Category: Workshops

2015 Quiet Light Workshops

February 7, 2015
Great Smoky Mountains BookLake Superiornature photographyPhotography ToursPhotography WorkshopsQuiet Light PublishingQuiet Light WorkshopsRichard MackRichard Mack PhotographyTravel PhotographyWorkshops

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Lake Superior

I am pleased to announce the Quiet Light Workshop schedule for 2015 with three workshops I will be leading, two in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and one in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior!

Quiet Light Workshops offer Photography Workshops focused on nature & landscapes, travel and trips to some of the best places in the world. Geared to the amateur and advanced amateur photographer looking for the chance to learn from experts in the field. Our photo workshops are designed to take you to some of the best landscapes in the world. During each workshop you will have ample time both in the field and in the classroom to hone your skills with your camera and in the digital world of photography today. Learn tips on Photoshop and converting your images into great looking prints, workflow management, color balances and color calibration to get consistent results in your work.

These are hands-on, in the field workshops with Richard. You will be in surroundings that get your creative juices flowing and will serve as a wonderful photographic classroom. At the end of the day, images will be reviewed and discussed as a group. Techniques will be shared and Richard will work with each of you to improve upon what you’ve shot. The take-away from this workshop will be a better knowledge of how to make your equipment work to the best of its ability, a new understanding of composition, lighting, filters, etc. and a plethora of tips to make your images get the “wow” response.

Do you have a place you’d like to see one of our workshops in? Let us know!

Workshop Schedule

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Spring Wildflowers
April 23-26, 2015

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Michigan
September 10-13, 2015

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Fall Colors
October 22-25, 2015

For information about each of these workshops just click on the links. Each workshop is limited to twelve members so sign up fast! check out more at Quiet Light Workshops!

Look forward to seeing you!

Richard

Winter in Great Smoky Mountians National Park on the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina.

Images from Tuscany

June 17, 2012
ItalyJill BucknerJill Buckner PhotographyRichard MackRichard Mack PhotographytravelWorkshops


We have returned from our trip to Italy and Morocco and did not have time to post images online. We have finally picked out a few images from Tuscany to upload. As most of you know the first week we were working for Gourmet Destinations which does spectacular trips lead by Jens Bauerle into the Tuscany region. They specialize in farm to plate trips looking at farms, wineries and cheese and meat producers as well as gourmet restaurants. This one had a special guest Chris Marchino from Spiaggia Restaurant who was great to hang with. As we walked in fields he would point out spices growing wild.

Some of these images were done on the tour and some done in the two days we spent in Tuscany after the tour. We would often split off in our own car before meeting the rest of the group for dinner and shoot in the late afternoon light as we made our way back. We found many of the small hilltop medieval towns full of great images at every turn. Outside of them you could find lovely landscapes of Tuscany. The poppies were in full bloom, yet the wheat fields which turn the landscape that golden color where still green.

You always want your images to be heart stopping. Every shot cannot be that. I think your goal can be for one spectacular image per day and weather is a big factor as well. If you find you have more, it is a plus. We had a lot of cloudy days so on the days we had great evening light we worked fast and furiously. Now that we are back we hope to be able to upload more images from Morocco and our second week in Florence and Venice. Stay tuned…

In future posts we will also talk about some of the thought processes we went through as we worked with a scene, how it was for two photographers to create images in concert with each other and more.

We hope to start bringing folks over to Tuscany for photo workshops and tours for 4-6 days starting next spring. More on this later, or signup for our newsletters and updates at Quiet Light Workshops. We also have a fall tour to Great Smoky Mountains National Park if you want to stay closer to home.

 

To see more of the work from Tuscany: Images From Tuscany

Enjoy!

Jill Buckner & Richard Mack

www.bucknermackphotography.com

 

High ISO and Perspective – Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

March 30, 2010
seeingWorkshops

Bluebonnets, Rookwood Ranch

I recently read an article by George Lepp in Outdoor Photographer which reminded me of a few things I talk about in the Quiet Light Workshops. With the advent of the digital world and especially today’s cameras with high ISO settings photographers – and especially landscape photographers – need to remember to think outside of their usual comfort zone. Today’s camera ISO’s, or as film folks think, ASA, can now go to an incredible 25,600! Remember when ASA 800 seemed on the edge? As landscape photographers we are used to working at the best possible ISO of 50-100 for the finest in detail. Yet in digital the loss with higher ISO’s is minimal. Yes, there will be some additional noise but nothing which can’t be overcome with noise reduction software.

Elk, Great Smoky Mountains NP

When shooting my last book Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Thirty Years of American Landscapes I had the need to extend the ISO of my camera’s (Canon 1Ds Mark III) highest setting to 3200 when I was shooting the elk in Cataloochee. It was nearly dark when the elk began to actually begin their rut and clash their heads together. Since this is what I had come for I had no choice. I confess, as I was shooting them I was fairly sure I would need to come back, so imagine my surprise when later that night the images looked great in Photoshop!

Indian Paint Brush, Rookwood Ranch

Last week I was in Texas and once again wanted to play with expanded ISO’s. This time not because I was forced to but to see how it would help you be more creative. I was visiting my aunt and uncle’s ranch Rookwood near Brenham. Aunt Char is a great photographer herself and was excited to show me around. The wildflowers were just beginning to come out. I found that by using the higher ISO’s I could handhold when necessary to get a better angle. I also played with the depth of field so I could show workshop participants directly the differences in looks when you step out of the landscape photographer mode and use a shallow depth of field to highlight an area of an image. The Indian Paint Brush and Bluebonnets in their fields became my subjects for this study. The fact is by changing the way we work we open up endless possibilities to how we see.

Sometimes we find ourselves doing things the way we have always done them – low ISO and stop down all the way to make sure that image is sharp all the way through. And sometimes it is best to break that “rule” of landscape photography. This may seem a very simple idea, but sometimes we need to be reminded to step outside our comfort zone and see the world in a different way.

If you would like to see more images from Texas you can use this link: www.mackphoto.com/blog/Texas/

To see the Great Smoky Mountains National Park book go to www.quietlightpublishing.com

If you would like more information on my workshops please visit www.quietlightworkshops.com

Go on and get out of your zone! Experiment!

Peace,

Richard

Nature & Landscape Photography Workshops Announced!

August 12, 2008
Nature Photography WorkshopsQuiet Light PublishingQuiet Light WorkshopsRichard MackSmoky Mountain National ParkSmoky MountainsWorkshopsZion & Bryce

Sunrise, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Today we announced the Quiet Light Nature Photography Workshops in the Quiet Light eNewsletter! Here’s the announcement. (To see the entire eNewsletter go to www.quietlightpublishing.com/newsletters/Aug2008.html)

Quiet Light Publishing and Richard Mack Photography have teamed up to form the Quiet Light Workshops. These are nature photography workshops for photographers of all levels. Quiet Light Photography Workshops offer people interested in nature and landscape photography the ability to hone their skills in the digital world of photography today. Each workshop will enable you to expand your skills with your camera, teaching or enhancing your knowledge of composition, color balances, and color calibration to get consistent work results, as well as downloading your images into the computer and optimizing them in Photoshop. Not only do we focus on improving the images you create, but we aim to engage your imagination and expand your appreciation of the natural world. Our workshops are designed to take you to some of the best landscapes the lens can see!

Join professional photographer Richard Mack as he leads you through some of his favorite places in nature – teaching and sharing with you many of the important techniques that have made him a leading nature photographer. Richard has shot on assignments in all 50 states and many countries. His portfolio includes works in both color and black & white from many National Parks, National Forests, and wilderness areas. His work has been exhibited widely in galleries throughout the United States. He has won numerous awards including twice being honored by the International Photography Awards for his nature images. His book The Lewis & Clark Trail American Landscapes has won over a dozen major photography, book and design awards.

 

These are hands-on, in the field workshops with Richard. You will be in surroundings that get your creative juices flowing and will serve as a wonderful photographic classroom. At the end of the day, images will be reviewed and discussed as a group. Techniques will be shared and Richard will work with each of you to improve upon what you’ve shot. The take-away from this workshop will be a better knowledge of how to make your equipment work to the best of its ability, a new understanding of composition, lighting, filters, etc. and a plethora of tips to make your images get the “wow” response.

Not only do you receive the expertise of Richard, but you will find him fun, easy to work with and truly passionate about photography. His goal is to give every participant the most rewarding photographic and learning experience possible. So, why not come along and set your own goal – take home some stunning photographs!

Workshop Schedule

Starved Rock State Park, Illinois
September 28-29, 2008 Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Tennessee & North Carolina
October 19-23, 2008Zion National Park, Utah
January 25-30, 2009Bryce National Park, Utah
February 1-5, 2009Saguaro National Park, Arizona
February 23-27, 2009Yosemite National Park, California
March 22-27, 2009

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Spring Wildflowers
April 19-23, 2009

More Coming Soon – including Alaska trips!

Email us to be put on the list to receive updates!

info@quietlightworkshops.com

For more information use the link to go to the Workshops home page!

www.quietlightworkshops.com

Hope to see you at one of our Workshops!