Olympic National Park
About the Workshop
I live on the Olympic Peninsula. I love it here. Some of my best memories and photographs have come out of Olympic National Park. It’s one of the areas I know best. Mid-July is traditionally the best time of the year for sub-alpine wildflowers and mountain landscape images. It’s also a great time for some lowland flowers, Columbia blacktail deer (and fawns), coastal sunsets, waterfalls, and forest images as well.
Olympic National Park is one of the most diverse parks in the National Park system. From teeny, tiny tide pool critters to ancient forests to snowy mountains, Olympic has it all.
We’ll not only hit the classic places, but a few others that I know of. Places that not too many of the other workshop companies even know about. We’ll have opportunities to photograph mountains at sunrise and sunset, probably even deer in front of those very same mountains. We’ll find wildflower meadows and marmot colonies, streams, waterfalls, and rainforests. We’ll visit the coast, a flower-filled lavender farm, and maybe even a pristine subalpine lake.
We’ll visit Hurricane Ridge more than once. We’ll also explore the Sol Duc area, including Sol Duc Falls, the Lake Crescent area, the coast, and probably the Hoh rainforest. We’ll also spend one morning at a local lavender farm, always a highlight of my Olympic workshops.
Included in the Workshop
The workshop fee includes individualized field instruction, classroom instruction, honest critiques, ample teasing.
Needless to say, your fees include the professional instruction of a PAW leader. All workshops have leaders, however a PAW leader is an expert on the location and has proven skills as a workshop instructor. Our instructors are there to help you
make better images and fill your portfolios, not theirs. PAW leaders don’t photograph on our workshops; they teach.
Meals are not included. You will also be responsible for all transportation to the workshop and travel during the workshop.
The workshop will allow a maximum of 12 participants and requires a minimum of 6 participants.
Schedule
Plan on arriving at the Days Inn (even if choose to stay elsewhere) July 11th in time for a 7pm meeting in the hotel’s conference room. The workshop is over July 15th after the morning shoot, before hotel checkout.
Equipment and Gear
Clothing and Personal Items
Clothing should be casual and comfortable. Bring clothes you can layer for warmth and that provide protection from cool winds and cold mornings. Early morning on Hurricane Ridge can be cold and windy, even in July. It can also be windy on the coast. Day time temperatures will probably be in the 70 to 80 degree range, depending on the local weather. Be prepared for rain or sun or anything in between. Sunscreen and insect repellant are highly recommended (I’ll have some with me, never fear).
Packing suggestions:
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Wind-breaker shell
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Warm sweater or fleece
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Hat and gloves for those cold mornings
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Hiking boots or sturdy walking shoes
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Hiking poles (if you need or like to use them)
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Rain gear including rain pants
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Sunscreen
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Insect repellant
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Water bottle
Camera Equipment
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Camera body or two.
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Lenses in the following ranges:
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12-24mm zoom (digital) 18-35mm (film)
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28-120mm zoom
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70-200mm zoom
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Macro lens for flowers.
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Longer lenses, like 300mm or 400mm can be very useful for extracting details from a landscape or for the occasional wildlife shot.
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(I can practically guarantee we’ll see deer)
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Lots of digital memory cards, or about 4-5 rolls of your favorite film/shooting day.
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Cable release or self-timer.
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Sturdy tripod and head.
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Equipment manuals.
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Extra batteries
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Polarizing filter.
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Graduated neutral density filters (2 or 3 stop). These are a must unless you want to “blend” exposures in Photoshop.
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Notebook/pen.
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Laptop or other digital image storage
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device.
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Camera backpack or carrying system.
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Lens and sensor cleaning supplies.
Exertion
There will be some hiking involved. None of it is strenuous and anybody who can walk a mile or climb stairs should have no problem. The trail to Sol Duc Falls is 3/4 mile one-way. It’s a little up and down but there’s no appreciable elevation gain.
The toughest part might be the last 50 yards when returning to the parking lot, though it’s only slightly uphill. There may be a similarly long hike to 2nd Beach, which is downhill to the beach, uphill on the way back.
Transportation and Lodging
Sea-Tac is approximately 3 hrs from the hotel.
Portland’s airport is also approximately 3 hrs. from the hotel.
Suggested hotels and airports for Olympic National Park are shown below. Click on the name of the hotel or airport for more information, including a map. This information is provided as a helpful resource for our participants, but is not guaranteed accurate. Please confirm any important details before making travel plans.
Review the workshop description carefully for more information about rates, locations, and dates. If you have any questions, please contact us before making your reservations.
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1510 Front StreetPort Angeles, WA 98362United StatesSee map: Google Maps
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17801 International Blvd. (Pacific Highway So.)Seattle, WA 98158United StatesSee map: Google Maps
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7000 NE Airport WayPortland, OR 97218United StatesSee map: Google Maps
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Sub-alpine wildflowers and mountain landscapes
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Sunsets, waterfalls and forests
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Hurricane Ridge and Sol Duc
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Lavender Fields and lakes
Date
Participants
Leader(s)
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For the past nine years, Rod has been leading and co-leading photo workshops across the country teaching photographic as well as Photoshop skills.
Photo Gallery
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Final Thoughts
