Explore Landscapes #5

No - don't worry I'm not talking about the 1960 American Western film (classic?) - but a fun and rewarding photo workshop in Joshua Tree National Park.

I always enjoy leading photo workshops - whether they be one-to-one or with a small group. It’s rewarding to meet other photographers and work with them to help develop new skills or practice others. My approach is to teach the skills of and knowledge about a particular technique (for example, shooting the Milky Way or Star Trails) so that the student leaves the workshop with that technique in their toolbox.

I encourage them to find their own compositions rather than dictate a specific shooting location and/or composition - learning through doing.

Two weeks ago, I led a Dark Sky Photography workshop for the Desert Insititute (part of JTNPA) in Joshua Tree National Park. With me were five students - none of whom knew each other prior to the workshop, and Chris, one of our wonderful Desert Institute volunteers - there to support the workshop.

We spent some time exploring where we were going to photograph during sunset and twilight. I shared some practical advice with regard to camera settings and how to use PhotoPills to pre-visualize and plan compositions.

What made this workshop special for me was the sense of excitement that the group expressed as they started learning about how to shoot the Milky Way and Star Trails and the varied and interesting questions about camera setup and technique.

As the adage goes, ‘the best way to learn is to teach.’ I’ve never led a workshop where I haven’t learned something from one (or more) of my students. In photography, there is no such thing as ‘the right way of doing something.’ There are always different approaches, techniques, and styles - that come together to ‘create’ a photograph of a particular subject.

As the last of the light left the sky, it was time to start shooting the Milky Way. The excitement grew as they started shooting and seeing the initial results on the back of their cameras.

This built confidence in each of them, which led to some ad-hoc ‘playful’ shots being composed: self-portraits, light painting of the foreground, including car tail lights in their image, etc. The group started working together to help light a composition or to press the shutter for a portrait.

What was very evident is that with this group all the participants came together, collaborated, and quickly proved that the ‘sum is very much greater than the parts’.

My absolute favorite part of the evening was the hour or so we spent together sitting on a large flat rock in the darkness shooting Star Trail timelapses.

Seven photographers chatting about life, the universe, and everything while staring up at a beautiful clear starry sky.

Thanks to Lucy for her workshop review (below):

I attended a dark sky photography workshop with Jon in Joshua Tree. There are a lot of complimentary things I could say about the workshop, but the thing I most appreciated was that Jon created a space where all forms of artistic expression were equally valued. Whether you were aiming for an image that was exactly representational or one that was almost entirely impressionistic (me), Jon brought his considerable expertise and encouraging spirit to the pursuit. I had a wonderful time, I learned a lot, and I'm proud of the work I did. I also feel empowered to continue taking photographs, armed with the knowledge I gained. Highly recommend!

If you’d like to take part in a Dark Sky Photography Workshop, there are places available on October 7th, 13th, 14th and 15th. Please click on the link to get more info.

Until next time, explore, experience, and enjoy our wildlands responsibly. Think before you geotag. Adopt the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace and practice Responsible Nature Photography.

Bye for now,
Jon