Photo of the Month – October 2019

Tom and I want to celebrate the great images being created on our workshops by posting a photograph each month from one of our workshops that best captures the environment or people of that location.

Congratulations to October’s photographer – Nagendra Narayan

 

Nagendra2
Nagendra Narayan on the Sedona Workshop

The Story:

It is good to look in a different direction. Everyone was looking at Cathedral Rock and I decided to look at the surroundings. What attracted me was the silhouette of the juniper tree, the buttes, and the moon. I wanted to capture the transition of night to day….the cool night to the warm day. That was the image I was trying to take. The phases of the moon always attract me, full moon, half moon, harvest moon. Capturing the moon for scale in this image was important. The stars were already gone because of the twilight.

_NNP3370
Photo of the Month

The Location: 

Sedona was beautiful. It is a great location for intricate abstract images with  beautiful colors and tones (see Nagendra’s image below). That was both exciting and challenging. There were so many objects and distractions. You have to focus on what you want the viewer’s eyes to see. I created an image devoid of distractions……simplified to focus on the transition from night to day.

FullSizeRender
An abstract by Nagendra

The Data: Nikon D850, 24-70 mm lens 1/15 at f8 ISO 64 Manual mode

Photo Tip from the Photographer: 

It is important to imagine yourself in the location before you shoot. You have to feel the location. This helps to release creative ideas. You have to be patient and prepared…..patient for the right time and prepared for the right light to hit. There is only a few moments when the light is perfect.

On the Horizon:

  • Patagonia

 

To learn more about the three types of twilight click here

 

 

New Workshop: Brown Bears and Glaciers

We have had numerous requests for more bear workshops, so Tom and I just added a new trip for TBPW for June 2021. Read on….                 

Location: Lake Clark National Park                                                  Cost: $6200

Dates: Thursday, June 17 – Thursday , June 22, 2021  

Details: Join Tom and Cree for a photographic adventure in Alaska with two icons: Alaskan brown bears and tidewater glaciers. We start in Anchorage with a trip to Prince William Sound to photograph glaciers.  These isolated fjords and remote bays have numerous glaciers, and many actively ‘calve’ into the ocean.  If you want to photograph massive towers of ice plunging into the icy water, this is your chance.  Our private boat will get us in the right position, as well as be able to land onshore for unique landscape photo opportunities.  Prince William Sound is rich in wildlife and we often see whales, seals, sea otters, puffins and porpoise.

Next we fly to our comfortable lodge at Silver Salmon Creek in Lake Clark National Park to photograph coastal brown bears as they graze on sedge grasses and dig for clams in the mud flats.  The bear density in this area is remarkable; we will spend our days photographing bears as well as other wildlife including red fox and eagles. We may also spend a morning photographing puffin by small boat. This tour offers six days of photography instruction in two of the most unique, exciting destinations in Alaska.

Read more

The Seasons are Changing

The Fall leaves have just peaked and we just photographed in our first snow in Colorado.

As you start to consider workshops for 2020 and 2021, I want to explain how our $100 referral credit works with Tom Bol Photo Workshops. Most of our new participants on workshops are referred by loyal clients, like you! We really appreciate this type of support and want to reward you with a $100 credit on your next workshop when you refer a new participant to us who signs up for a workshop.

As we move closer to the gift giving season, you may have thought about purchasing a workshop spot for someone you know. The referral credit of $100 off would also apply to a gift, if it is for someone who is new to Tom Bol Photo Workshops.

Maroon Bells

If you have referred someone in the past and did not receive a referral credit, please send me an email (sometimes we are not aware of referrals.)

Photo of the Month – September 2019

Tom and I want to celebrate the great images being created on our workshops by posting a photograph each month from one of our workshops that best captures the environment or people of that location.

Congratulations to September’s photographer – Joe Campbell

 

The Story:

“We were doing the iconic shots of the Blue Swallow Motel – the larger view of everything. I had the 1951 Pontiac, the office, the sign, storm clouds, the painting of Route 66 on the driveway. I was very happy with that.

70593315_10214650731484129_6297621039006351360_o
The Larger View

 

I decided to focus on something simple,. My parents had a Pontiac with Chief Pontiac on the front, which lit up when the head lights were turned on. I took some photos with reflections of the neon lights on the car. Then I turned the other way and used the black mailbox to create the dark background. With the 70-300, I just crouched down a bit and the mailbox was like a black curtain. It provided good separation from the bigger scene.”

 

Chief Pontiac
Photo of the Month – Chief Pontiac

The Location: 

The Blue Swallow Motel is great! I loved the atmosphere at night….sitting around the neon and having a relaxing drink. 

They had the Hudson and the 51 Pontiac. It was great that they changed them out for photographic purposes.

The Data: Nikon D850, 70-300mm lens 1/125 at f8 ISO 800

Photo Tip from the Photographer: 

Get the big picture first. Then move in and focus on single things. Look for neon reflections in the windows and rain puddles. I shot Chief Pontiac several different ways. The black background was my favorite.

On the Horizon:

  • Back to the Chilkat Eagle Preserve in Haines, Alaska
  • Northern Lights in Fairbanks
  • Costa Rica (for the third time)

 

 

How much do you know about Route 66? Check out the following from the History Channel: 8 Things You May Not Know About Route 66 

 

Back by Popular Demand – Tucson

We had such a spectacular cactus bloom on our Tucson Workshop this year that Tom and I are still talking about it. Several people have asked if we would be offering the trip again…. so we added new trip dates: March 24-28, 2021 Limited to 10 people. Cost $1449. For more details Click here

We explore the Sonoran Desert on this workshop around Saguaro National Park. We photograph forests of cacti, desert birds from a blind and raptors at the Arizona Sonoran Desert. We also spend a morning at Old Tucson photographing cowboys with speed lights to catcht a glimpse of the Old West.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We also added 2021 dates for two other very popular workshops:

Route 66: Albuquerque to Amarillo in 2021

Bosque & White Sands in 2021

Photo of the Month – August 2019

Tom and I want to celebrate the great images being created on our workshops by posting a photograph each month from one of our workshops that best captures the environment or people of that location.

Congratulations to our fourth photographer – Susan Onysko

Katmai National Park, Alaska.

The Story:

“We stayed with this mom and two kids for a long time. All of the sudden the mom stopped and was looking into the forest. One of the little babies came up and draped his head on her shoulder. Then it was chaotic. The cub turned and looked back. The mom looked back. The cub put his paw on the mom….

SusanOnyskoPhoto_ACubsLove

That’s why I like wildlife photography. It’s moments like that. It’s the same as us. I am a mom and have a bond with my children just like this bear family.”

 

The Location: 

I loved Katmai National Park.I don’t think we could have taken so many “keepers” without the long hikes. The remote location lets you follow the bears and document their life. The bears were everywhere!

The Data: Nikon D850, 500mm,  1/1000, f/5.6 ISO 320

Nikon D850, 24-105mm converted for infrared, 1/500, f4, ISO200

Photo Tip from the Photographer: 

Don’t look at the back of your camera when the photo moment is happening. You have to be in the moment with grizzlies in the wild.

On the Horizon:

  • Uganda & Rwanda for gorillas
  • South Georgia Island
  • Underground blinds in Africa

SusanOnyskoPhoto_BigGulp

Check out Tom’s new blog on the pack he plans to take on next year’s trip to Katmai National Park Best Backpack Ever

 

Workshop Update

Thank you all for helping to fill our 2019 Workshop Schedule!

To keep up with demand, we just added 3 new trips in 2020 and 2021. They are sure to be popular!

Redwoods 2020

Bosque 2021

Ouray Fall Colors 2021

If you would like to talk about which workshop is best for you, give me a call at 970-631-9383 or send me an email at creetbp@gmail.com

Ouray, CO.
Ouray, CO.