Photography Workshops
In one way or another, many workshops and training sessions tend to take on a personality.
We believe that the hosts or the instructors drive that for the most part and managed properly, it allows the participants to relax and be themselves. Even with a group of strangers.
How do we drive that? It’s a simple one word answer. PASSION. We are very passionate about sharing the art and technique of picture making. We look for the artist in each individual and nurture it through out the workshop, building confidence and know how. We know every one learns differently and we’ll work with you at your own speed to help drive the points home and establish good continual habits as you grow and learn.
Tony and Keith firmly believe that the learning environment is critical to the improvement of skills and growth. That learning is always easier when it’s fun. So while the topic may be a technical one and a requirement for moving on, they will present it in a stress free package and through an enjoyable style that keeps the fun in the session. Regardless of your pace, and your past experience, the design of the workshops are to ensure you have growth in your photographic ability, memory cards filled with images, and lasting friendships forged in fun and positive shared experiences.
Oregon North Coast 2024 - April 28th - May 3rd
Join the excitement with Tony and Keith as they continue their 2024 season on the road at an amazing location. Experience the difference learning in a small "boutique" workshop that is conducive to all experience levels, novice through professional. The package includes lodging Sunday evening, April 28th through Thursday Evening, May 2nd, "bird-dogging" shot locations, photographic instruction, and tons of enjoyment. Ground transportation is NOT included however, Tony and Keith can help coordinate participants who wish to share the costs.
Overview
This will be the first of two workshops for the Oregon Coast. There are over 350 miles of beaches, harbors, rivers, tide pools, and sea stacks between the state of Washington on the north and California on the south. Far too much for one visit; so we will do the Southern half a month later at the end of May 2024.
If you ask anyone who has been to this coast, it will be hard to shut them up! We believe it is the most varied and unique stretch of coast in the country. We use three adjectives to describe it: different, dynamic, and unpredictable.
Different
The coast is punctuated with unique “sea stacks”. These look a lot like mesas moved from the southwest and plunked down in the ocean. There are more of them here than in any other state. They rise up 50-300 feet out of the water and are the home to gulls, murres, oystercatchers, puffins, and more. These sentinels may be in clusters or isolated at low tide to make wonderfully accessible photo subjects.
Dynamic
Everything on the coast is in constant motion. It is like a kaleidoscope because of the variable weather (more about that in a moment); the tide level (up to 10 feet in range); sea state (from dead calm to 15-foot waves); etc. In particular, the tides are amazing. At high water, they crash against the rocks and, during storms, can lift the water over 100 feet in the air. At low tide, tidal pools reveal multi-colored starfish, mollusks, seaweeds, crabs, and little fish. The wet sand will show wave patterns, little drainage rivers, and critter tracks.
Unpredictable
The weather is always in a state of flux here. Fog can come in from the ocean as well as from the land. Cold ocean water keeps the ambient air temps cool both by day and by night. The sky is full of surprises. It is possible to get sunshine, rain, gales of wind, and dead calm all in one day. This results in a photographer capturing many moods of one subject. It also means the photographer needs many layers of clothing.
Possible Physical Limitations
In this workshop, there are some places that can require an either/or decision on the participant’s part. Very good images can be made by taking no more than a couple of hundred steps from the car on very flat solid ground. Possibly better and more varied shots may require walking on terrain that is sandy, rocky, or debris-covered; brief navigating through slippery mossy and wet forests; descending and returning on stairways to the beach that are 60-100 feet in elevation; or straddling tide pools to get the perfect shot of a starfish. Most will be walking on beaches at low tide where we may cover up to a mile round trip on the wet sand. In every case, Keith and Tony will brief everyone about what the situation is before getting out of the car and be aware of individual needs.
Schedule (subject to change and weather)
While we plan out the week we always have a flexible schedule. Variables out of our control surface and we adjust to them. Or goal is always safety first then enjoyment.
Saturday
Fly into Portland and drive to Astoria, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific. We will meet up at the motel where we are staying. As a bonus, early birds may get some shooting in that afternoon.
Sunday
Get up real early in the morning and shoot one lighthouse in Washington at sunrise. Return back across the giant bridge that connects Oregon and Washington, have breakfast then return to the waterfront for more shooting. Then we head to a shipwreck located on the coast while we head south towards Cannon Beach. Spend the night in Cannon Beach
Monday & Tuesday
Two days shooting sea stacks, beaches, a rainforest, and tidal sand rivers. One sunset and two sunrises. Multiple high and low tides. Spend the night in Cannon Beach.
Wednesday and Thursday
We will head down the coast towards Newport, stopping at multiple places along the way. We will spend the next two nights in this city. We will spend these days imaging lighthouses, tide pools, thunderous waves, and quiet beaches with such names as Devil’s Punch Bowl, Agate Beach, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, and Thor’s Well. Our last night together as a group
Friday You are back on your own. In Newport depending on individual travel plans, some will leave immediately for Portland airport in the morning; others may hang out at the coast for a little while. This is totally up to you.
Event Information
| Event Date | Apr-28-2024 |
| Event End Date | May-03-2024 |
| Cut Off Date | Mar-27-2024 |
| Capacity | 10 |
| Individual Price | $3,750.00 |
| Experience Level | Novice, Beginner, Amateur, Advanced Amateur, Professional |
| Location | Oregon North Coast |
Refund & Deposit Policy
The "hold my spot" deposit allows us to publish a workshop before all our final preparations have been determined. Usually, the cost of lodging is the biggest variable. We feel it is important for the lodging to be included because we know we can guarantee a better rate and because keeping the whole crew at the same hotel builds continuity and comrade. ~ Until we have the exact pricing we'll do this deposit to allow folks to register a lot sooner and get this in their planner. When we do have the exact pricing, we switch to a half-pay or full-pay option and apply the deposit toward that payment.
A full refund is allowed for up to 120 days before the workshop begins. Inside that time if you find a person to fill your spot, or if there is a waiting list and the spot is filled you will also qualify for a full refund regardless of when the spot is filled. Up to 90 Days you will receive a 75% refund, Up to 60 days you will receive a 50%, and up to 30 days you will receive a 25% refund. There is no refund within 30 days, except as mentioned above.
Workshop Reviews
One plus One Equals Three
One plus One Equals Three
Tony and Keith have taught groups as large as 50-100 people for organizations as large as Out of Chicago, or The Florida Camera Club Counsel but their real love is in smaller boutique groups of 10-12. Jointly, they have an overall combined photography experience of over 60 years and together over 20 years of teaching experience in such places as the East Coast and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the farmlands of eastern Iowa and Wisconsin, numerous venues in Illinois, around the Great Lakes, the ruins of North Dakota, Cowboy and Badlands photography in South Dakota, the coasts of Oregon and California, Southwest Colorado, and the area around Moab.
Keith’s style leans more on the practical and technical side since he owned a camera store and is a full-time commercial photographer. Tony’s forte is in acting as the field dog, once on site. He loves pointing out compositions, big or small, that the average person misses.
Each in their own way are fabulous and gifted instructors. Together, they bring different strengths, many years of teaching experience, and a true love of photography to anyone who signs up for the workshops.
Meet Instructor Tony Reynes
Meet Instructor Tony Reynes
As a kid, Tony built model ships and planes, was into ham radio and erector sets. He has always loved creating stuff with lots of parts. Therefore, it is easy to see how the digital darkroom was a natural for him. A second love was the outdoors, whether it was sailing, hiking or skiing. Tony’s affinity for landscape comes as no surprise. Lastly, he has spent the major part of his business career either consulting in business or counseling people on their careers. He has probably spent over 40 years helping and teaching others. When you add these three avocations together, you find a very good teaching photographer.
He has been really serious about photography for over 20 years. In 2006 he started a small side venture to sell his images and teach Photoshop. Shortly after the Great Recession, he sold his national search company and became a full-time photographer. Currently he wears two hats. The first is for the commercial side where he works with a global real estate investment organization, covering their conferences as well as producing landscape and architectural imaging. The second is teaching photographic composition and post production through presentations, workshops and one-on-one tutoring. In 2019, he moved from Chicago to the Northern California area. His new neighborhood images may reflect fewer corn fields and more vineyards. His teaching philosophy continues to be: “if we are not having fun as you learn, we are wasting time”.
Meet Instructor Keith French
Meet Instructor Keith French
Keith is currently a Commercial Photographer in the Greater Chicago Area specializing in visual communication for marking and advertising.
Many novices and amateur photographers begin their love affair with photography in nature. Keith was no different. After completing military flight school he realized he will be going to some interesting places and should probably learn to use a good camera. A few years after learning how to operate his camera Keith took a tour of the Smokey Mountains in the early spring, the camera opportunities were abundant in all directions. He was hooked. Not yet a full time photographer, Keith carried his cameras everywhere while on active military duty, Asia, Europe, Australia, both US Coasts, the desert southwest, and Canada. At the same time, Keith was getting requests to photograph people, products, and events, and saw each new opportunity to branch out into other aspects of photography. After 18 years of self-teaching, and mentoring under professional photographers, Keith became the owner of an existing retail camera store and photo studio in 2002 and used that opportunity to accelerate his now professional career in studio photography. It wasn't long before camera classes were being held at the store to share the passion on a regular basis. Comfortable in front of a class from his military days Keith has had hundreds of customers take his beginning photography class. An experienced outdoors-men and land navigator trained by the Marine Corps, and an experienced teaching photographer make the transition to this type of outdoor, moving classroom a natural progression.
©
2024
Keith French Photography