Hi and welcome to this edition of Workshop at the Ranch. I receive many emails during the year that inquire “where is the Ranch, and how do I come attend a workshop.” Well, I do live out west, but the Workshop at the Ranch is still only my monthly website tutorial. Although I have yet to start my own workshop I am very much involved with teaching photography for a variety of wonderful companies, and so I’ve decided to devote this article to sharing about some of the workshops that I teach each year. Keep in mind these three workshops that I am writing about are only a sampling of my yearly workshop and presentation schedule. If you are part of a photography organization, College, University, or even an existing workshop and would like me to come teach, please contact me via the Contact page of my website.

Hi and welcome to this edition of Workshop at the Ranch. I receive many emails during the year that inquire “where is the Ranch, and how do I come attend a workshop.” Well, I do live out west, but the Workshop at the Ranch is still only my monthly website tutorial. Although I have yet to start my own workshop I am very much involved with teaching photography for a variety of wonderful companies, and so I’ve decided to devote this article to sharing about some of the workshops that I teach each year. Keep in mind these three workshops that I am writing about are only a sampling of my yearly workshop and presentation schedule. If you are part of a photography organization, College, University, or even an existing workshop and would like me to come teach, please contact me via the Contact page of my website.

Rich Clarkson’s Sports Photography Workshop was the first workshop I became involved with back in 1983. Contact: www.sportsphotographyworkshop.com Rich’s sports workshop is offered in late June into early July, and in my opinion is the king of sports photography instruction. The faculty features photographers and picture editors from such magazines and companies like Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, New York Times, and the Associated Press. This six day, hands on submersion into sports photography involves daily shooting at a variety of locations ranging from the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Coors Field in Denver and other venues along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Instructional breakout sessions can feature topics like Remote Camera set-ups, Off Camera Flash techniques, Studio/Portrait Lighting, Arena Strobe Lighting, and just photographing great sports action. Daily critique sessions where the collective faculty reviews student’s images while openly sharing instructional commentary are a workshop highlight. As an instructor for Rich during the past 27 years my instructional breakout sessions tend to involve lighting with both arena strobes and off camera Speedlights. Thanks to the workshops faculty depth a student can tailor their daily schedule to fit their personal needs and usually walk away with some outstanding portfolio images. Image #1      Breath Taking … The US Olympic Training Center (USOTC) is a prime host and one of many venues open to students at the Sports Photography Workshop. National and Olympic caliber athletes provide action in a variety of sports including cycling, wrestling, gymnastics, boxing, and swimming at the USOTC. Image #2      Twilight Moto … Taking Speedlights off the camera and on location is one of my favorite classes to teach. The motorcross venue has been very popular with the Sports Photography Workshop attendees since I introduced it to the program two years ago. I plan on taking many of the students to shoot these fly-boys again this summer. I will be teaching at 2010 Sports Photography Workshop June 27-July 2, 2010.

Rich Clarkson’s Photography at the Summit takes place during the fall in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Contact: www.photographyatthesummit.com With autumn colors, Wyoming ranch-life, Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park as subject matter this 6 day workshop is a wonderful opportunity for any level photographer to make great pictures. Like all of Rich’s workshops, Photography at the Summit brings together a collective faculty with long time expertise in the industry. Photographers and editors from such magazines as National Geographic, Newsweek, and Time along with a variety of the worlds best known Landscape and Wildlife photographers instruct and educate the students daily. Although many students choose to explore the region for their imagery, there are instructional breakout sessions, image critique sessions where the faculty openly comments on each student’s work, and evening career presentations by one or more faculty members. Morning can include dawn location photography of landscapes in Teton Nat. Park and Yellowstone. I usually offer afternoon classes teaching the use of off camera flash with Speedlights and the creative lighting technique of Lightpainting. As with Rich’s other workshops there are a variety of sponsors who bring to the student’s attention all that is new and cutting edge in the industry today. Image #3      Wyoming Morning … As a working professional photographer since 1980 my career has revolved around professional and Olympic sports and action imagery, but I have learned a great deal about photographing landscapes and nature during my years as a faculty member with Photography at the Summit. When I arrive in Jackson Hole I leave all the hoop-la of sports behind and enjoy helping people make beautiful pictures. I mage #4      Corral Light … During Photography at the Summit I usually teach a class session about off camera flash and its usefulness in photographing nature. I also teach a class on Lightpainting where class members learn the basics of this very creative lighting technique. And if weather permits I have been known to take students to Lightpaint the famous Mormon Row Barns at night. I will be teaching at the 2010 Photography at the Summit October 3-8, 2010.

American PHOTO Mentor Series Contact: www.mentorseries.com This series of national and international workshops is a brilliant concept in teaching photography on all levels. I have had the pleasure of working with this organization for about 6 years and always find it invigorating, informative, and fun. Each “trek” as they are known features some of the industries most well know photographers as instructors. Workshop locations can be anywhere from New York City, to California’s wine country, to Morocco, Hawaii, or even Botswana. Each trek brings old and new “trekkers” together with the staff to learn about photography and experience the worlds landscape, places of interest, and people. Each trek places the trekkers at several photo locations daily, breakout sessions of key learning techniques and meetings with the instructors for individual critiques of their images made on the trek. I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to see and photograph America and the World. Image #5      Camel Guide … The Mentor Series trek to Egypt was one of the most fascinating and memorable workshops I have taught at. Most international treks range from 9-12 days while a domestic trek can range from 3-5 days. They all tend to take in both the classic sites and also the unique locations as well. Traveling as a group is fun and I truly enjoy meeting and teaching all the attendees. Image #6      Hawkeye … Most of the Mentor Series instructors bring a photographic expertise or specialty to the trek. My creative use of off camera flash using Speedlights is something I like to teach on location whether it is portraits of Peruvian villagers near Machu Picchu, or Desert Raptures, like this Harris Hawk in Southern Arizona. Image #7      Thor’s Hammer … The creative lighting technique of Lightpainting is also a class I like to teach while on a trek. I’m currently scheduled to teach the Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon trek in spring 2010. If weather permits I hope to teach Lightpainting at Thor’s Hammer in Bryce Canyon. Image #8      Indian Autumn … Teton National Park is a trek I am scheduled to teach in September 2010. Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the Tetons may be my favorite place on earth to photograph. I’m hopeful for the September weather to provide wonderful color and possibly warm weather nights for Lightpainting opportunities. I will be teaching the Mentor Series trek to Zion and Bryce April 28-May 3, 2010. I will be teaching the Mentor Series trek to Teton Nat. Park September 9-12, 2010.

Long Island Photo Workshop Contact: www.liphotoworkshop.com This workshop features several instructors who offer specialized classes during the four-day program. Students choose the instructor’s class they want to attend and then participate in that instructor’s class only. Classes vary each year and can include portraiture lighting, Photoshop techniques, wedding imagery/portraiture, and Coral Painter instruction just to name a few. 2010 will be my third time as an instructor for the Long Island Photo Workshop, and I love it. Class size tends to be moderate and personal, and I like the atmosphere of intensive learning. My class involves lighting with Speedlights and Lightpainting…no surprise. We start with the basics and work our way up to more involved. The morning session is usually a technical demonstration followed by an afternoon session where students jump in and make their own pictures using the techniques I taught earlier that day. We all work hard, learn a lot, and make significant improvements with the photographic process. Image #9      Shadow Champion … “Light is the Greatest Influence” is the title of my class at the Long Island Photo Workshop. During the first day students will use Speedlights off camera in an effort to liberate their vision and teach them how to make stylized portraits. We start in a controlled environment like the studio or at an indoor location, such as this boxing gym from class 2 years ago. Image #10      Blue Moon Beach Girl … Our next day will usually begin with a short recap of what we learned on day-one and then move forward to more complex situations and outdoor locations. Light is the greatest influence even if just a kiss of light is used. Image #11      Saddle and Spurs … Learning Lightpainting basics kick off the third day of instruction. This is indoor studio or indoor location work. Lightpainting is usually a foreign concept to most, but the class quickly embraces this technique and its potential to make beautiful pictures. Nothing too complicated on this day, but the results are stunning. Image #12      Piano Mood … On the fourth day we continue Lightpainting but this time with a human subject. This is perhaps my favorite day of the four-day workshop. I am blown away by what the students produce with this technique. This is a class where learning, experimentation, and creativity all come together. I’m really looking forward to this years class where “Light is the Greatest Influence.” I will be teaching the Long Island Photo Workshop August 1-5, 2010.

These are just a few of the workshops I am involved with each year, but if you can’t attend one of these don’t give up. Many photography organizations, Colleges, University programs, and even folks that are involved in an existing workshop are welcome to ask me to come teach. Please email me via the Contact page on my website and let’s see what the possibilities are to help you learn more about photography.

Perhaps someday I will have my own workshop on a real ranch, but until then attending one of the workshops where I teach might be just the thing to help you learn more about photography.

Don’t forget to check out the Workshop and Presentation Schedule box at the end of each Workshop at the Ranch article. There you will find a list of up-coming workshops and presentations with dates and locations where I’ll be teaching.

Well, I hope this information is helpful to many of you. See you next time on Workshop at the Ranch. Adios. Dave