In This Issue
• Featured 3 or More Day Workshops
• Featured Participant/Volunteer Images
Quick Reference Links
Featured Participant/Volunteer Images
Horses and Cowboys Workshop
Monument Valley/Canyon de Chelly Workshop
Visit Participant Gallery...
Use our online registration site!
For your convenience, we now offer a secure way to register for and purchase workhop spaces online.
- Clicking the registration button for any 3 Or More Day Workshop will direct you to a page where you must first select a deposit amount before continuing the registration and checkout process.
- For Shorter Workshops not requiring a deposit, clicking the registration button will add the desired quantity directly to your cart to begin the registration process.
Please contact us with your feedback about the registration site or if you experience any technical problems.
Featured Partner
Sightseeing in Arizona This Summer?
Check out the
The Arizona Highways Travel Show features the latest information on Arizona destinations, including Tucson, Sedona, Grand Canyon and Lake Powell, as well as photography demonstrations and hiking workshops. Get the lowdown on lodging, dining, scenic attractions and more!
May 22-23, 2010
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Phoenix Convention Center
Hall F
For more information, call 480.838.9123 or visit arizonahighwaystravelshow.com.
Would your organization consider being a partner? Please call us toll free at 1.888.790.7042.
What Our Participants Say About...
Point-n-Shoot: More Than Meets the Eye
with Jeff Kida, February 2010
“If you are not happy with your pictures take a step forward.”
— Linda Hertz
“The photography workshop gave my wife & myself a fun activity and outing to do together.”
— Ed Bailey Jr.
Photography Made Simple (Field Session)
with J. Peter Mortimer, February 2010
“Great learning experience.”
— Geri Trinler
“I loved the workshop. Peter was very knowledgeable. Was great to see everyone’s photos. It’s definitely worth taking. I can’t wait to use the ideas Peter gave us.”
— Gayla Matthews
The Phoenix Zoo
with Dick George, February 2010
“Great workshop for those interested in animals. Good for those who can’t leave town but still want a great experience.”
— Linda Perkey
“Novice photographer, 1st workshop, Christmas gift from wife, has stimulated my interest to attend others.”
— Bob Zambo
“I will take more workshops. Have done 2.”
— Diane Luce
Yellowstone
with Henry Holdsworth, January 2010
“Yellowstone in Winter was a life changing experience and I thank the excellent AZ Highways volunteers, Dave & John, Photographer Henry Holdsworth and the Alpen Guides for this wonderful trip.”
— Debra Waters
“Arizona Highways Photo Workshops are the best I’ve every attended and I keep coming back for more. The instructors are personally involved with everyone. The volunteers are superb, food & lodging is good. It is a fun, learning experience.”
— Ron Greene
“Great and everybody very friendly.”
— Margaret Maylan
Visit our Calendar page for a complete list of 2010 workshops.
Request a Brochure
For a free printed color brochure or to have one sent to a friend, visit our Web site to fill out a mailing form. Our brochure is published annually. Please visit our Web site for the most current information available about each workshop.
Download a PDF brochure...
(File size: 4.2 MB. Copyrighted material for reference only. All rights reserved. Cover photo © Suzanne Mathia.)
© 2010 Friends of Arizona Highways Magazine Foundation. All rights reserved.
All images copyrighted by photographer.
Copy or transfer of any image without
permission is strictly prohibited.
Featured Workshops: The West's Best Photography Locations
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Slot Canyons
with Jerry Sieve
April 24-28, 2010; Cost $1,950
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
Arizona’s Slot Canyons are on every photographers “must see” list. Carved by wind and water through layers of sandstone, the remnants of ancient ocean floors form what are known as slot canyons, where unexpected beams of light and fanciful whorls of color give us the opportunity to make striking and memorable photographs. Be there at the time of day when the walls glow in vibrant purples, reds, oranges and yellows.
The Slot stretches through a series of small chambers, large amphitheaters and precipitous drops. Every turn offers new and exciting arches and keyhole formations scenes to photograph. We'll also visit the area around Lake Powell, which also affords remarkable opportunities. The breathtaking view from Horseshoe Bend Overlook is a photographic treat, including the Vermilion Cliffs, Paria Bluffs and the "hoodoos."
Register now to immerse yourself in this magical environment!
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Horses and Cowboys
with Jeff Kida
April 28 - May 2, 2010; Cost: $2,295
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
The Wild West’s cowboy past conjures up visions of wranglers in dusty jeans and jangling spurs, herding livestock through desert arroyos studded with magnificent saguaros. Capture these classic scenes in a relaxed setting of bubbling fountains, cactus blossoms, chile ristras and rustic wagon wheels.
You’ll have outstanding opportunities to photograph working cowboys up close as they pen cattle, drive horses and participate in small-arena rodeo events. Arizona Highways Photo Editor Jeff Kida will also help you craft remarkable photos of cowboys and cowgirls at work around the ranch during both spontaneous and planned portrait activities.
The price of this workshop is all-inclusive, and covers transportation, meals, model fees and accommodations during the workshop. Register today!
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Best of the West
with Colleen Miniuk-Sperry
May 15-20, 2010; Cost $2,450
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
Arizona’s most picturesque locations and the West’s best vistas are beckoning you: the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, and Canyon de Chelly. Spectacular landscapes and stunning vantage points provide a great number of opportunities to capture the scenic variety of northern Arizona’s plateau region and this workshop puts you in all the right places at just the right times!
Highlights include the impressive buttes and spires of Sedona’s famous Cathedral Rock, the ever-changing hues of the Grand Canyon at sunset and the sensuous sandstone swirls of the Colorado Plateau’s slot canyons. Monument Valley will dazzle you with its eroded monoliths and natural arches, from the famous Mitten Buttes to the rolling sand dunes. We’ll also explore Canyon de Chelly’s scenic wonders and prehistoric ruins left behind by the ancient cultures.
Register now to photograph the West’s most spectacular landscapes!
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Yosemite Valley
with Kerrick James
May 22-27, 2010; Cost: $2,695
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
This workshop will give you an extraordinary sample of Mother Nature's finest creations. Described by Theodore Roosevelt as “the most beautiful place on Earth,” Yosemite Valley offers spectacular and diverse photographic opportunities.
You’ll photograph a world teeming with wildflowers, towering domes, surging waterfalls and mirror images of majestic peaks reflected in icy blue glacier-fed lakes as you traverse from the Gates of the Valley, El Capitan and Bridal Veil Falls, to Yosemite Falls, Tuolumne Meadows and beyond.
Reserve your space to join Kerrick in the lush, colorful world of Yosemite!
Upcoming 2-3 Day Workshops
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Rails and Tales of the Verde Valley
with Colleen Miniuk-Sperry
April 24-25, 2010; Cost: $390
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
Join travel photographer Colleen Miniuk-Sperry on a fun and adventurous weekend workshop aboard the Verde Canyon Railroad! You'll sample the most intriguing tale-inspiring sites in the Verde Valley and learn special travel photography tips and techniques along the way!
Travel through Verde Canyon aboard the historic Verde Canyon Railroad and experience “Arizona’s Longest-Running Nature Show,” accessible only by train. Ample photographic opportunities await in the open-air car. Panoramic views are inspiring, bald eagles may circle overhead, and Spring wildflowers bloom in the high desert with Mother Nature’s help.
In addition to the exciting 4-hour train ride, you’ll be treated to an evening of cowboy dining and fun at the Blazin’ M Ranch as Colleen shares techniques for capturing effective images in the low-light situations likely to be encountered. You'’ll then explore the historic mining town of Jerome, where the streets are lined with historic buildings waiting to reveal their stories & legends about more prosperous times.
Register now to sample this taste of the Old West!
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Intro to Flash Photography
with Colleen Miniuk-Sperry
May 7-8, 2010; Cost: $325
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
Join photographer Colleen Miniuk-Sperry on an weekend workshop aimed at demystifying on and off camera flash. Learn how guide numbers, snoots, and gels can help you make more creative and inspiring photographs.
By working with blooming cactus and other macro situations at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, you’ll get a step-by-step process to control the quantity and quality of the flash output, learn the differences between ETTL and manual modes, and determine how to balance the ambient light with artificial light. Though the focus is on nature and macro applications, the tips and techniques learned during this workshop can be applied to any type of photography.
Workshop Prerequisite: It is strongly recommend attendees have a basic understanding of exposure (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) and exposure control as this will not be covered in class (not enough time), but is required as foundational knowledge to operating flash.
Get the Best of Both Worlds with Our Weekend Workshops!
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Photography Made Simple (Classroom-only session)
with J. Peter Mortimer
March 27, 2010; Cost: $85
Find out more about this workshop...
Held in a small seminar type setting, long-time Arizona Highways contributor and former picture editor J. Peter Mortimer will take those difficult photographic concepts and make them understandable. You'll learn how to make your camera do what you want it to do — all those programs and functions will no longer be so confusing.
Additionally, you will learn about "the best" exposure and "the correct" exposure for a variety of films. Lens openings and shutter speeds will be discussed as creative controls. Be sure to bring your camera, your camera manual, a notepad and a couple of your favorite photographs if you would like them to be critiqued.
Register now and learn how to make your camera do what you want it to do!
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Point-n-Shoot: More Than Meets the Eye
with Jeff Kida
April 9-10, 2010; Cost: $135
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
We think point and shoot cameras have gotten a bad rap in the photography world, so we’re rolling up our sleeves to show those digital SLR snobs we can compete at practically every level!
Take this class and we’ll demystify the icons and menus that seem to have replaced shutter speeds and f-stops. We’ll show you that histogram is not a secret code word for genealogy and that white balance can be a very powerful tool and therefore a good thing to know! We'll also delve into tripods, self-timers and fill flash.
We’ll also discuss the best way to capture your images when shooting, RAW, tiff or jpeg and then how to best archive them in your computer. There will spend one evening in the classroom preceding a field session early the next morning at the Desert Botanical Garden, where we’ll work on light and composition, naturally.
Register now for this fun and educational workshop that's very low on the stress meter!
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Photography Made Simple II: Field Session
with J. Peter Mortimer
April 24-25, 2010; Cost: $135
Find out more about this workshop and view itinerary...
This workshop combines the best of both worlds: a condensed, but informative class in the fundamentals of photography and the opportunity to go into the field to use your newly-acquired skills. Join long-time Arizona Highways contributor and former picture editor, J. Peter Mortimer, for an instructional session that includes exposure, histograms, lens openings, depth of field, shutter speeds and more.
Peter will help you put all of this new information to the test the next morning at the Wildlife World Zoo. You will then have an afternoon critique session designed to give you even more tools to work with the next time you go out to “make” photographs.
After this one session, you'll see improvement in your pictures, and your camera manual will actually make sense! Register now!
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Photography Tip
Excerpted from
Arizona Highways Photography Guide: How & Where to Make Great Photographs
Travel Photography
Rendering a Trip's Memories
by Kerrick James
I know I’ve made some memorable travel photographs when the viewer’s reaction is “I’ve got to go see that!” I’ve done my job well when readers feel inspired to plan their own journeys to drive that back road, explore that amazing canyon, or follow folklorico dancers. I’ve taken many a trip myself because of one stunning image that burned itself into my mind, and I simply had to see it in person.
Travel photography, to me, encompasses everything under the sun. I shoot all the variety that a location has to offer: city skylines and streetscapes, shopping and nightlife, food and restaurants, Americana and local kitsch, and ethnic festivals. Curiosity is my motivator, and I love to be surprised. These are two powerful, and I think essential, ingredients behind good travel photographs. Even after shooting for many years, I’m still continually surprised by how photography renders moments and places, and thus shapes our memories of them.
Travel stories need a new or unusual point of view, sometimes literally, to attract readers. Your vacation photos are no different—a visual jolt of adrenaline will hook the viewer. I love to shoot the landscape from above in a man-made conveyance—a hot air balloon over the Sonoran desert, a helicopter buzzing Monument Valley, or a scarlet red biplane soaring over Sedona. Consider when the prime light will illuminate your subject, and schedule your aerial adventure accordingly. When shooting from above, keep airplane parts out of the composition.
I also look for unusual or historic vehicles on the roads, like vintage Corvettes on Route 66; for theatrical backdrops like the sandstone monoliths of Monument Valley; or even for mirages. I shoot mirages with a 600mm lens to compress the perspective and intensify the mirage in the frame. It should shimmer like water vapor, but feel ephemeral. A digital SLR’s 200mm or 300mm zoom, coupled with a 1.4X teleconverter, will give much the same effect.
For more photography tips and ideas, order your copy of Arizona Highways Photography Guide: How & Where to make Great Photographs at arizonahighways.com.