I am super excited to announce the upcoming Death Valley and More Photo/Video Expedition. Following is detailed information regarding the logistics of the event. Please read through the information and feel free to contact me if you have any questions that are not addressed below or if you wish to register.
jim@jrsvisualmedia.com
Description:
For six days I will guide you to multiple locations for scenic and landscape photography/videography. You will be immersed in the rugged beauty of the Mojave desert and it's history. You will see the ever-changing shapes of beautiful salt formations, rugged mountains and bizarre rock formations, winding slot canyons, lush desert oases with crystal clear springs and streams, abandoned mining communities, starry skies and the bright lights of fabulous Las Vegas. I will take you to some special, out of the way locations that I've discovered over the years and will host mini-education sessions related to photography, videography, and processing/editing throughout the event. I will demonstrate some of my favorite techniques for capturing the colors of the desert, help you with equipment and settings, etc. More detailed information regarding logistics, food, weather, terrain, and recommended gear is located at the bottom of this page.
Travel:
Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to, from, and during the workshop. Las Vegas will be our arrival and departure point. During the workshop it is suggested but not required that attendees carpool to various photo locations and other destinations.
Lodging:
I will be based for the first four days in the cottages at The Ranch at Death Valley. You may choose to lodge there or just up the road at their sister facility, The Inn at Death Valley. The last two nights I will be based at the Aria in downtown Las Vegas. You may lodge there as well or at any nearby lodging of your choice. Travel booking, lodging, rental cars, travel insurance, etc. are being arranged at no cost for attendees by my travel booking partner:
Please contact Gabriella McColeman of Travel Adventures with G at:
Gabriella@TravelAdventuresWithG.com
813-928-8555
Travel booking services are at no additional cost to attendees
Click here to see the video in a larger format
Logistics:
Each day we will have a basic itinerary planned but the overall itinerary and daily itineraries are completely flexible and dynamic. I will continuously make decisions and changes based on weather and assessment of group abilities. There will be a nightly group briefing of the next day's expected itinerary and weather, and you will be notified of the next morning’s call time to be ready to leave. It is imperative that you be ready to hit the road by that time or the rest of the group will leave without you to stick to the schedule. We will travel to multiple locations each day and night, on some days there will be a lot of miles to be covered and in many instances timing is important so that we arrive to events and locations when necessary.
At many of the locations you will have the opportunity to strike out on your own or may become inadvertently separated from the group. At events and locations where this is a possibility there will be a designated rendezvous location and time. Once again it is imperative that you are at the specified rendezvous point on time in order to ensure that we stay on schedule with the day’s itinerary. I will have several walkie-talkie radios available for attendees to stay in contact in locations where cell phone service may not be available and I carry a satellite communicator for emergency situations where coverage may not exist.
You are not obligated to travel with the group on any particular day or time or to any location or event if you so choose. If you are tired, ill, or for any reason need time off or wish to do your own thing for a while you are free to do so. Also, at any given location you are not obligated to stick with the group or myself if you do not feel comfortable with the walking distances involved, the weather conditions, the terrain involved, etc. You are free to stay with your vehicle or go in a different direction as long you are at the rendezvous at the designated departure time from that location.
.
Food:
There area couple of restaurants, a buffe, a coffee shop, and an ice cream parlor in Furnace Creek where the lodging is located and there is a general store there as well. We will stock up on water, snacks and other necessities on the first morning before driving to Death Valley from Las Vegas. There will be an option for dinner at a restaurant every night and lunch stops will be part of the itinerary on any full days of location shooting. It is recommended that you carry some snacks and drinks along when we travel to photo locations. We will also gather together each evening to download, process, and share our work while relaxing with drinks and snacks.
Weather:
We will be enjoying our visit in autumn in an arid desert/mountain environment. There can be significant day to night temperature transitions. Prepare to be able to dress in layers on most days to be prepared for the temperature variations.
Rain is not likely to occur but can't be ruled out entirely at any time during the workshop. Temperatures average 48- 77 degrees at the time of year this expedition is scheduled. It is often windy and fine sand blows in the wind there.
Terrain:
Most of our time will be spent in outdoor environments. The trails and access to all of the locations we will go to are rated as easy to moderate level of difficulty. At some locations there are options to utilize access routes that are more difficult in nature for those that are so inclined. No attendee is obligated under any circumstances to go anywhere that they are not comfortable. Please remember that this is a rocky environment with lots of gravel and sand. Comfortable and sturdy shoes that have good grip on both smooth and loose surfaces are a must-have. Make certain that you break in your shoes in advance. Unfortunately a few guests have ignored this caveat in the past and have had to miss out on days of adventure due to being crippled by new shoes. Gaiters are highly recommended to keep sand and gravel out of your shoes in many locations.
We will travel to many different locations and the amount of walking at any location is typically not far as far as distance is concerned. a few locations require a bit less than a mile round-trip to reach scenic photo ops. Please be cognizant of your personal abilities with respect to walking distances and tackling steep terrain. In locations with varied terrain the group may split with the more active members going on the more challenging routes and the less active members going on easier routes. As mentioned previously, you will never be obligated to go anywhere that makes you uncomfortable.
Photography Equipment:
Please try to bring a spare camera. Equipment can fail and accidents can happen. I don’t want you to be without the ability to take photos during the workshop in the event that something unfortunate happens to a camera. Carry several fully charged spare batteries each day as well. Remember, battery life is diminished in colder temps. Extra memory cards are recommended as well. Wide angle capability for landscapes, mid-range focal length for general photography, and a longer telephoto for wildlife that we may encounter are a good set of lenses to have. Bring a macro capable lens if you like details of salt crystal formations, etc. A tripod is a necessity for this workshop. Standard and/or variable ND filters are not typically necessary for still photography, you can save space and weight by not bringing them if you won't be recording video. Polarizing filters are useful. If you plan on doing any night photography a headlamp is recommended. Please make sure it has a red night vision light. If you are planning on doing any videography then ND filters, tripod, slider, gimbal, waterproof action camera, etc. are recommended. Please bring copies of your camera manuals with you in case I need a reference to assist you with any camera operations. PDF versions of your manuals downloaded to your smartphone or tablet is good idea. Bring a laptop and appropriate card reader to download your files to and create backups as well as to share your work.
Recommendations:
Items in bold are the most recommended. Please feel free to bring more or less or to bring anything else you might want that I may have neglected to mention at your discretion.
Camera(s): DSLR, mirrorless, film, video action camera, cell phone, etc.
Lenses: ultra wide, wide, medium, telephoto, macro, zoom, etc
ND filters: fixed and/or variable for videography
Tripod(s): standard,, travel, small, tabletop
Gimbal
Monopod
Selfie-stick
Bean bag
Microfiber cloths
Memory cards
Batteries for everything
Chargers for batteries
Camera bag(s)
Laptop computer
Power supply for laptop
Multi outlet adapter
Memory card reader/adapter
Trekking poles/walking stick
Everyday clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather forecast: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=36.448&lon=-116.8658
Jacket/sweater/hoodie
Complete spare set of clothes, jacket, and shoes to keep in your car in case the clothes you wear get accidentally wet or soiled during the day
Softside or small cooler
Drinks and snacks
Gaiters to keep sand and gravel out of your shoes
First aid kit