Big Sur Photography Workshop

This workshop will help beginning and intermediate photographers create wonderful images of the beautifully unique Big Sur coast. The workshop focuses on producing striking and powerful compositions, as well as telling a story with your photos. There is also a strong emphasis on understanding your camera's settings in order to break into new creative realms. This workshop is limited to 8 students. We will discuss:

• Transforming your artistic vision into memorable photographs
• Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO - their relationship to one another and how to change them for exposure control
• Metering and getting a correct exposure
• Histograms, how to read them, and how to fine-tune exposure
• Creative depth-of-field effects using aperture control
• Capturing motion within your photos using different shutter speeds
• Timing waves to capture crashing spray, water streaks, and sandy reflections
• White balance and creative coloration
• Creating perspective, depth, and a sense of "being there" in your photos
• Creating powerful compositions with impact
• Composing to control your viewer's attention in your photos
• Compositional balance, tension, and visual flow
• How to use filters to capture dramatic light or create long-exposure effects

• Digital SLR camera
• Lenses. Wide and ultra-wide angle lenses are highly recommended
• A sturdy tripod
• Footwear with good traction (waterproof or rubber boots recommended) and warm socks (very important!)
• Creativity and a positive attitude
• Warm clothes in layers, gloves, a warm hat, and a rain jacket
• A wide-brim hat and sunscreen
• A one-liter (or larger) water bottle

Highly recommended items

• Filters (ND, Grad ND, Polarizers)
• Remote shutter release
• Camera rain sleeve
• Flashlight

Fitness level

This workshop is appropriate for photographers of most fitness levels. We will walk approximately 2 miles over the course of the workshop. This includes walking on sandy, uneven, and slippery terrain. All participants are expected to be able to carry their own camera, personal gear, and water during the workshop.

The day begins about 7 hours before sunset at a common meeting point. We then carpool to Pfieffer Beach, well known within the photography community for its "glowing portal". We will spend about 3 hours at Pfieffer, pointing out the highlights and working one on one with the students. Mid-afternoon we head back to the cars for snacks and to drive north. Depending on conditions we may stop at another Big Sur icon, Bixby Bridge, for a classic Big Sur view. Then it's off to gorgeous Garrapata State Beach. Garrapata is a wonderfully photogenic beach thanks to its white sands and unusual black rocks. We'll stay at Garrapata till 30 minutes after sunset, working with shutter speeds, compositions, and capturing the sunset colors. Once it's too dark to shoot anymore, it's time to call it a day. Depending on conditions and the time of year, this itinerary may be reversed in order to take advantage of the Pfieffer Beach lightbeam, which occurs just before sunset in the winter months.

This workshop is organized to take advantage of the best and most interesting locations northern Big Sur has to offer. However, the exact itinerary and places we visit may change depending on the group and weather conditions.

• Quality, professional, 1-on-1 photography instruction on par with your level as a photographer
• ~5 hours of in-field shooting and instruction
• Water and snacks throughout the workshop
• A fun, positive, interactive learning environment
• Small class size of 8 students maximum

What's Not Included

• Transportation. While students are expected to provide their own transportation during the workshop we will be carpooling as much as possible.
• Lodging
• Meals

View our cancellation policy

Josh Cripps moved to the central coast in 2009 and has spent countless hours on the area's beaches since then. He knows the seastacks and shelves by name and can dodge a rogue wave with one hand tied behind his back. He loves helping students get their feet wet with seascape photography.

Jim Patterson has lived an hour north of Big Sur for over 15 years. His explorations into Big Sur started beneath the ocean's surface while SCUBA diving. This knowledge of the small coves and rugged shoreline came in handy when he started photographing the topside landscapes in 2008.

Josh and Jim are both professional photographers from Santa Cruz, California. They have been teaching together since 2010 (and separately since 2008) and have developed a tag-team approach to helping students understand photography concepts. Through a combination of theory, philosophy, examples, and on-the-spot feedback, they help students reach those "a-ha!" moments that take their photography to the next level.

Getting to the workshop

This workshop is based out of Carmel, California, and ventures south into Big Sur from there. Carmel is about 1 hour 20 minutes south of San Jose, 2 hours south of San Francisco, or 6 hours north of Los Angeles

Getting around during the workshop

Transportation is not provided. While students are expected to provide their own transportation during the workshop we will be carpooling as much as possible.

Climate

Big Sur experiences a slightly cool climate, with mild temperatures all year round. In winter the nights are typically chilly and days are cool, with temperatures ranging anywhere from 32°F to 70°F. Summer brings warmer days but also thick fog to the area. Summer can also be excessively windy and exceptionally clear, both of which are bad for photography. Big Sur receives the vast bulk of its annual precipitation during the months from November to March. Along with rain, those winter storms bring dramatic light to the coast, making winter the best time for coastal photography in this area.

Recommended clothing

Due to the cool days and chance of getting wet (either from the ocean or a rainstorm), we HIGHLY recommend bringing multiple layers of non-cotton clothing, a sturdy rain jacket and rain pants, a warm hat, gloves, a change of socks and shoes, and waterproof or rubber boots to wear while shooting. A wide-brim hat, sunscreen and sunglasses, and a large water bottle will also be indispensable.

A few nice things folks have said about this workshop...

The one on one was great.. [I] learned manual mode, how to read a histogram, how and when to use ND filters, and I finally understand light metering. [My favorite parts of the workshop were] shooting in an amazing location and learning more about photography than I ever have in a single day... basically everything. Thanks Jim and Josh! ~ Andy P.

It was great to hear your insights on composition. [Josh and Jim were] very committed to giving students a new skill or additional knowledge. Clearly passionate about photography, which is always a joy to share! ~ Juli G.

Josh and Jim were GREAT. Easy to talk to and had a lot of enthusiasm toward instruction. Josh and Jim made us feel comfortable and were more than willing to share their knowledge and creativity. They made a point of spending time with each participant [and] answered questions in an easy to understand manner. ~ Bob and Paula S.