Tom and Cree just finished their Utah Landscapes Workshop and want to share the highlights with you. There were spectacular skies, cool temperatures and three different night sky sessions during this workshop. After a relaxing week at home, they are on their way to Texas and Louisiana next.
To learn more about our Utah Landscapes Workshop, check out our trip report, click here
Still looking for a trip to join in 2023?. We have a few 1 opening each on two very popular trips: Bears at Summer Solstice and Route 66 East. Click on the underlined links to learn more.
Thanks for reading our posts. Happy spring wherever you are!
At Tom Bol Photo Workshops, we celebrate great images created on our workshops by selecting a Photo of the Month. For October we chose an image from our Acadia Fall Colors Workshop created by Traci Rickman. Traci is a real estate photographer and is equally at home photographing landscapes. We hope you enjoy Traci’s images as much as we do!
Congratulations to October 2022 ‘s featured photographer – Traci Rickman
Traci in the lobster town of Bernard, Maine
The Story…
I almost missed the window of opportunity. I didn’t have a lot of time because I had stayed back to photograph the Bubbles. Everyone else headed over to capture the fog earlier than I did.
The sun was filtering in from the right side of the frame. By the time I arrived, Tom was saying “Here it comes.” I set up and started shooting quickly. You can just see a bit of sun filtering into the scene below the fog.
I just love the color in this, mm mm mm!
I tried to fill up my frame with color.
There were more grass clusters in the foreground, but they had hot spots on them from the sun coming in. I took them out with Lightroom and PhotoShop to get rid of some of the hot grass.
October 2022 Photo of the Month
EXIF Data:
Nikon D500, Nikon 70-200mm lens shot at 70 mm
F16, 1/10 sec, ISO 100 on a tripod
Exposure Compensation -2.0
Aperture Mode
About Photographing in Acadia National Park
I love Acadia. I love Bar Harbor. This was the second time I’ve been there. I was excited to go back with Tom and Cree.
The first time I went I was a bit overwhelmed.
I felt like I missed a lot of the shots. I did more artistoc compositions. When I got back home my husband said “Did you look at rocks the whole time?” This time I wanted to get more iconic shots.
I focused on shooting what spoke to me. I realized that in the past I was shooting what I thought other people wanted to see.
On this trip I wanted to redeem myself!
Sunrise at Otter Rock
Traci’s Tips for Photographing Landscapes:
Tip 1: Photograph what speaks to you. Other people will find other subjects to focus on. Find your own subjects.
Tip 2: Broaden your view. Don’t get so focused on what is in your camera viewfinder.
Look behind you. Look around. I will often take out my cellphone and see things differently with it. It helps me see the larger view. Then I’ll take out my camera…..
Tip 3: Try moving three feet to the side or one foot vertically.
When I photographed the foggy scene (below) I decided to walk down the road from where everyone else was standing. I was really drawn in by the grasses and the lines leading into the red tree. Instead of shooting a tight shot with just the red tree, I decided I liked this composition better.
I do this a lot in real estate photography. I’ll move to the right or left by just one foot when photographing a room. Often time this move makes the shot.
Foggy scene in Acadia National Park
On Traci’s Horizon:
Costa Rica
Redwoods National Park
Congratulations Traci
Workshop News
We added another Acadia Fall Colors Workshop for October 2025. Just 2 spaces left. Click here to learn more.
By popular demand we also added our Old Car City Workshop from March 3-April 2, 2023. Photograph classic cars in the Georgia hardwoods. Learn about speed lights for creative effect. Click here to read more.
Finally, we will be heading to Oaxaca, Mexico in January 2024 to explore Day of the Dead inspired portraits and colorful travel photos Click here to read more.
Where are Tom and Cree?
We have been enjoying a few weeks at home in Fort Collins. Our last two workshops of 2022 are in Botswana & Zimbabwe and then on to Argentina and Chile for our Patagonia Workshop. We will keep you updated on social media.
Looking forward to winter and the holidays. Thanks for reading our posts!
Tom and Cree celebrate the great images being created by our community of photographers each month by selecting a Photograph of the Month. For April we selected an image created by Brian Kennedy on our Utah Landscapes Workshop. We hope you enjoy Brian’s images as much as we do!
Congratulations to April 2021 ‘s featured photographer – Brian Kennedy
The Story …
We were at Sunset Point and Tom was ahead of everyone. Tom pointed out how the light was hitting different formations.
The sun was peaking in and out of the clouds. A shaft of light came through and hit the formation we were looking at.
I was shooting at f11 because I knew that was a good setting for my lens. I used focus peaking to focus. I was looking at the image in the viewfinder and the histogram was perfect. The entire image was red because of focus peaking.
To edit the image I just set the white point and the black point and it looked great.
April 2021 Photograph of the month
EXIF Data: Canon mirrorless R5 with a 100-400mm lens
Aperture Priority mode f11, 1/80 sec, ISO 160 with focus peaking
About Bryce and Capitol Reef
Bryce Canyon was on my bucket list. I’ve seen pictures of it. I love sunsets and sunrises. With the red rock, how can you not want to photograph there?
Sunrise at Inspiration Point
In Capitol Reef, I was learning new features of the new mirrorless Canon R5. I was practicing focus peaking. I love focus peaking. After that section of the trip, I was a focus peaking fool.
Like the histogram, focus peaking is a tool. I have been dissapointed in the past when I get home from a landscape shoot and parts of the image were out of focus. With focus peaking I know what will be in focus and what will not.
The iconic barn at Capitol Reef National Park
Michael Iles and I approached the barn at Capitol Reef and we noticed there was no lock on the gate. We walked into the pen and got a better angle and were able to get a bit closer to the barn. I used the 24-70 (lens) with the R5.
Brian’stips for shooting landscapes:
Tip #1: Get to the spots early.
Tip #2: Know your equipment. I did better in Bryce then in Capitol Reef because I understood my equipment better.
Petroglyphs at Capitol Reef
On Brian’s Horizon
Death Valley National Park
Acadia National Park – 4th trip there
Bucket List: Costa Rica, Alaska Brown Bears, Yellowstone in Winter, Canadian Rockies
Brian photographing on the Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park
Tom and Cree are headed to Yellowstone National Park next for two May wildlife workshops. For a full listing of upcoming workshops, including our new trip to France: Click Here
We just returned from a spectacular landscape workshop in Utah and wanted to share the highlights with you in our trip report. Click here to see the details and experience spring in Capitol Reef and Bryce National Parks.
Our next Utah Landscapes Workshop is April 19-23, 2023 and there are 3 spaces available. Read more
Next, we are headed to Yellowstone for 2 workshops to photograph spring wildlife and landscapes. A single space just opened up on our May 16-20 Yellowstone in Spring Workshops. Click here to learn more.
