Have you ever anticipated getting to a beautiful location you want to photograph only to arrive and find yourself thinking, “The light’s not right, now what?”  Whether it’s a once in a lifetime vacation to a remote location or an important magazine assignment, you know you have to get the picture.  Join National Geographic Traveler senior photo editor Dan Westergren and world-renowned travel photographer, Nevada Wier as they demonstrate how to find great light and what to do when it’s “not quite right”.

Topics

• Learning to Recognize and Take Advantage of the “Perfect” Light
  To help you begin to appreciate the qualities of light, Dan will begin by showing images that have been captured at the perfect time of day to create that beautiful, magical effect everyone loves.  Learn how great photographers arrive before sunrise and linger long after sunset to capture the glow created by the oblique angle of the sun in the hour before and after sunrise and sunset.  He will also explain how you can use rain, fog and stormy light to add drama to a scene.
• Photographing in Difficult or “Bad” Light
  Whether it’s flat, dull light with little contrast or high-contrast situations where it’s hard to capture detail, Nevada will show you how to photograph effectively during less than ideal times of the day and evening.  Learn the tricks and techniques of low-light photography (indoors and outdoors), -- how to manage contrast to create provocative images, and how to use color to make your images stand out from the crowd.
• Case Study: Getting the Shot
  Dan will discuss how to plan and prepare for a situation so that you can put yourself there at the best possible time for great light.
• What’s in the Bag
  Take a peek inside Dan and Nevada’s photo bags to see what equipment they carry so they can handle any lighting situation.
• Flash for the Travel Photographer
  In this section, Nevada will demonstrate how to make the most effective use of flash techniques to expand your shooting opportunities.  We’ll cover subtle versus intense flash, flash with slow shutter speeds, panning with flash, off camera flash and using gels, diffusers and reflectors.  And just for fun, we’ll look at “painting” with light using flashlights or other light sources.
• The Technical Side ot Capturing Great Light
  Knowing how to read and manage the dials on your camera will open up new ways to maximize the light that’s available.  Dan will cover white balance, histograms, shooting modes, exposure, and other options for controlling light.
• Workflow in the Field
  Nevada will discuss what equipment to bring on your trip to help you store and back up your images in the field to ensure they make it safely home.

Creativity With Light
will be offered in the following cities:

$195.00 per person (includes lunch)
Sessions will run from 9:00 am — 4:00 pm

Additional Details

Additional information and a link to online registration is available at Creativity with Light. For questions, please email info@ngtravelerseminars.com, or call 505-983-1400.

Photographing on the move requires the combination of technical expertise, culture competence, intuitive awareness, curiosity and a dash of panache. Nevada Wier, a specialist in adventure and travel photography, will discuss how to combine these technical, practical and creative aspects of travel photography in order to get an image that elevates itself above the usual travel clichés.

This intensive weekend workshop is a lively and intense blend of lectures, discussions, and an assignment during the fabulous Carnivale at Venice Beach. The emphasis is on expanding your creative vision in the realm of outdoor and travel photography. We discuss ways to approach and photograph people, cross-cultural considerations in foreign countries, tips on equipment and digital concerns in different travel and outdoor environments, and using natural light, as well as fill-flash. By the end of the weekend you will gain the confidence and the tools necessary to create unique and impacting travel images.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is for avid immediate to advanced photographers who use a digital SLR camera, photograph in RAW, and have a solid understanding of RAW processing and editing.

Enrollment Limit

15 students

Photographing on the move requires the combination of technical expertise, culture competence, intuitive awareness, curiosity and a dash of panache. Nevada Wier, a specialist in adventure and travel photography, will discuss how to combine these technical, practical and creative aspects of travel photography in order to get an image that elevates itself above the usual travel clichés.

This workship is full -- see the July 18 - 24 workshop below.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is for avid immediate to advanced photographers who use a digital SLR camera, photograph in RAW, and have a solid understanding of RAW processing and editing.

Photographing on the move requires the combination of technical expertise, culture competence, intuitive awareness, curiosity and a dash of panache. Nevada Wier, a specialist in adventure and travel photography, will discuss how to combine these technical, practical and creative aspects of travel photography in order to get an image that elevates itself above the usual travel clichés.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is for avid immediate to advanced photographers who use a digital SLR camera, photograph in RAW, and have a solid understanding of RAW processing and editing.

This intensive 4-day workshop delves into photographing in low light, late evening, and nighttime photography. This is a challenging and rewarding aspect of travel photography that is often overlooked. We will be exploring long exposures, working with on-camera and off-camera small strobes, and painting with light. This workshop is a lively blend of lectures, discussions, and assignments while tackling the challenges of photographing in low light with a digital camera. The week includes group and individual critiques and personal assignments.
 
The emphasis is on expanding your creative vision in the realm of low light photography in order to elevate your travel photography above the ordinary.
 
The historic town of Santa Fe is a perfect backdrop for our photographic forays. In addition, the workshop coincides the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, which will provide abundant exciting opportunities for photographing in the late evening.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is for intermediate and advanced photographers, who use a SLR digital camera, have a solid understanding of how it works, want to explore the creative possibilities of low light photography, and don’t mind staying up late. You must be adept using Adobe Lightroom or Apple Aperture. A sample of recent photography, a review of the type of camera, laptop, and image editing program you will be using, and a good working knowledge of your camera in manual mode is required for admission.

            
            February 19 - 27, 2011
            San Cristóbal de las Casas,
            Chiapas, Mexico

Field Instructors: Nancy Rotenberg, Brenda Tharp & Nevada Wier
Photoshop Techniques & logistics: Jeremy Woodhouse

Photograph with four of America’s most active travel and nature photographers – all together for six days in the wonderful colonial town of San Cristóbal de las Casas in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico. This town is still remarkably “Mexican” and does not boast the crush of expat winter residents that many other colonial towns in Mexico do – on the other hand it is still well set up to take care of visitors who choose to travel beyond their comfort zones.

This tour is sold out, but a waiting list is being maintained.

For more information

            
            June 4 - 14, 2011
            Guatemala

Field Instructors: Nancy Rotenberg, Brenda Tharp & Nevada Wier
Photoshop Techniques & logistics: Jeremy Woodhouse

You are not going to want to miss this next opportunity to photograph with four of America’s most active travel and nature photographers – starting out in the colonial town of Antigua, we will explore an active volcano, Guatemala’s largest and most colorful indigenous market, and we will spend time exploring the scenery and towns on the shores of one of the world’s most beautiful lakes.

There are a maximum of 18 places on this instructional tour together with the 3 field instructors (and since it is billed as an instructional tour, the instructors are encouraged to photograph). During the 10-day tour each participant will have the opportunity to work with each instructor more than once, giving them the opportunity to experience their distinct photographic styles.

For more information