Douglas Steakley
Photography Tours and Expeditions
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Eastern Sierras Photography Tour
July 19-24, 2020
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Photography Tours and Expeditions
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Eastern Sierras Photography Tour
July 19-24, 2020
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Our tour will begin in Lee Vining where we will meet and stay for two nights. We will drive to the South Tufa Formation at Mono Lake during the evening and the following day drive north to the deserted gold mining town of Bodie. We will then head south to Bishop, where we will photograph the array of petroglyphs, including Sky Rock. Next we will continue south to the Bristlecone Pine Forest where we can photograph the trees at sunset and set up for the Milky Way at night. Our final destination will be the Alabama Hills outside of Lone Pine where we will take both sunrise and night shots of the Mobius Arch and other arches.
This tour well enable everyone to work on and improve their night photography skills, as well as providing many opportunities for daytime and evening images. Each participant should have a DSLR camera, a sturdy tripod and a wide angle lens for the star shots. Ideally the wide angle with have a wide aperture setting such as f/2.8 or wider. This is not essential, but allows for shorter exposure times at night, which renders less movement in the stars. I have planned the dates of this workshop to coincide with the summer new moon when the Milky Way is the brightest in the southern sky.
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This tour well enable everyone to work on and improve their night photography skills, as well as providing many opportunities for daytime and evening images. Each participant should have a DSLR camera, a sturdy tripod and a wide angle lens for the star shots. Ideally the wide angle with have a wide aperture setting such as f/2.8 or wider. This is not essential, but allows for shorter exposure times at night, which renders less movement in the stars. I have planned the dates of this workshop to coincide with the summer new moon when the Milky Way is the brightest in the southern sky.
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ITINERARY
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Day One-Sunday, July 19
We will meet in Lee Vining in the afternoon, check into the motel and stay for two nights. We will have an early dinner with an orientation and overview of the coming days, before driving to the South Tufa Parking area at Mono Lake for sunset and night photography. We will be out until about 9:30-10:00 pm in order to photograph the stars, with the focus being the Milky Way.
Lake View Lodge
51285 Highway 395
Lee Vining, CA 93541
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Day One-Sunday, July 19
We will meet in Lee Vining in the afternoon, check into the motel and stay for two nights. We will have an early dinner with an orientation and overview of the coming days, before driving to the South Tufa Parking area at Mono Lake for sunset and night photography. We will be out until about 9:30-10:00 pm in order to photograph the stars, with the focus being the Milky Way.
Lake View Lodge
51285 Highway 395
Lee Vining, CA 93541
Day Two-Monday, July 20
After breakfast we will purchase box lunches, snacks and drinks before driving north to Bodie State Park. Bodie, which is located at an elevation of 8,379 feet, was an unlikey and prosperous gold-mining town in the late nineteenth century. In spite of the remote location, it had many amenities found in larger cities including 65 saloons, which lined the city streets. Bodie was registered as a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and became a state park the following year. Only a small part of the original town remains standing today, but that is 110 buildings and one of the once operational gold mills. Many photographers flock to Bodie to capture the stark deserted buildings and remnants of a recently bygone era. We will stay in Bodie all day and there may be a possibility to return to Mono Lake or take the evening off in Lee Vining.
Lake View Lodge
51285 Highway 395
Lee Vining, CA 93541
After breakfast we will purchase box lunches, snacks and drinks before driving north to Bodie State Park. Bodie, which is located at an elevation of 8,379 feet, was an unlikey and prosperous gold-mining town in the late nineteenth century. In spite of the remote location, it had many amenities found in larger cities including 65 saloons, which lined the city streets. Bodie was registered as a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and became a state park the following year. Only a small part of the original town remains standing today, but that is 110 buildings and one of the once operational gold mills. Many photographers flock to Bodie to capture the stark deserted buildings and remnants of a recently bygone era. We will stay in Bodie all day and there may be a possibility to return to Mono Lake or take the evening off in Lee Vining.
Lake View Lodge
51285 Highway 395
Lee Vining, CA 93541
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Day Three-Tuesday, July 21
On Tuesday we will take the short drive down to Bishop and visit Petroglyph Drive, with it's three groupings of petroglyphs. Petroglyphs are designs carved onto rock faces of cliffs and cave walls. These images range from 1,000 to 10,000 years old. Recently I visited a large group of petroglyphs in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and was struck at the strong similarities between them and the ones we see in the western United States. There are more remote and less accessible petroglpyhs along a ridge line, which requires a strenuous hike. Because it will be so hot in Bishop, we will save this for the late afternoon and photograph Sky Rock and Thirteen Moons around sunset when it is cooler.
Best Western Motel
1025 N. Main Street
Bishop, CA 93514
On Tuesday we will take the short drive down to Bishop and visit Petroglyph Drive, with it's three groupings of petroglyphs. Petroglyphs are designs carved onto rock faces of cliffs and cave walls. These images range from 1,000 to 10,000 years old. Recently I visited a large group of petroglyphs in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and was struck at the strong similarities between them and the ones we see in the western United States. There are more remote and less accessible petroglpyhs along a ridge line, which requires a strenuous hike. Because it will be so hot in Bishop, we will save this for the late afternoon and photograph Sky Rock and Thirteen Moons around sunset when it is cooler.
Best Western Motel
1025 N. Main Street
Bishop, CA 93514
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Day Four-Wednesday, July 22
We will have a leisurely morning in Bishop and pick up something for a picnic dinner before heading south to Big Pine. After checking into the motel, we will begin the long drive to the Patriarch Grove of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Some of the living bristlecone pines are nearly 5,000 years old, making them some of the oldest living trees in the world. This upper grove is at an elevation over 11,000', which gives the landscape a surreal, moon-like appearance. It can also become cold as the sun sets, so be prepared with a heavy jacket, light gloves and a warm hat. We want to arrive early to "claim" a couple of photogenic trees which we can photograph as the sun sets and later as the Milky Way becomes clearly visible in the southern sky. The altitude and remoteness of this location makes the stars in the night sky extremeley bright and photogenic.
Big Pine Motel
Big Pine, California
We will have a leisurely morning in Bishop and pick up something for a picnic dinner before heading south to Big Pine. After checking into the motel, we will begin the long drive to the Patriarch Grove of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Some of the living bristlecone pines are nearly 5,000 years old, making them some of the oldest living trees in the world. This upper grove is at an elevation over 11,000', which gives the landscape a surreal, moon-like appearance. It can also become cold as the sun sets, so be prepared with a heavy jacket, light gloves and a warm hat. We want to arrive early to "claim" a couple of photogenic trees which we can photograph as the sun sets and later as the Milky Way becomes clearly visible in the southern sky. The altitude and remoteness of this location makes the stars in the night sky extremeley bright and photogenic.
Big Pine Motel
Big Pine, California
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Day Five-Thursday, July 23
We will drive south along Highway 395 toward Lone PIne and make a stop at the Manzanar National Historic Site, an internment camp for Japanese civilians who were transferred and held there during World War II. We will continue to the small town of Lone Pine, check into our motel and if time allows, drive to the Alabama Hills at the base of Mt. Whitney. These dramatic hills with large granite boulders have provided a backdrop for many western movies. After dinner we will return to the Mobius Arch and position ourselves for photographing the Milky Way as it turns dark.
Best Western Motel
1008 South Main Street
Lone Pine, California
We will drive south along Highway 395 toward Lone PIne and make a stop at the Manzanar National Historic Site, an internment camp for Japanese civilians who were transferred and held there during World War II. We will continue to the small town of Lone Pine, check into our motel and if time allows, drive to the Alabama Hills at the base of Mt. Whitney. These dramatic hills with large granite boulders have provided a backdrop for many western movies. After dinner we will return to the Mobius Arch and position ourselves for photographing the Milky Way as it turns dark.
Best Western Motel
1008 South Main Street
Lone Pine, California
Day Six-Friday, July 24
We will be up before dawn to return to the Alabama Hills to photograph the rising sun as it turns the Mobius Arch bright red-orange. It is possible to position oneself to photograph Mt. Whitney through the arch at sunrise, but we will have to move quickly and take turns. There are other arches nearby and the sun lighting up the eastern sierras is also a very dramatic photograph.
We will return for Lone Pine for breakfast and after checking out of the motel you are free to go.
We will be up before dawn to return to the Alabama Hills to photograph the rising sun as it turns the Mobius Arch bright red-orange. It is possible to position oneself to photograph Mt. Whitney through the arch at sunrise, but we will have to move quickly and take turns. There are other arches nearby and the sun lighting up the eastern sierras is also a very dramatic photograph.
We will return for Lone Pine for breakfast and after checking out of the motel you are free to go.
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PRICING AND DETAILS
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Price:
The cost for this tour is $1550.00 per person, double occupancy and $1950 per person for single occupancy.
A non-refundable deposit of $150.00 is required with registration.
If you are single and prefer to share a room to reduce the cost, please let me know and I will try to find a match.
What is Included:
All lodging and park entrance fees.
Photography assistance and guidance.
A booklet that fully describes night photography techniques.
Not Included:
Meals, except where breakfast is provided by the motels.
Transportation--We will drive our own cars to the motels and then car pool as we drive to the locations for the photo shoots. We will be much
better with fewer cars when we leave the motels, particularly where the roads are dusty.
Clothing:
It will be warm to hot during the day, but can cool down significantly in the evening and at night. We will often be at a high elevation, so please be prepared with warm layers for the night photography. The Patriarch Grove of the Bristlecone Pine Forest can be particularly cool after the sun sets. I recommend quick-drying safari type of clothing with sturdy hiking shoes and a hat for sun protection.
Head Lamp:
Please bring a head lamp that you can turn to a red beam for the night shooting. A white beam is too bright and cannot be used in a group.
Recommended Camera Equipment:
A sturdy tripod
A digital DSLR camera body with several lenses
For night photography it is best to have a wide angle lens that will open to an aperture of at least f/2.8. The wide aperture allows for faster exposure speeds and lower ISO settings, which are needed to reduce movement in the stars.
A cable release is not necessary, but very helpful
I will bring a MicroPro Light Panel to light the foreground for some of the night shots. If you have one of these light fixtures, please bring it along. This light panel has a rheostat, which allows it to be brightened and dimmed and is color balanced to 5o00 degrees kelvin.
My Equipment for this trip:
Nikon D850 body
14-24mm f/2.8 lens
17-35mm f/2.8 lens
24-70mm f/2.8 lens
70-200mm f/4 lens
Really Right Stuff tripod and ballhead
Phone Apps:
There are a couple of excellent phone apps that identify the constellations at night and show you where the Milky Way will rise. I will use these apps to position our cameras so the foreground aligns well with the Milky Way. The apps I recommend are Sky Guide and Star Walk.
Night Photography Booklet:
Prior to the tour I will send everyone a booklet about night photography. This should answer most questions you will have and assist with technique and proper camera settings.
Registration:
Please download and complete the two forms below and return them to me with a deposit check.
REGISTRATION FORM
LIABILITY RELEASE FORM
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Price:
The cost for this tour is $1550.00 per person, double occupancy and $1950 per person for single occupancy.
A non-refundable deposit of $150.00 is required with registration.
If you are single and prefer to share a room to reduce the cost, please let me know and I will try to find a match.
What is Included:
All lodging and park entrance fees.
Photography assistance and guidance.
A booklet that fully describes night photography techniques.
Not Included:
Meals, except where breakfast is provided by the motels.
Transportation--We will drive our own cars to the motels and then car pool as we drive to the locations for the photo shoots. We will be much
better with fewer cars when we leave the motels, particularly where the roads are dusty.
Clothing:
It will be warm to hot during the day, but can cool down significantly in the evening and at night. We will often be at a high elevation, so please be prepared with warm layers for the night photography. The Patriarch Grove of the Bristlecone Pine Forest can be particularly cool after the sun sets. I recommend quick-drying safari type of clothing with sturdy hiking shoes and a hat for sun protection.
Head Lamp:
Please bring a head lamp that you can turn to a red beam for the night shooting. A white beam is too bright and cannot be used in a group.
Recommended Camera Equipment:
A sturdy tripod
A digital DSLR camera body with several lenses
For night photography it is best to have a wide angle lens that will open to an aperture of at least f/2.8. The wide aperture allows for faster exposure speeds and lower ISO settings, which are needed to reduce movement in the stars.
A cable release is not necessary, but very helpful
I will bring a MicroPro Light Panel to light the foreground for some of the night shots. If you have one of these light fixtures, please bring it along. This light panel has a rheostat, which allows it to be brightened and dimmed and is color balanced to 5o00 degrees kelvin.
My Equipment for this trip:
Nikon D850 body
14-24mm f/2.8 lens
17-35mm f/2.8 lens
24-70mm f/2.8 lens
70-200mm f/4 lens
Really Right Stuff tripod and ballhead
Phone Apps:
There are a couple of excellent phone apps that identify the constellations at night and show you where the Milky Way will rise. I will use these apps to position our cameras so the foreground aligns well with the Milky Way. The apps I recommend are Sky Guide and Star Walk.
Night Photography Booklet:
Prior to the tour I will send everyone a booklet about night photography. This should answer most questions you will have and assist with technique and proper camera settings.
Registration:
Please download and complete the two forms below and return them to me with a deposit check.
REGISTRATION FORM
LIABILITY RELEASE FORM
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________