Utah Intimate Landscapes Retreat

Join us in Utah for this unique opportunity to photograph only intimate landscapes. The canyons provide the perfect learning environment to find your vision and look at the landscape in a different way.

COVID Vaccine or Negative Test Required (click to read more)

Our workshops are an intimate experience; we share classroom space, carpooling, group meals, and we like to be up close and personal in the field to give the best learning experience.

On that note, we want to ensure that everyone feels safe to relax and have a fun time above all else. None of us want the threat of COVID lingering in the back of our minds while trying to be creative and have a good time. Based on feedback from our participants and after consulting with other colleagues, we have come up with the following protocol going forward for our photography workshops:

 We will require one of the following to attend our workshops:

  • Proof of vaccine with the last dose at least 14 days before the workshop.
  • If you are unable to get a vaccine due to medical reasons you will be required to take a rapid test each day of the workshop and you will need to provide the tests.

We understand this is an ever-evolving situation, and we will follow the current CDC and local health department regulations and inform you before the workshop. David and Jennifer are vaccinated for your safety as well. Thank you for your understanding during these unprecedented times, as we want our workshops to be a fun and safe experience for everyone!

May 12-16, 2022

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Group Size

8

Investment

$2,495
Initial Payment – $795

Location

Fly To

Salt Lake City or Las Vegas

Fitness Level

Easy to moderate

Learn More

Description

More wild, quiet, and low-key than the surrounding national parks, the small town of Boulder, Utah provides easy access to scenic sandstone landscapes, mountains covered in aspen trees, streams flanked by elegant cottonwoods and other vegetation, and viewpoints that showcase the layers upon layers of geology that make up this fascinating region. Our workshop is scheduled for the transition between winter and spring when the trees will be dressed in early spring greens. This time of year brings the possibility of dynamic weather and interesting lighting – ephemeral conditions that will complement the area’s contrasting red sandstone and bright green trees. Our workshop is based out of the beautiful Boulder Mountain Lodge, a comfortable space that will facilitate learning and engagement in the creative process.

During this retreat-style workshop, we will spend time exploring the area’s dynamic landscape, experimenting with new ideas and techniques, and creating photographs of nature’s small scenes. We will seek out intimate landscapes, telephoto landscapes, abstract renditions of natural subjects, portraits of plants and trees, and macro subjects. Your two instructors, David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick are your guides on this unique offering to help you create a personally meaningful, creative portfolio of Southern Utah’s inspiring landscapes. Although grand landscapes will not be our focus, we will take advantage of the soft light at the edges of the day along with changing (and harsher) light throughout the rest of the day to help expand your creative abilities and the group’s photographic opportunities.

During our time in the field, we will share lessons on learning how to see intimate landscapes in nature, composition, working with a broad range of lighting conditions, and overcoming technical challenges. In addition to finding and photographing the best small scenes that the area has to offer, personal expression, exploring creativity, and experimentation will be the top learning priorities for this workshop. The workshop will include extensive time in the field (two to three extended field sessions on each full day), guided lessons to extend your learning, time for personal exploration, and formal instruction on photo processing. We will also share many meals to allow time for discussion about all topics related to photography, travel, and the places we are visiting.

Luxury Desert Lodging Included

For this workshop we will provide you the premier desert experience at the Boulder Mountain Lodge.

The Boulder Mountain Lodge is a peaceful getaway located in the charming town of Boulder, Utah. The lodge is the perfect basecamp for relaxed creativity to help you find you personal vision. Everyone will have their own private room.

The lodge also has a five star restaurant, the Hells Backbone Grill, which is one of Utah’s highest Zagat rated restaurants. There are a few other options in Boulder to eat, but it is unlikely you will want to go anywhere else!

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The "Death Valley Small Scenes with Sarah Marino" workshop was my first photography workshop, and the bar has been set unbelievably high. Jennifer, David, and Sarah are among the best photography instructors (and photographers) in the business. They struck the perfect balance between classroom discussions about technique and creativity, and fieldwork that allowed participants to put theory and ideas into practice. In both the classroom and the field, we were pushed to find and hone our creative voices, and the small group size allowed for instruction that was tailored to our individual levels of experience. This enabled me to make a real breakthrough with my work and vision. I can't praise Jennifer, David, and Sarah enough, and I would book another workshop with Exploring Exposure without hesitation.

Nick Becker

The workshop with David, Jennifer and Sarah was wonderful. Because of the small group size, it was possible to obtain individualized help in the field and it was easy to ask questions. There was a genuine desire by all of the instructors to make sure that the participants got the attention and help that they needed. Although there was a wide range of experience within the group ("newish" users to accomplished shooters), it seemed as though all levels could get what they needed from the workshop. I really liked the locations that were chosen for the shoots and the fact that we avoided the more typical tourist spots. Overall, a great experience!

Ellen Golodner

Delightful! This was my fifth photography workshop, but my first with Exploring Exposure. There was a good balance between fieldwork and didactic conference room instruction, meaning a couple of hours of conference daily. All participants were skilled with their equipment, experienced with composition. But there was a wider range of skills with processing in software. This is where the instruction was important. In our conferences, we saw fine details of composition which otherwise we might miss. We learned processing methods from dedicated professionals, and the methods undoubtedly new to most of all of us. Critiquing our photos was valuable. Having three instructors for a group of ten registrants is the highest ratio of any workshop I've attended. Each presented complementary interests. David is a master of processing and a patient thorough teacher. Jennifer shared her wisdom on goals and philosophy. Sarah's meticulous detail work in creating and processing closeups was breathtaking. I've been interested in closeup and macro nature photography since the era of 35mm rangefinders and I learned a lot from her in just a few days. Our schedule was not overbearing. Days started before dawn and finished with a late dinner. By deferring most processing until home, I had enough time for sleep. There was adequate time for lunch and a good schedule of conference room instruction alternating with field trips. I've come away with increased abilities, a finer eye for composition, and better use of software in post. And it was a pleasure to be with a nice group!

Richard Paul Handler

Powerful and Profound. I feel like this workshop has opened up previously unseen doors for me and my photography, revealing so much room in which to explore my creativity and vision (and giving me lots more time to do it in, because shooting small scenes can happen anytime, all day long). David, Jennifer, and Sarah are fantastic workshop leaders. Their passion and enthusiasm for photography and especially small scene/intimate landscape photography inspired me to think differently about subjects and compositions, to have an open mind, to experiment, and to have fun. They put so much energy, care, and planning into all our sessions, both inside and outside. In the field, they brought to life the ideas and techniques discussed in the classroom. Sometimes their cameras were used to demonstrate techniques and ideas. Most times they'd walk and talk us through beautiful, breathtaking locations, helping us "see" differently, then cut us loose to capture our own unique visions. Many locations were overwhelming to me at first with their big-ness. Over time, however, I was able to better focus in and find smaller, abstract compositions. This is because David, Jennifer and Sarah made us their number one priority. They were always there for us, always available to answer our questions and give one-on-one assistance (if we wanted it, and I did) as we huddled over our cameras. The mix of classroom time to field work was just right. I enjoyed seeing other student's images each day, which helped me to rethink the scenes I had been at, and further train my "eye" for upcoming photo sessions. And of course, the new friendships formed. Thank you David, Jennifer, and Sarah for all the work and thought you put into creating this workshop, for your caring dedication and commitment to us, and for sharing your enthusiasm and passion as you did.

Mark M

What is Included

  • Lodging in private rooms at the beautiful Boulder Mountain Lodge in Boulder, Utah
  • Two attentive instructors to ensure ample time for individualized attention
  • Small group size of eight
  • Water and snacks when in the field
    Extended field sessions each day of the workshop (since the subjects we will be photographing can work in all kinds of light, most days will include extended morning and afternoon photography sessions with a break in between)
  • Mentoring on creativity, personal expression, composition, light, and technical decisions in the field
  • Guided exercises to expand your photography skills, creativity, and ability to see small scenes
  • Feedback on your photographs, including time for formal image critique
  • Processing instruction in Lightroom and Photoshop during scheduled sessions, with a focus on photo processing techniques for small scenes

What is Not Included

  • Transportation - 2 people can ride in our vehicle, others will carpool together. Most locations will be accessed from paved roads or easy gravel roads. If multiple members of the group have 4x4 vehicles, we may be able to access some more remote locations but a 4x4 vehicle is not required for the workshop.
  • Meals – Workshop participants will need to pay for their own meals during our time together. We will have group dinners each day. Depending on our schedule each day, we will also eat breakfast or lunch together as a group. Boulder, Utah is fairly remote. While snack and drinks are locally available, you may want to bring any other food that you want for the trip.

What You Will Learn

In the Field

  • How to read a scene to create compelling compositions using shapes, lines, visual mass, texture, and more
  • Reading weather and lighting conditions to know when to go out on your own in the right light
  • How to use apps to scout out your own locations and plan your next shoot
  • When and how to use lenses to bring focus to your subject
  • How and when to use a polarizer to make colors pop
  • Depth of field and hyperfocal distance to help you create sharp photos
  • Achieving maximum sharpness using focus stacking
  • Creative use of ND Filters to create motion in clouds and water
  • Creating panoramas without using expensive equipment
  • How to take correct exposures for bright skies; to be later used for exposure blending
  • Identifying the best light and how to expose correctly

Post Processing for Beginners

  • Making dull RAW files pop in Lightroom and keeping files organized
  • Use of local adjustments for dodging & burning, and many more creative opportunities
  • Using white balance to create mood in your images
  • Properly sharpen and reduce noise for maximum image quality
  • Stitching panoramas easily in Lightroom
  • Exposure blending using HDR for natural looking results

Post Processing for Advanced users

  • Exposure blending using luminosity masks to create balanced, natural looking images
  • Focus stacking using Photoshop and/or Zerene Stacker for maximum depth of field
  • Blending different focal lengths to correct for wide angle diminishment
  • Creative burning and dodging techniques to bring focus to your subject
  • Using the Orton Effect to add glow to your highlights
  • Creating drama with Light Bleed
  • Using Midtone Contrast to make images pop off the screen
  • Sharpening for web and print

Safe, Legal, Responsible.

We are proud members of Nature First Photography. This movement is dedicated to responsible nature photography. At its core are seven principles that we abide by and promote to our clients. We hope you will join the movement!

We are proud members of Nature First Photography. This movement is dedicated to responsible nature photography. At its core are seven principles that we abide by and promote to our clients. We hope you will join the movement!

Legal

We always run our workshops on the up and up. For this workshop Exploring Exposure operates under a Special Use Permit on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison, and San Juan National Forests. We are also an equal opportunity service provider.

Our Philosophy

We encourage you to find your unique style of creativity with focused training based on your style and skill level. You will experience a rigorous learning experience in the field and the classroom to take your photography to the next level.

Our passion is seeing you grow in your photographic journey. We put your interests ahead of our own. Early on in the workshop, we will not photograph at all. Our focus is your learning experience, and we will not run off to chase the light and leave you behind. As the workshop progresses, we will take a few photos in a limited manner. This is so you can see how we approach a scene, demonstrate techniques, and create comradery with the group. Our focus will always remain with YOU.

We understand everyone comes to workshops at different points in their photography journeys. We will be there to guide and help you, whether you are a beginner or advanced shooter. There is always something to learn about photography, and we will do our best to help you find your creative vision.

Above all, we want this to be a fun experience for you. With our small group size, we get to know our clients very well, and we feel like they are part of our extended family. We do this for the love of photography, and there is nothing that gives us greater joy than seeing our clients grow and find their artistic vision.

  • Fitness Level

  • How to get there

  • FAQ

  • Cancellation Policy

This workshop will include a mix of easy roadside photography plus hiking to access photography locations. Hiking will not involve much elevation change but will consist of walking over uneven terrain like rocky creek beds in areas without established trails. Good balance and the ability to carry your camera gear for hours at a time will be necessary. The photography locations for this workshop are between 4,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation. Hiking will typically be limited to 1 to 2 miles at a time. We will be doing one longer hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls which is just under six miles round trip. The trail has some up and down but not a huge amount of elevation gain. The trail is sandy in areas so it can be a bit exhausting. We will be taking our time and photographing all along the way as the entire trail is beautiful.

Questions?

Please do not hesitate to send us any questions you may have, we would be happy to help.