Grand Teton Photography Workshops
Join us for an experience of a lifetime in the dramatic Grand Teton National Park. We will be photographing during peak wildflower season and showing you our favorite locations. This will also be an educational experience with two professional instructors who will show you how to photograph everything from grand landscapes to small scenes. This workshop will include night photography, come capture the milky way in this beautiful dark sky location.
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.
- …or a negative PCR COVID test taken within 72 hours of the start time of the workshop.
- …or a rapid test taken within six hours of the start time of the workshop.
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!
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Sign up for our newsletter to get more detailed information on this workshop such as the itinerary, locations we will visit, and much more.
Group Size
8
Investment
$1,495
Initial Payment – $495
Fly to:
Jackson or Salt Lake City
Description
Spring in the Tetons is a magical time where the peaks still have snow and the wildflowers are blooming in every meadow in the Teton Valley. This workshop is designed to be less ‘adventurous’, as we will mainly be shooting from the roadside and will only take short, leisurely hikes. We have also planned this workshop around a new moon to combine landscape with nightscape photography, seeing the milky way over the Tetons is an unforgettable experience.
Testimonials
What is Included
- Small class size of 8 maximum to ensure proper attention to each client
- Two attentive instructors for a client to instructor ratio of 4:1
- Water and snacks
- Image Critiques
- Tailored post processing instruction in Lightroom and Photoshop
What is Not Included
- Transportation - carpooling is required to reduce the amount of cars (all roads are paved)
- Lodging - we have a block of rooms held for you
- Meals - we will be eating some meals together as a group
Image Gallery
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!
The Nature First Principles
- Prioritize the well-being of nature over photography.
- Educate yourself about the places you photograph.
- Reflect on the possible impact of your actions.
- Use discretion if sharing locations.
- Know and follow rules and regulations.
- Always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them.
- Actively promote and educate others about these principles
Concerned about your safety.
We understand how important your safety is when we’re in remote locations. This is why David and Jennifer are both certified Wilderness First Responders, we are prepared for any situation large or small. We also carry satellite communication devices should we need rescue assistance in remote areas.
Legal.
We always run our workshops on the up and up. Exploring Exposure is an authorized permittee of the National Park Service in Grand Teton National Park. 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.
This workshop is very easy. Most of our locations we will be shooting near the road.
- You can fly into the Jackson airport (JAC) which is only 20 minutes from Jackson, or you can fly into Salt Lake city (SLC), from there it is a 5 hour drive to Jackson.
- We recommend using Google Flights to find the best option for where you are coming from.
Are spouses/partners welcome?
Yes, but seating is limited. If they come out on location you will have to provide your own transportation, or pay the full price for another seat.
Will I have cell signal during the Workshop?
Cell signal is extremely intermittent in most of the locations we will visit, you should not expect to be connected all the time, at certain locations you may be offline for long periods, enjoy the silence. There is cell service and wifi available in Jackson.
Will the instructors take photos during the Workshop?
The instructors will take a few photos in a limited manner, this is so you can see how we approach a scene, create comradery with the group, and to show you the same type of images you will be taking for our post-processing session. Our focus will always remain with you.
Will weather cancel the Workshop?
Dramatic weather is when the best photographs are created! Unless there are very dangerous conditions the weather will not stop us, in fact it will encourage us! No rain checks will be given for any weather related circumstances.
- If you cancel 90 days prior to the workshop we will refund your initial payment minus a $100 fee.
- 90 days before the start of the workshop, we will refund your initial payment only if we can fill your spot.
- The full balance is due 60 days before the workshop. There will be no refunds on the full amount owed. We will attempt to fill your spot, if filled there will be a $100 administrative fee charged and the rest of your payment will be refunded.
There are NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS POLICY, even for medical emergencies. All cancellation requests must be in writing and received either by US mail or E-mail. We encourage participants to purchase refundable airline tickets and trip cancellation insurance. We strongly recommend trip insurance to protect you in the event of an unexpected situation that prevents you from attending the workshop. We recommend Travelguard or World Nomads.
We reserve the right to cancel any workshop if the minimum student enrollment is not met. In the event we cancel a workshop, participants will be given the option to reschedule to a later date or receive a full refund. we are not, however, liable for expenses incurred such as airfare or accommodations, and for this reason we also recommend the purchase of trip insurance.
Questions?
Please do not hesitate to send us any questions you may have, we would be happy to help.
Private Grand Tetons Workshops
If you are looking for a private guide to show you around the Tetons, look no further. We have spent many summers exploring all the Tetons have to offer. We can be your private tour guide or we can turn your experience into a full workshop training you on composition, vision, post-processing with Lightroom and Photoshop, all without the group.