PHOTO WORKSHOP - Eastern Sierras Itinerary

with George Stocking
July 26 - August 1, 2009
Cost: $2,495
Volunteer Trip Leaders: David Goodell and Bob Blue

The workshop’s departure point is Las Vegas, Nevada, and begins with a morning drive to the small town of Lone Pine, California, gateway to the Sierra Nevada.
After check-in, George will introduce you to the eastern Sierras with a slide show and orientation.
Then we’ll head out on the Whitney Portal Road for afternoon/evening shooting in the Alabama Hills. Dozens of natural arches are hidden among the Alabama Hills, accessible by short hikes from Whitney Portal Road. The rounded contours of weathered granite and volcanic formations are fascinating photography subjects at sunset.

Sunrise the following morning will find us back in Alabama Hills with a whole new perspective in the morning light.
When the good light of morning dissipates, we’ll drive north up the Owens Valley.
After getting settled into our rooms, George will gather the group for his first student photography critique during midday hours when the light is not conducive to landscape photography.
Then, as the afternoon light begins to improve again, George leads you out to the idyllic setting of Lake Sabrina in the Inyo National Forest, where the mountains come right down to the water’s edge. Bald eagles and ospreys are known to skim the lake’s surface and snatch up a fish in their talons, so keep your camera poised.

For many, Day 3 of the workshop is the highlight of the trip. We’ll have an early wake-up call for our departure to the White Mountains where we’ll spend all day among the oldest living trees on earth in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. The gnarly, weathered trunks of bristlecone pines, some more than 1,000 years old, make great photo subjects on windswept mountaintops. This forest grows at an elevation of 10,000 feet, so be sure to bring an extra jacket or sweater, and be prepared for just about any type of weather conditions.

Next day, we’re on our way further north to photograph the otherworldly landscapes at Devil’s Postpile National Monument, Rainbow Falls, June Lake Loop and Mono Lake, where you can unleash your creativity. The photographic possibilities are endless, and the high-country beauty will capture your imagination.

We'll have an additional shoot at Mono Lake to be sure you have enough time to see it all and capture it at its best.
After lunch, we’ll step back in time as we move on to the ghost town of Bodie. This quaint little gold-mining town sprang up on the rolling sagebrush hills on the eastern slopes of the Sierras in the 1860s, and is a National Historic Landmark. Old wooden buildings are well preserved, and they’ll look their best in the warm sunset light while we’re there.

Another up-and-at-‘em day follows, as the workshop finally reaches Yosemite National Park.
We’ll have plenty of time to explore Tenaya Lake, with it’s mirror reflections, and the dome-studded Tuolumne Meadows and meandering Tuolumne River.

On our last day, as we drive back to our starting point of Las Vegas, we’ll stop to revisit Mono Lake and Alabama Hills one last time.

Ken Fishman

Includes: