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 Travel with our mentors and try out all of the latest equipment from Nikon! Including world class digital SLRs, Nikkor lenses and the Coolpix line of Digital Cameras.
The trek will follow in the footsteps of the greatest American photographers. After setting your lenses on the pristine Oxbow Bend and marveling at how its calm surface reflects sunrise over Mt. Moran, you'll spend the morning at the Snake River outlook, where none other than Ansel Adams once set down his tripod. You can attempt to recapture Adams's famous shot or take a new perspective on the river's serpentine path. Next, turn your camera toward Two Ocean Lake. Formed by glaciers during the Ice Age, the lake is flanked by groves of aspen trees, which will be starting their autumn display of blazing yellows, oranges and reds. Nature will continue showing off its palette in the images you take atop Signal Mountain at sunset. This spot offers one of the best overlooks in the park; in fact, photographer William Henry Jackson captured his well-known images of the park here--an action that has led to the moniker "Photographer's Point." Keep a keen eye out for wildlife, including bison, bald eagle and elk. The sun may go down, but have your cameras ready. During one of the night sessions, mentor Dave Black teaches the technique of light painting. Although this creative lighting technique may be new to you, it will soon feel second nature. This stylized look will forever impact your nighttime photography! One of the highlights of your trip is sure to be the boat ride across spectacular Jenny Lake. From this vantage point, you'll be wrapped in panoramic views of the crystal blue body of water, conifer-lined shore and snow-capped mountains. Prepare to zoom in on animals that call the lake home, such as the marmots that live among the rocks. A short hike to Inspiration Point will offer more stunning opportunities to photograph the breathtaking Tetons. Take a series of shots at Hidden Falls and be on the lookout for wildlife. The beauty of Grand Teton National Park is just waiting to be seized by your lens! Join our Mentor Series for an invaluable experience that will increase your skill set and enhance your portfolio.
Dave Black
Daniel J. Cox
Reed Hoffmann
Workshop Fee: $1,100
Jackson Lake Lodge
Group Name: Mentor Series Photo Workshop Visitor Information Located in northwestern Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park preserves a spectacular landscape rich with majestic mountains, pristine lakes and extraordinary wildlife. The abrupt vertical rise of the jagged Teton Range contrasts with the horizontal sage-covered valley and glacial lakes at their base, creating world-renowned scenery that attracts nearly four million visitors per year. For more information visit: http://www.nps.gov/grte Passports & Visas Weather Time & Date Currency Converter Travel Insurance Digital Review Sessions Equipment Non-Photographers/Spouse Policy Incidentals Howdy Tetons Trekkers! The Tetons is one of my favorite places to shoot photos in the U.S., and we've got a full weekend planned for you guys. Here are a few things I'd suggest you think about before packing your bags. Make sure all your gear (lenses and cameras) is clean and in good working order. That means your sensor too. Now is a good time to send your equipment in for a clean and check from the manufacturer if you have any concerns at all. Memory card prices continue to drop, so be sure to bring more than you think you'll need. I always travel with a laptop or digital wallet, but I also bring enough memory cards so I can go a couple of days without having to download. Speaking of downloading, make sure you have a way to backup your images. If I'm bringing a laptop, I also bring a small portable external drive so I can back-up the images on the computer to it. Lately, instead of that external drive, I’ve carried a 64GB SanDisk UltraBackup USB stick. Each night I back-up what I’ve shot to it, then keep it in my camera bag during the day. And I can travel with it in my pocket, even through airport x-ray machines. If you do bring a laptop (and I recommend it if possible), make sure you know how to create a folder and download your images to that folder. Most good browsers will automate that process, so be sure to have one you’re comfortable using. We've got a wide variety of subjects to shoot, mostly still but also some action. The still subjects shouldn't be much of a challenge for focus, but for the action shots you may want to change your autofocus settings. Check your manual and look for how to set your camera to "Continuous" AF. In addition, if you're a Nikon shooter, look for the "Dynamic" AF option too. This will allow a Nikon camera to use the other AF points in addition to the active one to track and focus on a moving subject. If you shoot another model of camera, Dave and I can help you find a similar setting on yours. If we have any portrait opportunities, or working some near still lifes (plants, flowers, etc.) you may want to use fill flash if you have a speedlight. Most of the time people turn the power down on their strobes when using them for fill flash, so check on how to do that before you get there. Usually -1.0 is a good starting point. If you're using a Nikon camera with Commander capability and have and a SB-600, SB-800 or SB-900 Speedlight, then read up on how to use the camera's pop-up strobe to trigger any of those flashes off-camera. Nothing's better than getting that strobe away from the camera. Speaking of light, you're all in for a treat when Dave Black shows you how to do light painting. It's a lot of fun, and Dave's one of the best people in the world at it (seriously). When we do that you're going to want to be able to mount your camera solidly on your tripod, change to Manual exposure, and set your shutter for 5, 10, 15 or even 30 second exposures. Then you'll be setting your aperture, based on the amount of light, for somewhere between F/4.0 and F/11. We’ll make the specific recommendation when we’re out for that shoot. It’s easier to learn that ahead of time than try to figure it out in the dark (and, I recommend bringing a small flashlight or headlamp, for those times that it’s dark when we’re out). So practice with your tripod and check your manual for how to change those settings on your camera. And if you have a cable release (well, they're all electronic now), bring it. The less you have to touch your camera during a time exposure, the better your chance of a picture without blur. Tripods will pretty much be a “must” for this trip. Over the last 40 years (yikes, it’s been that long?), I bought about a half-dozen cheap tripods. Finally I realized that if I’d just taken that money and bought one good one, I’d have been much better off. A good tripod is a long-term photo investment, and properly cared for, should last for many years. So I finally bought a pair of really good (translate — “fairly expensive”) tripods, plus a couple of heads and quick-release plates. And now I use tripods much more, because these are a real pleasure to use. I’ve got a light-weight carbon fiber one for travel, and a heavier, larger one for studio use or working out of my car. If you want to save some money, get an aluminum, or other non-carbon fiber model, but still plan on spending around $150. A cheap one will be unsteady and a pain to use. For specific models, Manfrotto and Gitzo are among the best. If all this sounds a little confusing, and you're thinking, "Hey, aren't the pros supposed to help me out with this," don't worry, we will. That is, after all, that's what we're there for :) However, the more you know going in, the more time you'll be able to spend shooting pictures. And this is going to be a GREAT trip for pictures! Lastly, remember that we're probably going to be in sun and dry air, and a bit of altitude too. That means bring a good hat for the sun, sunscreen (or long sleeves and pants), water bottle and drink LOTS of water. Otherwise you're in for headaches and sunburn, neither of which are much fun. And I always travel with a portable umbrella (I’m a huge fan of collapsible golf umbrellas for their size and strength — look for them at places like Target, K-Mart and Wal-Mart). In my opinion, there’s no better way to work in the rain than under an umbrella. Looking forward to seeing all of you out there - Reed Hoffmann |
Head to Wyoming this fall for an unforgettable Mentor Series trek in Grand Teton National Park. Frame the majestic landscape and unspoiled wildlife as Nikon professional photographers Dave Black, Daniel J. Cox and Reed Hoffmann guide you in capturing the area's natural beauty. This is an experience you'll treasure for a lifetime! 
