Landscape and Macro Photography / SPRING 2009 MACRO AND MORE -Columbia River Gorge and the Oregon Coast!

©Jack Graham

A lot goes into planning a workshop.  Itineraries are set based on weather conditions, subject availability and sunrise and sunset times. Planning a Macro and More workshop requires even more precision since we are not only shooting a vast array of subjects, but adding in the macro factor. What Mike and I look for when choosing locations are areas that lend themselves t o not only the grand landscape, and even some wildlife, but endless macro opportunities. The Columbia River Gorge and the Oregon coast are both such areas.

After what we thought was a very successful M&M workshop in 2008, based only in the gorge, Mike and I spent a few days shooting out on the Oregon Coast. The coast offers a totally different menu of both macro and landscape opportunities. We quickly decided that in 2009 we would do a combination workshop with ample time in both areas. 

Our group met in a location close to the airport in Portland which is less than ½ hour from shooting locations in the gorge on Wednesday night late in May.   Thunder and lightning (rare for the Pacific Northwest) greeted many of the folks flying in during afternoon prior to the start of the workshop.  Things improved throughout the weekend.  We had a really wonderful group from all over the country. There were folks from New Mexico, Tennessee, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio and elsewhere.

As is customary, we meet informally the night before the workshop starts to get to know each other, discuss   schedules, conditions, and goals for the days ahead. Typically our attendees are so excited about the potential activities of the coming days that the 1^st night’s sleep is sometimes challenging. However, this time of year, the days are long and most everyone sleeps well the 2^nd night.  Sunrises are about 5 AM and sunsets are after 9 PM. The mornings usually start with a huge dose of coffee. The 1^st day is in many respects the longest, but being in such a magnificent area makes it worth it.

After capturing a glorious sunrise in the Gorge, we headed to our 1^st combination landscape /macro location for the bulk of the morning. As you can tell from some of the images below some great photos were made. Mike and I spend lots of time helping our attendees offering those tips and information that is important to capture images in both formats.

Mike and I really hardly shoot at all unless we are demonstrating something to our attendees. We spent lots of valuable time with our groups, and the results shown here speak for themselves. We had a total of 10 attendees here so a 5:1 ration worked well.  Mike and I really take a lot of pride seeing the fruit of our efforts.

On the 2^nd day, we always take a few hours, based around lunch and the usual bad mid day light to review work from the previous day and the current morning. These review sessions really are helpful in correcting some habits that folks get into.

Feather © Sally Thompson

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                 Lupine    © Judy Beard 

Not only do we try and disseminate information to our attendees regarding photographic technique, we try and show them how to “see” an image and compose a pleasing to the eye composition.  All nature photographers must be totally technically proficient with their equipment, just like a musician on his or her’s instrument, in order to allow the photographer to turn on the right side of the brain, the creative side, and compose a great image.

                                

                                                                                                                                                                                

We spent a full day and 1/2 in the Coumbia River Gorge shooting lots of macro (Plants, feathers, leaves, tree bark etc) before venturing out to the Oregon Coast. We spent some time photographing both landscapes and macro at Ecola State Park, just north of Cannon Beach. We then drove south to Newport and spent the night before spending the next morning at Seal Rock State Park. This location is one of the best tide pool areas on the coast. Mike and I planned this  workshop with a below normal low tide. The images shown here are indicative of the opportunities available during these low tides. Many of our attendees had never experienced this kind of photography and honestly, Mike and I were very pleased with their results.

                    Harbor Seal  © Mike Cooper

Tide pool photography, and macro shooting on the coast is somewhat more demanding than the shooting we did in the gorge. That’s why we did the coast last.                                                                                                  Purple Star Fish  © Ken Robb

The weather was good as we had lots of overcast to aid in allowing us some nice flat light to work with. Check out some of these images. They are really wonderful. Though everyone was quite tired by the end of the workshop, I know everyone had a great time, learned a lot and came away with lots of great shots.

 

Once again, Mike and I thank our attendees for coming. We are doing another Macro & more this fall in October, based in the Eastern Sierra(Mono Lake ,White Mts. area), and there are 1 or 2 spots still available if interested. Here is the information. Please contact Mike or Jack for more information

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PlPlease enjoy  these other images shot by some of our attndees. They are really wonderful.

See you all in the field…..                     Mike (macro) and Jack (more)

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  Yaquina Head Lightouse © Sally Thompson

 

                                                                                                                                              Lupine©Sally Thompson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maple Seed on Log @Ken Robb                                                                                   Yellow Leaf on Fern Web© Ken Robb

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Dasies©Judy Beard                                                                                                                        Ferns  ©Judy Beard

Wood Abstract   ©Mike Cooper                                                                                                                            Stream © Mike Cooper

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                   “River Rocks”   © Russ Gifford 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fog in Pines   © Russ Gifford

Presenting At The 48th Annual NFRCC Convention

Jack Graham and I will be presenting a Macro & More talk at the 2009 48th Annual Niagara Frontier Regional Camera Clubs Convention. It will be held March 20,21 & 22nd at the Holiday Inn on Grand Island, NY. We will be presnting on Friday night, and on Saturday we will have subjects set-up for macro photographers to bring their cameras in and shoot. Other speakers are Michael Reichmann of Luminous Landscape, Rick Sammon, and more. See more details at; http://www.nfrcc.org/convention/speakers.php

NEW! “Macro & More” Eastern Sierras, California

MACRO…and  More
Macro and More® Photography Workshops present  2009 FALL in the   EASTERN SIERRA PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

Mike Moats and Jack Graham

OCTOBER 8-11 2009
COST: $725.00 (travel, meals, etc. not included)
Limited to 16 persons

Maybe one of the most majestic locations for fall photography is located within the Eastern Sierra Region of California. Wedged between the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park and the Great Basin of Nevada, Is one of the most diverse areas in the lower 48 states. This is the setting for our FALL MACRO and MORE

EASTERN SIERRA PHOTO WORKSHOP OCTOBER 2009
This is a combination landscape / macro workshop. We select locations that offer the best of landscape photography as well as some amazing macro photography as well.  Daytime will be spent in the field. Personalized instruction will occur in the field. Choice locations have been determined by many years of shooting in this area under varied conditions Evenings will consist of informal sessions to discuss information on photographing in the area, critique sessions, and general photography information. Reviewing the days work is an integral part of the workshop experience.

You will come away with lots of great images and information and tips that will make your landscape and macro work stand above the rest.
Join award winning macro photographer Mike Moats and Jack Graham this October for what we know to be a very different photography workshop as well as a few highly informative and fun days of shooting here in the Eastern Sierra of California.

With the success of our first “Macro & More” workshop in Oregon Columbia River Gorge last year, Jack and I are repeating it again this year and also adding the coast. we have almost filled the workshop for this year so decide we needed to add more. Eastern Sierra “Macro & More” for the fall 2009.

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