Folks, this is not your usual workshop. It’s more like a bunch of friends getting together to share their love of landscape photography and help each other grow as serious amateur photographers.
It’s a chance to visit and photograph some of the most picturesque spots in the Texas Hill Country. It’s also a chance to learn some basic techniques to enhance your landscape photography behind the camera and in the digital darkroom.
I charge just enough to cover my expenses and if you’re not completely exhausted (but satisfied) at the end of the workshop, I’ll gladly refund your money!
General Information
- Price $300 per attendee.
- Price includes instruction only.
- Limited to 5 participants!
- Open to all levels of experience and all brands of cameras.
- A DSLR camera is required.
- A tripod is required.
- A notebook or laptop computer is required.
- Adobe Lightroom 2 or Lightroom 3 beta required.
- Workshop runs from Saturday afternoon to late Tuesday night.
- Travel recommended day before and day after workshop.
- Transportation is NOT provided but car pooling is encouraged.
- A Texas State Parks Season Pass is recommended.
- All transportation, lodging and meal expenses are YOUR responsibility.
Workshop Dates
The Texas Landscape Safari is held twice a year, in the spring and fall. The next workshop is tentatively scheduled for March or April 2010 and the specific dates will be posted we know more about when the wildflowers will begin to bloom in the Texas Hill Country.
Shooting Locations
We plan to shoot at the following state parks and key locations during the four day workshop. Many of these state parks will require a hike to the best shooting locations so a good pair of hiking shoes or boots and a photo-pack to carry your gear is highly recommended. I’ve made all the hikes and climbs several times, in the Texas heat. I’m 50 years old and have lower back problems, so if I can do it, I suspect you can too.
- Colorado Bend State Park near Lampasas (3 mile hike).
- Inks Lake State Park near Burnet (1 mile hike).
- Packsaddle Mountain near Kingsland.
- Enchanted Rock State Natural Area near Fredericksburg (3 mile hike).
- Pedernales Falls State Park in Johnson City (2 mile hike).
- McKinney Falls State Park in Austin (1/2 mile hike).
What to Bring
- An open mind and a love of landscape photography.
- Your DSLR camera and extra batteries.
- Your digital film (CF cards, SD cards SDHC cards, etc.)
- Wide angle and medium telephoto lens.
- A circular polarizer filter to fit your lenses is always a good idea.
- A graduated neutral density filter if you have one. I’ll bring an extra.
- A hot-shoe bubble level if you have one. Again, I’ll bring a few extra.
- A good quality, light-weight tripod is a MUST for landscape photography.
What You’ll Learn
- Some of the best landscape photography locations in Texas.
- Basic landscape techniques for your DSLR, lenses & tripod.
- How to correctly use a circular polarizer filter.
- How to correctly use a graduated neutral density filter.
- How to create special effects with a neutral density filters.
- Basic post-capture processing techniques in Adobe Lightroom.
- How to correctly prep your images for printing.
- Where to have your images printed and why!
To register or for more information, please contact me via email using my Contact Me page.
A friend and I might be interested. How long are the hikes?
Mike
Mike,
I’ve updated the Texas Landscape Safari page with the estimated hikes and climbs required. I should have the workshop’s participant guide finished by the middle of the week.
I’d love to join you Jeff if I wasn’t heading to the Oregon coast around that time. Maybe next year?
Sabrina,
I also hold a workshop each spring as the wildflowers are blooming. I’ll post more information about that workshop in November. You’re welcome any time!
Jeff
What a great idea, Jeff! I’ll look forward to seeing what you and your group come back with.
Thanks Scott but why don’t you join us instead!
Jeff
Out of vacation time for this year. Though I wouldn’t be too flexible with the dates as you can be.
I would LOVE to attend this, but its hard for me to get off during the week. If you ever hold any “weekend safari’s” around the Houston/Austin area, please let me know. My wife and I both would like to attend.
Sheldon,
Thanks for your interest. I’ll send you an email with a tentative schedule for a “weekend” landscape safari.
Jeff
that would be great!! thanks Jeff…………..
You have 2 more potential takers, if there is something more weekend-oriented lined up. Please let us know!
Wish I was in the States, on holidays or something!
Good luck, the safari looks great
Regards
Jaime
[...] in central Texas for my friend Jeff Lynch he still has a few openings for his Landscape Safari here If you get to go with Jeff, let me know and I will be very [...]
Jeff:
Love the website. I am switching to Canon, and am leaning toward buying a 7d. Would it be a mistake not to buy the 5d instead? By the way, do you offer any courses locally, since I live in the Houston area?
Thanks
Nat,
Thanks for reading. Your choice of camera really depends upon what you shoot. The new 7D should be an excellent wildlife and sports camera but I personally feel the 5D and 5D2 are better suited for landscape, portrait ad travel work.
I do offer one-day landscape workshops but generally drive to somewhere like Monument Hill in La Grange, Texas. Houston is too humid and flat for good landscape shots unless the weather conditions are just right. Another great spot within a few hours drive is McKinney Falls State Park in Austin. Just send me an email via this blog and we’ll set something up.
Jeff
I am interested in hearing more about a possible weekend workshop in the Austin area.
Danyelle,
Thanks for reading and for your interest in a weekend workshop. I’ll send you an email with some details.
Jeff
Jeff,
I’d like some more information on the dates of the spring 2010 landscape safari, as well as whether you still have openings. I’d like to give this as a gift to my husband, but I need to know the dates. Thanks.
Shannon,
The next Texas Landscape Safari workshop will be held in mid-spring (late March or early April) 2010 depending upon when the wild flowers bloom. I do offer one-on-one or small group coaching at Pedernales Falls State Park or McKinney Falls State Park (both near Austin) on most weekends if you’d like to pick a weekend for your husband. The weekend workshop is generally a Saturday evening shoot and an early Sunday morning shoot. The cost for one-on-one coaching is $250 or $175 each for groups of 2 to 3. Unless you live in Austin, it generally requires staying one night at a local hotel.
Jeff Lynch Jeff Lynch Photography, Ltd. Sugar Land, Texas
Blog – Serious Amateur Photography
Follow me on Twitter
Spots open for the Texas Landscape Safari this Spring. Come to Texas and join our wildflower hunt!
Jeff,
Thanks for the information. I’d like to reserve a spot on the Spring 2010 landscape safari for my husband. We’ll manage with whatever the dates end up being. Let me know how I can send you his name and info as well as whatever deposit is required. Thanks! This is going to make a great anniversary gift.
-Shannon