Embedded Files
Waterfalls, Wildflowers and Landscapes
Georgia and North Carolina
Georgia and North Carolina
2026 dates to be announced
2026 dates to be announced
I am looking forward with great anticipation to the upcoming Waterfalls, Wildflowers and Landscapes Photography Workshop. 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:
I will guide you each day to multiple locations for scenic and landscape and waterfall photography/videography. The dates for this year's workshop coincide with the arrival of spring wildflowers for added creative opportunities. I have a loose itinerary in place, subject to change as conditions warrant. After everyone has arrived on day one and gotten settled in the house we will head out in the afternoon to a nearby waterfall for photography and then go to a restaurant to eat for dinner. After dinner we will return to the house where we can light the fireplace, relax, setup laptops, do some processing, socialize, and have some learning time together before prepping for the next day of shooting and getting some sleep. We will do this at the house each evening after our day of photography. During the workshop expect for the most part to be photographing waterfalls, streams, rivers, forests, and rural landscape scenes. There could be an opportunity to do some night photography in the scenic alpine village of Helen, GA as well. 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. We will be based out of Sky Valley, GA on the GA/NC border. During the workshop it is suggested but not required that attendees carpool to various photo locations and other destinations.
Lodging:
I have acquired a rental house that will serve as lodging and our base for social and educational gatherings during the event. The house has 3 bedrooms that accommodate 2 persons each and there are 4 bathrooms. There is also a sofa bed and a futon in common rooms. I will fill the bedrooms with attendees based on double occupancy for those who are willing to share and reduce their lodging costs accordingly. If you wish to ensure that you have a private bedroom/bathroom you may reserve the master suite or pay extra for single occupancy of a room with 2 beds. Otherwise there are additional lodging options very close by within the same community. In the past some attendees have opted to rent a separate house nearby. There are lots of Airbnb/VRBO options in the neighborhood.
Pricing:
This workshop is fully booked and no spots remain.
Logistics:
Each day we will have a basic itinerary planned but the overall itinerary and daily itineraries are completely flexible and dynamic. We 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 entire group will suffer from a late start. 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.
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 any of the instructors 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:
The workshop house has a full kitchen and there is a well stocked grocery store nearby. Feel free to make breakfast and other meals for yourself at the house if you wish. 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 also gather together each evening to download, process, and share our work while relaxing with drinks and snacks. Sometimes we opt to have a potluck dinner at the house on one night.
Weather:
We will be enjoying our visit in late spring in a 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 likely to occur at any time during the workshop there. Bring appropriate rainwear for yourself and your camera equipment. Light to moderate rain will not stop us from shooting in most locations and can even be desirable in some instances.
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 waterfalls by their very nature are typically found in steep environments and that good photo vantage points may be wet, muddy, and/or rocky. Comfortable and sturdy shoes that have good grip on wet or muddy 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. Spare shoes are highly recommended as it is quite likely that you will get at least one pair wet at some point. Hip boots or waders can be valuable accessories to gain access to mid-stream vantage points for photography.
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. Few locations require more than a few miles 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 such as may be encountered in the early morning or on a night shoot. 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 flowers and insects. A tripod is a necessity for this workshop. Standard and/or variable ND filters are very recommended for this workshop as well. Polarizing filters are useful as well. 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. We typically have a social gathering that includes a group presentation of our work on the last evening of the workshop.
Recommendations:
Items in bold are the most recommended. Please feel free to bring 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, super telephoto, macro, zoom, lens-baby,etc
ND filters: fixed and/or variable
Tripod(s): standard, heavy, travel, small, tabletop
Gimbal
Monopod
Selfie-stick
Bean bag
Microfiber cloths to wipe mist and rain from lenses
Memory cards
Batteries for everything
Chargers for batteries
Camera bag(s)
Laptop computer
Power supply for laptop
Multi outlet electrical cord
Memory card reader/adapter
Trekking poles/walking stick
Everyday clothing and footwear appropriate for the weather forecast: https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/ga/clayton
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
Insect repellent
Softside or small cooler
Drinks and snacks
Waders/boots so you can stand in water for photos if desired
First aid kit
Google Sites
Report abuse