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When: August 5-8, 2012
Cost: $545 (does not include lodging, meals,
transportation or fees)
Deposit: $200 (non refundable)
Discounts: See the
2012
Discount Schedule
Is Big Sur one of those
magical places you’ve dreamed about? Does the
drama and romance of this legendary place call
to you? Come with us on a Ralph Nordstrom
Photography workshop and explore the well known
and little known beauties of the most
magnificent stretch of coast in all of the US.
Take your photography to the next level with
personalized instruction from an award winning
nature photographer. Expand your creative and
technical skills through informative group
classes and valuable photo reviews. You will
join an enthusiastic group of like-minded people
who share your passion for photography. We go
hard from dawn to dusk and when you return home
you’ll be tired but satisfied and will have
memory cards full of great photographs. So join
us. Others who have come with us on the Big Sur
photography workshop have loved it and you will
too.
There are a couple of things
worth mentioning. This is a photography
workshop, not a photo tour. We will be
photographing during the great light of the day.
That is generally sunrise and sunset although if
great light develops during the middle of the
day we'll be out there. But normally we'll
spend the middle of the day holding classes and
reviewing your photos. Also, the proper camera
gear is very important for a successful
photography workshop experience. This includes
digital (or film) SLR with a range of lenses from
wide angle to telephoto. Also, a sturdy
tripod is essential. A more complete
equipment list will be provided when you
register Finally, some of the locations we
visit are require a bit of scrambling to get
back to. They are not strenuous but if you
have balance problems they can be challenging.
Please contact me so we can discuss your
situation and what we can do to make it work for
you.
A Little Background on
Big Sur
If you’ve never been to Big
Sur you’re in for an incredible treat.
This 100 mile stretch of road is
legendary for the dramatic coastline that
plunges from mile-high mountains to the crashing
surf below.
The coast is so rugged there are
practically no beaches, making the handful that
there are very special.
The road that snakes its
entire length, the legendary California Highway
1, is practically uninterrupted twists and
turns, often clinging to the steep slopes.
Motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts
seek out the excitement of the road.
And then
there are the bridges, the most famous of all
being the graceful Bixby Bridge.
Completed in 1932 the bridge is a must
stop for photographers of all skill levels.
The town of Big Sur is near
the northern end of the road.
It is a delightful community of nature
lovers and artists and offers the full gambit
including
wonderful dining, campsites, rustic cabins and
luxurious lodges and resorts.
Big Sur has attracted its share of
celebrities over the years including Henry
Miller, Jack Kerouac, Orson Wells and Rita Hayworth (did you
know they were married). They built their home
just south of Big Sur and named it Nepenthe
which is Greek for a ‘cure for sorrow.’
Today it is an outstanding restaurant.
I’m sure you can already
envision the exciting photographic
possibilities.
There is so much I'd like to show you beginning
with
the dramatic
seacoast.
But there is another side to Big Sur that
I'd also like to share with you. It is every bit as beautiful and compelling as the
powerful headlands.
Rivers and streams tumble down the
mountain slopes and flow into the Pacific,
carving deep canyons.
In them we can walk among giant redwoods
in quite groves or scramble upstream to joyful
waterfalls.
The variety is amazing.
We just have to know where to look.
Three days is hardly enough to
do justice to this extraordinary land.
But it is long enough to fall in love
with it and know you want to come back.
A Typical Day and
Itinerary
Our photography workshop
begins at the southern end of the road in the
town of San Simeon, the town made famous by
William Randolph Hearst and the magnificent
castle he built. We meet at noon on the
first day and spend the afternoon with
introductions, an orientation and some formal classes. We
will head out in time to shoot a sunset up the
coast.
The second day is spent
photographing our way up the coast. I'll
take you to the many stops along the way to
photograph the headlands and some absolutely
delightful gems like Salmon Falls. It will
be a long day of driving and photographing.
Several of the locations will require some
scrambling over rocks. We will arrive in
the town of Big Sur after shooting sunset at
McWay Cove or a similarly exciting location.
On the third day we will shoot
in the morning beginning with sunrise. In
the middle of the day we will slow down a bit to
take time to do print reviews. But we'll
be back out there for sunset.
The forth and final day is
another a full day. We leave Big Sur behind
and continue the rest of the way up the coast,
ending up in Point Lobos in beautiful Carmel by
the Sea. I wouldn't think of bringing you
this close to Edward Weston's old
haunt without giving you an opportunity to
explore and savor it.. After sunset we'll have our final
dinner together and depart for home the
following morning.
Some of the state parks where
we will be photographing require entrance fees.
We will carpool as much as possible but each car
will be responsible for paying their own fees.
I think you can see we'll be
very busy and pack a lot into three and a half
days.
Equipment
I'll be sending you a more
detailed equipment list when you sign up but
here are the essentials.
-
SLR camera (digital or
film)
-
Lenses: an assortment that
range from wide angle (17-24 mm) to
telephoto (200 mm)
-
Sturdy tripod
-
Filters: polarizing,
graduated neutral density and variable
neutral density
-
Laptop computer (if you're
shooting digital) with image processing
software such as Lightroom or Aperture.
-
Misc. camera gear: extra
batteries, memory cards, chargers, backup
storage. etc.
Weather
In November, the average high
in Big Sur is 63 degrees and the average low is
47. The Pacific Ocean moderates the
temperature. Average rainfall is 2.3
inches. The winter storms are just
beginning. This can be a great thing.
Winter weather can be stormy which can lead to
some great surf or clear which can lead to some
beautiful sunsets. And the air is usually
the clearest and the light the purest of the
year. Whatever we encounter, we will have
some fantastic photography.
Lodging
We will send you a complete
list of lodging options when you sign up but we
recommend these properties.
San Simeon is
our starting location. We recommend
Courtesy Inn
www.courtesyinns.com
(805) 927-4691
Big Sur is
our location for the second and third nights.
We recommend
Riverside Campgrounds and Cabins (the cabins are
rustic and comfortable)
www.riversidecampground.com
(831) 667-2414
Monterey is
where we will stay the last night. We
recommend
Days Inn Monterey
www.daysinn.com
(831) 375-2168
Dining
You are responsible for your
own meals. And there are not a lot of
restaurants to choose from along Highway 1.
For many of the lunches and dinners we will grab
something eat on the road. But we will
always have breakfast together and enjoy several
nice dinners together.
Traveling to Big Sur
Out of State:
The most convenient
destination to fly into is San Francisco or San
Jose. We recommend driving about 200 miles
south on US-101 to Paso Robles and from there
head to the coast on CA-46 which ends on Highway
1. From the junction it's about 12 miles
north to San Simeon. Driving time is about 4 to
6 hours depending on traffic.
Southern California:
From the Los Angeles area
drive north about 190 miles on US-101 to San
Louis Obispo and from there exit on Highway 1.
Driving time is about 4 1/2 to 6 hours depending
on traffic.
In Conclusion
Thank you for your interest in
the 2012 Big Sur Summer photography workshop.
Big Sur is a popular destination all year long.
Therefore, I would encourage you to sign up and
make your lodging arrangements as early as you
can. If you have any questions please
don't hesitate to contact me (see the Contact Us
link below). I look forward to sharing the
treasures of this magnificent coast with you.
See you in Big Sur.
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