Travel to Anza-Borrego State Park

for the annual "Wildflower Workshop"


March 14th, 2009

 

We are planning a Photo Workshop at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on March 14th. I am going to arrive a few days earlier to scout out the best locations for wildflowers. The wildflowers should be in full bloom by then (cross your fingers) and we hope to take full advantage of the rainy season.

If you are interested in attending the Photo Workshop, please e-mail me directly at robert@robertrfletcher.com.
The cost is $125 for the day and includes considerable photographic instruction.

Best use of a tripod
Using your tripod at low-level
When and how to use Tilt/Shift lenses
How to use wide angle lenses correctly
How and when to use a right angle finder
Correct use of a macro lens in any situation
Finding and using natural light any time of the day
How to photograph landscapes with professional results
How to improve the visual impact of your landscape photographs
Learn the correct method leveling your equipment for panoramic photographs
How to photograph and post-produce panoramic images for seamless large prints
And much, much more

I will be bringing most of my Canon equipment and am more than willing to share my knowledge and equipment.

You are "on your own" when it comes to food and a place to sleep. You can Google Anza-Borrego for motels, etc.
When you sign up, I will give you meeting locations, etc. We look forward to seeing you.


I will be photographing the Friday before and the Sunday after the workshop for my personal portfolio.
These are called "Tag Along Days" and do not include instruction, just friendly conversation.
If you would like to expand your Field Trip to include either one of those days, the cost is $75 per day.

We normally have a "no tag-along policy" during workshops.
However, due to the nature of this workshop, spouses and significant others
are encouraged to share this experience with you.
Some experiences are best when shared with a loved one and this trip is one of those.
They cannot, however, be included in the training portion of the workshop.


The cost of the Anza-Borrego workshop is $125

Information on Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California. Five-hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas and miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the California Desert. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunner, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer and bighorn sheep as well as iguanas, chuckwallas and the red diamond rattlesnake.

Location - Directions
The Park is located on the eastern side of San Diego County, with portions extending east into Imperial County and north into Riverside County. It is about a two-hour drive from San Diego, Riverside, and Palm Springs.
Many visitors approach from the east or west via Highways S22 and 78. From the coast, these highways descend from the heights of the Peninsular range of mountains with spectacular views of the great bowl of the Colorado Desert. Highway S2 enters the park from the south off of Interstate 8.

Wildflower Report
Greetings flower lovers, thank you for visiting the Anza Borrego Desert State Park wildflower update site
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638

Current Climate Information for Wildflowers
by David Senesac

I have posted the following current climate information to assist those pursuing spring wildflowers in Central and Southern California lower elevation regions. I will be periodically updating the information so one might check back occasionally as our rainy season progresses. The level and timing of blooms of wildflowers in our southern arid regions are highly dependent on weather with the amount of precipitation the single most important factor. Accordingly the following charts, graphs, and maps can assist evaluation of where and when blooms may occur. Wildflowers are something I have been actively pursuing as a photographer since about 1990. Though I have visited many areas of our state, California is vast and there is far more that I will never see in my limited lifetime. Given some experience and understanding of natural history, one may crudely predict the approximate periods wildflower blooms may occur simply by the time of spring, general temperatures of spring, and dates rainfall has occurred, without needing to receive actual status reports from others.
The first map at right is courtesy of the Western Regional Climate Center in Reno, Nevada at http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/. The regional climate center program is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This shows the percent of average precipitation as of November 28, 2008 for the previous 2 months. Of course there are only limited numbers of actual weather stations across many of these regions so maps are merely modeling results by experts. Accordingly there may be areas that show say 50% of normal precipitation but actually are 200% of normal because a thunderstorm during the sampling period rained down intensely in an area that has no weather instruments. And likewise an area that shows 200% of normal precipitation might in fact have been almost bone dry. Thus one ought view more remote areas of the map as probabilities. I have overlaid the map with text information of a few well-known wildflower locations. Also desert areas that show well above normal rainfall with say purple 200% color, have likely received less rain than a red 25% drought area in the northern part of the state where average precipitation is much higher. In other words, if a desert location averages only 2 inches of precipitation, it would display as purple if merely receiving 4 inches while an area to the north might have already received 12 inches of rain and still be at only half of normal for its specific location.
There have been three storms so far this rainy season of 2008-2009. Before this last storm the map for the southern third of the state was a near bone dry red. Thus a dramatic change with the recent storm. The first winter storm in early October did not reach further south than about San Luis Obispo. It did lay a modest quantity of snow in the Sierra that mostly melted off in the ensuing several weeks of above normal October temperatures. Then in early November, the second more serious winter storm greeted Northern California while again leaving much of Southern California dry south of Antelope Valley. That of course led to the recent spate of wildfires that often plague the south lands during Santa Ana wind conditions. Then this last week a good storm finally made a direct hit on Southern California that put good rains even across many desert areas that are often left out. Of note the Carrizo Plains remote gauge is now showing 0.82 inches of precipitation for the season, the Antelope Valley California State Poppy Reserve is showing a good 2.92 inches, Jawbone Canyon 2.51 inches, and Borrego Springs 0.46 inches. So hopefully this will be the beginning of the end of the two year drought down south and the spring of 2009 will provide more widespread wildflower displays. One might note Death Valley is the center of the most above normal totals. Further north, the latter two storms both added about 4.5 inches to the Yosmeite Valley gauge for a 10.8 inch seasonal total well above average. Further along in the season, I'll provide more thorough climate information per last season.
David Senesac

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in beautiful Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Suggested Camera Gear to take on Workshop

Call the wildflower hotline for more details (760-767-4684).

 

For additional information:

e-mail us at robert@robertrfletcher.com

or call us at (951) 737-2243