Our Company

Founded in 2010 as a collaborative effort between Jim Patterson and Josh Cripps, Sea to Summit has risen to become one of the premier landscape and seascape photography workshop companies in California. Sea to Summit Workshops is dedicated to providing the absolute highest quality landscape and seascape photography workshops in order to help you take your photography to the next level.

What makes us the best?

Spectacular Locations

Our workshops combine the very best scenery we can find along with in-depth knowledge of the areas we’re visiting. From the coast to the mountains to the desert, our workshops visit some of the most breathtaking landscapes you can imagine. And with hundreds of hours spent scouting and shooting in each location, Jim and Josh know the best times to visit, the best things to see, and the best shots to get. Plus we’re constantly adding new and cool locations to our line-up so you can keep expanding your photographic horizons.

A “Go Happy or Go Home” Attitude

We believe that photography is as much about enjoyment as it is about scoring a keeper for your portfolio. We create a fun and dynamic environment where you can meet other photographers, learn at your own pace, enjoy the beauty of nature, and have a great time while doing it.

1-on-1 Instruction at Your Level

We take a three-tiered approach to our photography instruction: Philosophy. Theory. Technique. This means that no matter what level of photographer you are, you can expect to walk away from a workshop with your head bursting with ideas about how to refine your vision and find your own style, an understanding of camera technicals and compositional concepts that will springboard your photography, and the actual “How-To” of nailing a shot in the field. And with our relaxed, casual, 1-on-1 approach, you can soak up just the information YOU need to become a better shooter.

Small Class Sizes

An 8 person maximum on all our workshops ensures you get ample one-on-one time with the instructors. Our small groups also help us build comraderie, plus we can go places big photography tours can’t. And with Josh and Jim running every single workshop themselves, there’s never more than 4 students for every instructor.

 Our Instructors

Sea to Summit’s instructors are highly acclaimed nature photographers with numerous awards and national publications between them. Their photos are widely recognized for their bold compositions, dramatic light, and ability to reach the viewer.

 

Jim Patterson is a photographer living and working in Santa Cruz, California on the edge of the scenic and beautiful Monterey Bay. His background in marine biology led to explorations beneath the sea where an appreciation for the natural world and photography began. After years of dedicated underwater work, his focus has shifted to coastal landscape photography, a natural progression born from the inspiration found in and around the ocean. Coastal photography soon expanded into landscapes inland. Through photography as an art form, Jim works towards creating images which are both personally meaningful as well as impactful with the viewer. Jim’s main joy with teaching is to see that switch flip in a student’s mind, when an idea grabs hold and creativity follows.
You can learn more about Jim, view his work, and purchase prints at his website: Jim Patterson Photography

Josh Cripps shoots everything from wildlife to editorial photos to pet portraits. His true love though is landscape photography and he travels the world in search of the most beautiful places he can find, and finds the landscapes of New Zealand, California, and Utah to be especially inspiring. In addition to shooting, Josh loves to teach and has done so not just in photography but also in fields as wide-ranging as math and EFL (english as a foreign language). When he’s not out taking pictures, Josh loves helping photographers of all abilities push their photography to new heights. You can see more of Josh’s work and buy prints at his website: Joshua Cripps Photography