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.
July 14th - 19th 2024
One of our cow “men” rancher models has had the distinction of working in the movie industry and has been a stunt double for the actor, Sam Elliott. He is also a 5th generation rancher. We are thrilled about the set-up we are going to be hosting for the group and we know every photographer will thoroughly enjoy the opportunities. Along with the opportunity of doing some outdoor, studio-type setup shots, we will also have a mock horse drive and spend a fun time on the pastures with the mares and foals. We’ll be so immersed in the horse’s routine, that you will feel like a real cowboy yourself.
Since South Dakota has so much to offer, it would be only natural for us to photograph a ghost town or two as well as a trip or two into the Badlands if the weather is conducive to good light. We have scoped out a few great stops for the opportunity to photograph ruins and abandoned buildings that can be over 100 years old. Opportunities like homesteads, grain elevators, ranches, churches, and a jail. The prairies and the sky have a lot to offer the fine art photographer, the photo ops are fabulous. The badlands themselves have many things to offer, from wildlife such as big horn sheep, mule deer, Bison, and prairie dogs. In the right morning or evening light the landscape opportunities are also stunning. Every client who desires can receive expert instruction in technical challenges, equipment set-up, compositional assistance, or any other photo assistance you may need.
Of course, when in a dark sky territory, it only seems appropriate to do some night sky photography. The heavens are visible with the naked eye and adding a camera with proper settings, and an exciting foreground with a little light painting you have the makings of a fun night and another great photo op. Conditions will need to be just right to deviate from our normal plan to attempt a night sky and light painting shoot. But it's on the table and will be open for discussion as a group.
So, if you are excited about photographing cowboys doing cowboy things, running herds of horses and foals, some set-up shots in full western wear cowboy sessions, Badlands, ghost towns, and abandoned buildings, plus if the weather allows us, some night skies. Then this is the opportunity you have been looking for.
WHERE:
We will be based in an area about 30 miles east of Wall SD. The area we are exploring is roughly within a 75-mile radius of Homebase. The closest airports are Rapid City and Pierre SD. Lodging will be in Phillip SD, and there is a very high probability of full hook-up campsites for those so inclined. If you are leaning that way, please let us know right away. We can do some preliminary negotiations for rates as well.
WHEN:
We will be officially gathering in the midafternoon on Sunday, July 14th, in Phillip SD. and wrapping up Friday evening July 19th by 5:00 PM
LODGING: Unlike most workshops, we go ahead and arrange the lodging for you. Yes, it's a lot more work but it adds a certain level of cohesion to the group and we can really work on good rates for you as a big group. We cover the lodging from Sunday night through Friday night. We will be at the only motel in Phillip SD. It’s a nice place, it’s clean and comfortable, but very basic. So basic they don’t have a continental breakfast, no coffee pots in the room, or hair dryers. But they do have a nice-sized mini-fridge, a comfortable bed, and hot showers. However, even in this small town, we are close to some local establishments that can meet our morning needs. There is also a nice grocery store in town if you want to stock up on your favorite morning foods. The lobby does have a microwave, and complimentary coffee for you.
Physical Demands:
There really aren’t too many tough physical demands other than physical endurance. We don't plan on working the group for 14 hours a day but as we work around the weather, and the driving times some days are longer than others, and when you add in late night/early morning stars scape photography we are going to throw off your sleep schedule. We will make sure the group gets good and reasonable rest opportunities, and as leaders and instructors, we need our rest as well.
However, there is a part of the trip that may be somewhat uncomfortable, almost primitive, as we traverse the grounds on the couple of days that we’ll be chasing the horses and setting up a few of the cowboy shots. We also have access to a very cool but very rustic “cowhand” cabin. It’s several miles off the beaten path and the field road that gets us there is also very rustic. Normal vehicles cannot travel this road so we will be traveling slowly in pick-up truck beds and horse trailers. It's a considerably bumpy ride but the payoff at the end is well worth it. There is no safety risk at all, it's just bumpy. There can also be some interesting hiking. If we get a badlands night shoot, we will be walking there using headlamps and flashlights over rocky trails. Also, If we go out to our favorite river location, it's about a 400-500 yard walk, 15-20 minutes, through tall grass/weeds, some downed branches, and an occasional mud hole to navigate around. However in all of these opportunities, to quote a friend..."The juice is worth the squeeze". Well worth it.
Your safety is our highest priority, it is the lens through which we look when setting up these locations. At the same time, we are expecting you to know your limits and reach out to us if you have any concerns about being able to navigate any portion of the trip. We will give you our best recommendations and descriptions but it's ultimately your decision. However, we will not hold up the group or not participate in a certain shoot because of a single individual's hesitations, inability, or discomfort. It's not fair to the group. Best case, you can miss that portion of the workshop by staying at the hotel, worse case you may end up staying back at the car, in the middle of nowhere for several hours.
RECOMMENDATIONS or SUGGESTIONS:
The photo opportunities vary greatly. Super wide-angle to long telephoto (400mm +) equipment is recommended. A very sturdy tripod especially for night shots where the exposure time can get very lengthy, also the extra stability is necessary for any time laps. When we are photographing the horses, the times and the moments will come and go quickly so you may want to consider running two camera bodies with different lenses on them so you are not exposing your gear to dust and losing precious time changing lenses. Also, if you have a hot shoe-mounted ETTL or dedicated flash, I would bring that as well. This is the one trip that I don’t get on my “minimal gear” soapbox. You may want to have spare bodies, lenses, several batteries, sensor cleaning and lens cleaning gear, and personal protection from the strong and hot sun. Because of this, I recommend looking at driving to this workshop vs. flying so you are not limited to the airlines’ weight and size standards and so you have a way to haul your gear throughout the day.
Now on days when it makes sense, we will be coordinating and recommending carpooling. It’s just easier to travel in smaller packs than large caravans. Just putting that out there because some of you are thinking about it already.
One more thing to put out there is taking care of our models. These folks are volunteering their time to come out and role-play for us as cowmen and women. After each of our events using these models, I will be "passing a hat" for us to tip them for their time. It's the right thing to do.
Event Date | Jul-14-2024 |
Event End Date | Jul-19-2024 |
Capacity | 10 |
Individual Price | $3,450.00 |
Lodging | Is included Sunday -Friday Nights |
Refund Policy | Full Refunds up to 120 days before event. More details below |
Experience Level | Novice, Beginner, Amateur, Advanced Amateur, Professional |
Location | Philip, South Dakota |
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.
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.
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”.
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.