I’m excited to announce two new photography workshops in my 2015 schedule. Both are set in Denali National Park for this summer, but they’re each very different in scope. One is based out of the Denali Backcountry Lodge, where you can enjoy the rustic comforts of a private cabin, the other is a multi-day remote backpacking adventure where you can sleep in a tent outside beneath majestic peaks.

 

 

 

When I was 25, I did a remote photography workshop trek in the wilderness with Galen Rowell. We shot some amazing locations, and each day out on the trail, Galen was available to everyone for personal, one-on-one instruction and interaction. For me, the trip was life changing, and since becoming a pro, I’ve always wanted to lead a trip like this.

 

Finally, it’s a reality! During this special 7-day backpacking adventure photography workshop, I’ll take you on a journey through the biggest and most rugged mountains in North America. We’ll be dropped off by float plane in the heart of Denali National Park and the Alaska Range, only 17 miles away from the highest and most massive mountain on the continent, (Denali, at 30,320′), and spend 5 days exploring and honing our outdoor photography skills in the most authentic setting possible.

 

Paced for intermediate backpackers, yet challenging enough for seasoned wilderness travelers, our 30+ mile route includes 5 days of overland travel along mountain ridges, right next to massive glaciers, over tundra and through remote wilderness that few people ever get to see up close. There’s a good chance we’ll even see some Alaska wildlife!

 

We’ll have incredible photo opportunities each day, and a variety of lighting conditions for capturing the scenery around us. We can take advantage of the midnight sun and catch Magic Hour on the Alaska Range, and we can even practice shooting “adventure subjects” by setting up scenarios with each other and our willing guide.

 

I’ll be right there with you during the entire trip, and since we’ll be a small group, we’ll be able to learn and practice together and taylor to the techniques YOU want to learn, and we can spend time talking shop in camp during the evening.

 

We’ll begin with a photography presentation before heading out into the backcountry, and when we’re out in the mountains, our small group setting will allow you nearly constant one-on-one opportunities for mentorship and instruction with me during the entire trip. This is as close as you’ll ever get to shooting in the remote wilds of Alaska, because you’ll actually be there doing it in person with me!

 

 

 

Although you don’t need to be an expert outdoors person or a pro athlete to enjoy this trip, good physical conditioning is essential. We’ll be backpacking with 30-40 lb. packs over steep, hilling, uneven terrain and covering an average of 5-7 miles each day. That’s not a huge distance, and we’ll have plenty of downtime, but we may encounter sections of thick vegetation, as well as wind, rain and possibly some mosquitos.

 

You still have lots of time to prepare for this awesome, once-in-a lifetime adventure! (Two months of pre-trip conditioning should be enough for most people.)

 

Whether your interest lies with landscape photography or action adventure styles, this workshop trek promises an intensive setting for you to learning advanced outdoor photography techniques in a truly remote Alaska environment.

 

This trip is limited to 8 people, but we’ll run it as long as we get at least 3. I’m offering this trip in partnership with Alaska Photo Treks and Alaska Alpine Adventures. Please visit the official workshop page to see the whole literary and all the important details. 

 

I realize this trip is not for everyone, but if you’re one of the few who would love to “rough it” for a few days and have an intimate, intensive adventure workshop out in the wilderness, then you won’t want to miss this one! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

 

 

Experience the best of Alaska in the heart of Denali National Park and Preserve and stay at the exclusive Denali Backcountry Lodge. This 3-day, 4-night photography workshop allows you to immerse yourself in the wonders of Denali National and enhance your photography skills with me as your instructor. 

 

During 3 field sessions, we’ll cover a variety of techniques to shoot landscapes, close-up macro shots, and long exposure photography, with the added opportunity for sunrise, sunset, and Northern Light sessions.  In the evenings, you’ll have the opportunity to review the day’s work, and get one-on-one pointers and advice. During the last evening, you’ll have the chance to share your own photos from the weekend.

 

Located at the end of the Denali Park Road in Kantishna, the Denali Backcountry Lodge sits within a snug valley carved out by Moose Creek as it winds its way to the Yukon River. Their remote property offers forty-two comfortable cabins, as well as as a spacious, comfortable lodge where where you can relax by the fire, play games, visit with other guests, read, or simply relax and enjoy the view, that is when you’re not out tromping through your tundra with your camera.

 

This workshop is a little more comfortable, but we’ll still cover a lot of information during our field sessions and evening wrap-ups. I’ll focus on helping you learn how to create better images not matter where you are, or what the weather or lighting conditions may be giving you at the time. I’ll also teach you how to use your gear efficiently and improve your compositional eye. 

 

This promises to be a really fun weekend during a really beautiful time in Alaska. By the end of August, the tundra in Denali is starting to turn and the fall colors are getting to be in full swing. The days are a shorter, so we’ll may have the chance to view the Aurora, and of course, the wildlife is getting ready for the colder months ahead.

 

I encourage you to check this workshop out. It’s being offered as a partnership with Alaska Photo Treks and the Denali Backcountry Lodge, so please visit the official workshop page to see all the details and let me know if you have any questions. I hope to see some of you on this trip as well! There is still plenty of time to plan for either trip, but don’t wait too long because they’re sure to fill up!

 

 

 

 

I’ve been using the Fuji X camera system for a couple of years now, but what has been missing was a fast, pro quality tele zoom. The XF 55-200 f/3.5-4.8 lens is good, but it’s not in the same class as my venerable Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8. The 18-135mm WR lens is also very good, but on both of these lenses, the barrel moves when you zoom out.

 

This past fall, Fuji announced the new XF 50-140 f/2.8 Weather Resistant lens, and I finally have one in hand to try out. I can report that it’s amazing. It’s everything I hoped it would be. Fast, durable, has a removable tripod collar, amazing OIS stabilization, and it’s incredibly sharp. 

 

Sure, it’s not as light and compact as most of the other X series lenses, but if you depend on a versatile fast tele zoom for sports, action or even portraits, this is the bread and butter companion lens for the X-T1 and the other bodies in the system. It’s still small enough to fit in my Lowepro Flipside Sport AW fast and light photo pack, but even if it is bigger, for how good it is, I’ll take the slight tradeoff in size. 

 

I’ll be posting a full review at some point in the near future, but for now, know that this is truly amazing glass. Here's a shot I made with it last weekend. Low light, fast action, focus tracking and this lens nailed it.

 

 

 

 

There are a lot of memory cards out there, and while most of them get the job done, I highly recommend the Sandisk 95MB/S cards. They’re a good value, and they offer an awesome level of performance for the price. They’re not the fastest cards on the market, but 95MB/S still offers enough speed to capture bursts of RAW photos, even in the newer, higher MP models. 

 

As cameras get better, older, slower cards don’t cut it anymore, especially when you’re shooting high frame rates. Next time you stock up on cards, take a look at these.

 

 

 

Adobe Photoshop turned 25 this week. Version 1.0 hit the streets on Feb 19, 1990, and since then it’s revolutionized the entire world of photography. Check out this interview with co-creator, Thomas Knoll. You’ve probably his name on the splash screen every single time you start up the program. 

 

Often times when we think about composition, our mind immediately goes to the “Rule of Thirds,” or some other rule that we’ve heard along the way. Photographer John Barbiaux has come up with an interesting graphic called the Pyramid of Composition. You can use this as a tool when you’re out shooting and looking for creative techniques to use when arranging subject matter in your frame. It’s worth a look.

 

Apparently, Adobe Lightroom 6 is just around the corner and it’s reported to come with a host of new features. Check out this post, also by John Barbiaux, where he explores a few of the supposed upgrades that have been mentioned. 

 

While we’re on the subject of Lightroom, here are 10 simple ways Lightroom can save you time when editing photos. We’re always trying to save time and speed up our workflow, and these tips can all shave a few seconds (or more) off of yours. Add a few seconds up a thousand times and you’re carving out some serious chucks of time you can trade for things like playing outside and taking new photos!

 

In most of the northern hemisphere, it’s still winter, which means there’s still plenty of time to get your fix shooting ice and snow. Here’s a fun post about ice photography that lists some cool tips. Take advantage of what the season has to offer and see if any of these ideas are worth trying out.

 

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I hope you’ve been out shooting and enjoying winter! If you’re live here in AK or are willing to grab a cheap airline deal and come up for the weekend, I’ve still got 4 open spots for my Knik Glacier Winter Photography Workshop, which is scheduled for March 20-22 here in Alaska. Let me know if you’d like to join me for that one, we're going to have a lot of fun!

 

Thanks for reading, enjoy my recent posts, keep in touch and don’t forget to share!

 

Dan