Join us as we capture the unique & beautiful fall landscapes and diverse wildlife at Caddo Lake.
Workshop Leaders: David Begis & DeLania Truly
From shore and boat, we will have opportunities to capture the quiet mystery of the second-largest non-oxbow natural lake in the south and one of the largest flooded cypress forests in the US.
Workshop dates
2026 - Scroll to very bottom for registration links
Thur, Nov 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM - Sun, Nov 15, 2026, at 10:00 AM (10 Seats Left)
Sun, Nov 15, 2026 - Wed, Nov 18, 2026 (8 Seats Left)
Thur, Nov 19, 2026, at 2:00 PM - Sun, Nov 22, 2026, at 10:00 AM (9 Seats Left)
Location
We will base out of Caddo Lake State Park, but participants can stay anywhere in the Karnack or Uncertain area. All boat trips depart from the Shady Glade Cafe parking lot.
Workshop topics
- Composition for reflections and wildlife
- Shooting from an unstable platform
- Bracketing for greater dynamic range
- Editing for fall colors, texture
- Sharp focus on moving subjects
- Using filters for long exposures & dreamy landscapes
Please read these additional workshop details carefully:
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Location/Lodging/Meals information
We will base our workshop out of Caddo Lake State Park located at:
245 Park Rd 2, Karnack, TX 75661
We will meet at this location, spend some time shooting around the Mill Pond and on the trails as well as shoot from canoes at this location. Dinner one evening (with alcohol for those who would like it) is also held here and it would be nice if the trip back to your bed was within the park. Participants should make every effort to reserve a cabin at this park if they are driving to the workshop. You will need to provide bedding/linens/dishes, etc. Prior to Covid, these items were provided.
To make reservations, you will need to go online here. Reservations are available beginning exactly 5 months prior to your arrival date. One method to help ensure you may get a cabin is to determine your departure date and book a cabin 5 months and 14 days prior to your departure date. After 18 days you can cancel the dates you don't need although there is a $25 fee to do so. If you wait until 5 months prior to your arrival date, your options may be limited.
There are other options located in Uncertain and Karnack as well through AirBnB and VRBO. We would discourage staying as far away as Marshall or Jefferson due to the additional drive time for each excursion.
We will head out each morning early and return in time for breakfast at your cabin or the little cafe where we meet our boat captains each day. On Sunday morning we will get started a bit later and you will need to consider breakfast options since we will not be at the dock where the cafe is located. For lunch on Friday and Saturday many participants have been so full from breakfast they simply skipped it and had a snack later in the afternoon before heading out on the boat that evening. Dinner on Thursday and Friday are at a local bar/restaurant where the food is excellent. On Saturday night we host the participants at a cook out around the campfire.
Physical Requirements
The most strenuous part of this workshop would be the trail hike in the park and that's barely worth mentioning. While on the boats you are free to stand and move about but you should always be prepared for a sudden shift in the motion and make sure you are holding onto a firm object or seated while moving at speed across the lake or along the river. In the canoes a life jacket is required and care should be taken not to stand in the canoe while out on the pond.
Agenda
Day 1 we will meet at 2:00 at Caddo Lake State Park for introductions, agenda review, and initial instructions. Following that, we will head to our first sunset boat tour followed by a late dinner.
Day 2 will be a sunrise and a sunset boat ride with one on one image critiques in between for those interested.
Day 3 will begin with a sunrise boat tour followed by a visit to Jefferson for lunch (if desired) and photo ops in this amazing historical town. After exploring Jefferson we will head out for our final sunset boat ride. We will wrap up the day with (weather conditions permitting) dinner & good times around a campfire.
Day 4 we will offer a morning hike or canoe time for those interested. We will be wrapped up by 10:00 am for those that need to head home or check out of their hotels/campsites.
Transportation
Transportation to and from the workshop is via personal vehicles. During the workshop, where practical & possible, we will group together to reduce parking requirements.
Recommended photography gear
DSLR camera – Crop Sensor or Full Frame
Lenses - Wide Angle & Medium (24-70) Telephoto. A long telephoto will give you the best opportunity for closeups of wildlife and wonderfully compressed landscape images. We recommend at least 300mm and 500mm would be better.
Sturdy Tripod - Only if you wish to shoot from the shore line or the docks. Doesn't have to be expensive, just sturdy.
A circular polarizer will be beneficial in removing glare from the water's surface and neutral density filters will give you an opportunity for some longer exposures to capture moving clouds, etc.
A remote trigger or the ability to activate shutter delay
Extra Battery & SD Card
Other recommendations
Bring a notepad or something you can take notes with.
Bugs will likely be out so be prepared with repellant.
Some areas we will be walking in may be wet or muddy so wear appropriate shoes/clothing.
Make sure your camera has a strap on it. When working around water the last thing you need is to drop your camera into the lake.
Pro Tips
Practiec panning shots with you long lense before you come to the workshop. There are often birds in flight, so there are plenty of opportunities for panning.
Dig into your camera's capabilities and look for video instructions on shooting wildlife so your focus and frame rate settings are very familiar to you or even preprogrammed.
Reserve your spot!
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! This workshop sells out every year.
