degrees and shoot the full moon rise immediately after.  Then, around 8:30 or 9pm we will head back to camp. Portraits of the group will be taken at the pass.  I'll bring studio lighting and remote power.
 
Day 8, Saturday
Break camp, head back to the Horse Corral Pack Station.  Arrive late afternoon for showers, dinner and relaxing evening. Review and critique of the shots.
 
Day 9, Sunday, August 17th
Breakfast at 7am, off to Fresno for flight connections, journey home.
 

 

 

Details
 

Items to bring:
 
1) WARM clothing.  It will be cold at night, especially at the 12,500 foot elevation for the sunset/moonrise photo shoot.  The wind will be blowing and it could get down to 30 degrees.  In camp the night time low will probably be around 40 to 35 degrees.  I suggest a down or comparable jacket and something with a hood on it to keep the wind off your head.  Helps with the mosquitoes too.

2) Mosquito repellant There COULD be rather pesky mosquitoes at this elevation.  Although by mid-August the mosquitoes are less prevalent, we cannot rule out their omnipresence. 

3) Lip Balm This may sound trivial, but you will be at the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada range and it will be very dry.  With the wind and drinking water that is high in minerals, (dee-licious!!) it will dry out your lips and nothing is more uncomfortable than to have cracked, dry, chapped lips at elevation.

4) GOOD, high-quality polarized sunglasses (with the little strap that keeps them tight around your head and around your neck so you don't lose or drop them)  the sun is very intense at elevation.

5) Fishing gear we will be near the Roaring River most of the time, and if you want some down time, you'll have an opportunity.  Besides, we may be able to use the setup for shots. 

6) Toiletries We will have showers, so plan accordingly but don't go overboard.

7) Sun block The sun is very intense and you will burn like a piece of bacon without sun block.

8) Raingear Usually this time of year it is very dry and seldom rains, but in the high country, especially at altitude, we could get a quick thunderstorm.  We have arranged for a retreat tent to place photo gear if it rains, so if you want something in case we get hit on the trail, it might be wise.

9) Car Rental If you are flying in to Fresno, you will need to rent a car.

 
 
Photographic Items
Although it does not matter what equipment you have, you will get the most out of it if your camera has manual settings and shoots RAW and the ability to connect a cable release. 

Obviously, bring your wide-angle lenses.
Best tripod you can muster w/ extra clamps. You'll be very disappointed if you lose your one and only clamp...
Cable release for night time exposures
Split-density filters; one 2-stop and one 4-stop.
Neutral density filters; one 4-stop one 8-stop if possible
Don't forget your lens shades
Extra memory cards

Bring several lens cloths and cleaning liquid; the area will be dusty and you will be cleaning regularly.  I will have liquid, but bring your own cloths, if possible please.

Pack your gear in a backpack-type container.  Hard-case containers cannot be accommodated, and will not work on daily excursions on the horses.  Be sure you have a wearable backpack photo case for daily trips.

Laptop computer with spare batteries.  We will have two Honda portable generators with which to charge batteries.  Don't forget your CF card reader!!  People forget these all the time!

On Saturday you will have ONE opportunity to stop at Boots Camera in Fresno to pick up the items you forgot.  They are a Canon and Nikon dealer and will have most anything you need.
 
Your host
 

Phil Hawkins
Award-winning landscape photographer from Fresno, CA.
Photoshop CS3 instructor
I've been backpacking and photographing the High Sierra for 28 years.
Current member (6 years) of the Board of Directors of the High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew
See http://philhawkinsphoto.com
 Feel free to call 559-307-7773 for more information.
 
 
Terms and Conditions
In the unlikely event that the workshop does not fill enough spaces to warrant continuing, the class will be canceled and a full refund given. You will be notified at least two weeks in advance if a workshop is not going to take place.  The High Sierra Wilderness Photography Workshop is not responsible for non-refundable airline reservations in the event of workshop cancellation.

Participant-initiated cancellations received prior to one month before the workshop will receive a refund minus $800 unless the spot can be refilled, in which case 100% refund will be given.  Due to the unusual complexity and extensive planning required for this workshop, and the low number of participants allowed, no refunds will be offered for participant-initiated cancellations after 30 days prior to workshop date unless the spot can be re-filled.

Special note on wilderness conduct
We will be in a pristine wilderness environment, and therefore use of tobacco products is strongly discouraged, and will not be allowed at Elizabeth Pass (elevation 12,50 ft) due to the thin atmosphere and risk of altitude sickness resulting from oxygen deprivation from smoking.  If you do smoke, you will be required to make arrangements to ensure your waste (butts, etc) does not touch the ground.  While on the trail your tobacco-use waste MUST be stowed for disposal at the base camp.  Squirrels, chipmunks, marmots and other small mammals pick up cigarette butts and use them for nest building.  The tobacco residue is lethal to them, especially the young. 

Our trails are safe and have been specially constructed for stock use and are maintained regularly by the High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew.

Bears
Bears are a natural part of the national park environment.  It's not likely, but it is entirely possible we will see bears.  There are NO Grizzly bears in the Sierra Nevada range.  Our species is 100% Black Bears, also known as 300 pound furry chickens. For more information on putting this very misplaced fear into proper perspective, see this link: http://www.yosemitefun.com/bears.htm  This information is written specifically for Yosemite National Park, but is equally applicable to Sequoia National Park.  Packers are trained in proper food storage and you will receive a briefing prior to departure on how to conduct yourself with food in the wilderness.  If you follow the protocol for food handling we will have no problem with bears.

MEDICAL NOTE
If you have a history of altitude sickness, you might give serious consideration about whether you want to make this trip.  We will be spending 5 full days at no less than 10,000 feet, and some people have problems at this altitude.  Be assured that all packers, wranglers and cooks are Wilderness First-Responder Certified.  In addition, the Sequoia National Park Roaring River ranger station is close by for radio call-up of the California Highway Patrol emergency medical helicopter if needed.  Packers, wranglers and you host will have Park Service radios at all times.

Also, due to restrictions as to the maximum load the horses can bear, participants over 275 pounds in weight cannot be accommodated.

 

 
Copyright 2008 Phil Hawkins Photography
http://philhawkinsphoto.com