Come join us as we play in and around the beautiful Ozark National Forest near Russelville, Arkansas.
Workshop Leaders: David Downs & Barry Benton
Join us in a variety of locations that typically provide beautiful fall color and cascading waterfalls, elk herds, and a sparkling night sky.
Arkansas has some beautiful areas to photograph. We’ll show you a few of our favorites. It’s important you read through the information below before signing up for the workshop.
Workshop dates
Thursday, October 27, 2022- Sunday, October 30, 2022
Location
Ozark National Forest near Russellville, AR
Workshop topics
- Planning A Photo Safari
- Capturing & Freezing Motion
- Compositional Elements
- Micro Landscape Photography
- Using ND & Circular Polarizer Filters
Depending on Schedule & Weather we may be able to touch on:
- Night Sky Photography
- Wildlife Photography
Please read these additional workshop details carefully:
Click an arrow to expand a section and display (or print) its info.
Location/Lodging/Meals information
All workshop excursions will be based out of the Best Western in Russelville, AR.
Best Western Inn Russellville
2326 N Arkansas Ave
Russellville, AR 72802
Phone: 479-967-1000
Website: Best Western Inn Russellville
PLEASE NOTE: This motel has exterior access to all rooms. If you prefer interior access there are several hotels within a very short walk offering only interior access.
We will be departing early each morning and your hotel may or may not offer breakfast service that early so check to make sure you can get some nutrition (and caffeine for those who need it) before we head out. We will have a long day on Friday and will stop for lunch along the route and return in time for a late dinner on your own. On Saturday we will be out early but back in time to rest up and grab something to eat. We will be out late that evening and will provide dinner around a campfire at our shooting location.
Physical Requirements
This workshop will feature light hiking, a lot of time taking images & providing instruction, and not a lot of sleep. Some locations require a fair amount of positioning on uneven, very slippery and rocky areas below waterfalls. There is also numerous locations where accessing the falls will require climbing down and up a steep creek bank to get to the primary shooting locations. This should be considered before signing up for this workshop.
Agenda
Approximately a week before the workshop we will e-mail all registered participants with a detailed agenda, map, etc. The agenda is always flexible based on weather conditions and travel time to locations. So that you’ll know what to expect, here’s our tentative agenda:
Day 1 – Meet at Colton’s Steakhouse next to the hotel at 6:30 PM for dinner. We’ll get to know each other a bit and have general discussion around the schedule for the next 3 days.
Day 2 – A full day in the field, weather permitting, with the focus on getting to locations with the best color/water flow and hopefully capture images of some of the many elk that inhabit the Boxley Valley. Expect to leave before dawn and return after dark.
Day 3 (AM) – We will again capture some morning shooting time, then return to the hotel for a bit of rest and instruction on processing using Lightroom & Photoshop
Day 3 (PM) – Our goal is a great evening at a recreation area with beautiful falling water and serene reflection pools. We will have dinner around a campfire and then wrap up the evening capturing the night sky with light painting to eliminate the falls.
Day 4 – An optional excursion to a favorite previously visited location to capture that shot you didn’t capture first time around or a retake on an image you feel can be better composed/exposed. We will be back at the hotel and wrapped up mid morning so everyone can get checked out.
Post-workshop – We will provide follow up Zoom editing session on images captured during the workshop for attendees to use as a guide while editing their images.
Transportation
Transportation to the workshop is the responsibility of the workshop participants. For our daily excursions we will provide transportation for up to 6 participants between Barry & I. In most cases we will also have another vehicle/driver available for the other 3 and will coordinate once all participants have arived..
Recommended photography gear
DSLR camera – Crop Sensor or Full Frame
Wide angle & telephoto lenses
Tripod
Remote shutter release – Alternatively, an understanding on how to set a 2-second shutter delay for your camera.
Circular polarizing filter (if you have one)
Camera bag suitable for hiking
Batteries – Extra batteries if you have them. If not, make sure you have a charger.
Storage – At least two memory cards.
Laptop with Lightroom/Photoshop (we may have time for some individual instruction).
Hunger for improving your photography and a desire to capture some beautiful images.
Other recommendations
Depending on conditions, we may go on a fairly long & moderately difficult hike. Good hiking shoes/boots and a backpack (that can hold tripod and camera gear) are strongly recommended.
We’ll go out early each morning and cover a lot of ground each day, rain or shine. Be prepared for cool, wet weather.
Consider bringing shoes/boots/pants you can wear in shallow water if desired/necessary to capture a shot.
We’ll send out weather updates as we get closer to the workshop dates.
Location pro tips
Fall color intensity is out of our control, but we’ll make every effort to find locations that have some color
As much as we’d like to set the temperature and control wind and rain for the workshop we simply aren’t that good. We will do our best despite any weather obstacles to make sure you leave with a wealth of information and practical experience.
Some of the waterfalls are slippery and can be difficult to get to a great photo spot. There are times that you will need to walk down and/or up rocky and, sometimes, slippery embankments to get to good shooting locations. Good hiking boots/shoes are important. And, it’s likely your socks will get wet so plan accordingly.
Reserve your spot now!
Important info! We encourage you to create an account when you register so future workshop forms will be prepopulated with your data. Shortly after registering you will receive a confirmation e-mail and a separate email allowing you to pay your registration online. You are not fully registered until your payment is received.
Class size is limited so sign up early. A minimum of 6 students is required to hold the class.
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