(Click HERE to see more Bodie images)
Travel to Bodie State Historical Park
to photograph the famous "Bodie Ghost Town"
June 11th - 15th, 2009
This workshop includes 4 hours of photographing
"Inside the Buildings" of Bodie Ghost Town
plus several trips to Mono Lake for the tufas
and a stop at Alabama Hills for the famous Mr. Whitney Arch
$675.00 for this 5 day workshop
(plus park entrance fees & "inside building" permit fee)
(Click HERE to see more Bodie images)
The Bodie Field Trip
will include group and personal training time inside the park
How to use your tripod and monopod effectively
Using wide angle lenses for single-image panoramics
How to use Tilt/Shift lenses for High Resolution panoramics
Photographing through windows with no reflection
Photographing into windows with the reflection as your subject
Photographing deep into dark rooms from outside the building
Making the best use of natural light any time of the day
Selecting the right lens for the look that you desire
Professional exposure techniques using your cameras Histogram
Rules of Composition - how to use them and how to break them
Photographing "details" and how to use a macro lens
How to post-process your images for maximum output
We will take an extended walk through the Bodie Cemetery
If you use Canon equipment, I will allow use of my personal equipment
Travel, sleeping
accommodations and meals are on your own
You can travel with me for $75 / person to help with fuel (I can carry 3 people + gear)
Sleeping accommodations & meals are best booked at Virginia Creek Settlement
(ask for Jimmy & tell him you are with Robert Fletcher Bodie workshops)
General Workshop Guidelines for "Bodie Ghost Town"
Bring clothing suited
for a variety of temperatures, from cool mornings to warm afternoons.
To quote David Muench: "bad weather equals good photographs."
Food, lodging and
transportation are not included.
Some of you may want to camp, some stay
in a hotel, some may want to eat with the group while others may prefer
to be on their own.
This arrangement provides for maximum flexibility while
keeping the cost of this workshop to a minimum.
It gives you maximum freedom
in planning your meals and also gives you time by yourself if you choose.
If you would like to share an automobile and a room with another participant,
please feel free to do so.
We will email you
directions to our meeting place and a detailed workshop schedule approximately
2-3 weeks before the workshop.
A passenger car is
suitable for most workshops since we will typically not drive on 4 WD roads.
However, if you rent a car, we recommend you rent an SUV as it is more suited
to this kind of activity.
We have a “Please tag-along policy” for our photography workshops.
We encourage you to bring your “significant other” with you because
some things were meant to be shared with the one you love!
However, they cannot be included in the training and learning part of the workshop.
If they want to be part of the “learning process”, they must be a registered student.
Items to Bring
Although it does not matter what equipment you have, you will get the most out of the workshop if your camera
has manual settings, shoots RAW and has the ability to connect a cable release to the body
Camera body and fresh batteries
All the lenses that you have + lens shades
(wide angle to medium range zooms are a must)
Polarizing filter, Graduated Neutral Density filters
Very sturdy tripod
Cable release for long exposures
Memory cards (lots of them) & card reader
Sensor cleaning equipment (it could be very dusty)
(if you've never cleaned your sensor, we'll teach you how)
Camera backpack, "PJ" type camera vest or camera case
Laptop computer
(we will gather in the evening for computer lessons)
Cold & warm weather clothing
Good walking boots
(click on the green links for suggestions)
Itinerary
Thursday
This is a travel day
to Bodie for me. I am leaving early on Thursday morning for a slow, leisurely
drive to Bodie.
I will probably stop a few times on Hwy 395 to take
photographs.
If any of you are interested in carpooling with myself or someone
else, please let me know.
If the clouds look good and there is the potential of a good sunset,
I may spend the late afternoon photographing Mono Lake at the south shore tufas.
Friday
Breakfast is
on your own. Virginia Creek Restaurant opens at 6:30 am for breakfast.
5:47 am is sunrise. If it has potential for clouds, we may go to Mono Lake
8:00 am - we will be in the parking lot of Bodie getting camera gear ready
8:30 - I am photographing the
Bodie Bank vault on Main Street on the north end of town
9:30 - I will be photographing
the Sawmill by the Cain house on Park Street
11:00 - is machinery and equipment
photography on the west end of town
12:00 - will be lunch time in the parking lot (bring your own lunch)
1:00 - 5:00 - I will be back
in town concentrating on the cars & buggies of Bodie
5:00 - the park closes and I
will be heading back
We will be discussing the days shooting, answering any questions, etc.
8:32 pm is sunset. If a cloudy sunset looks possible, we may be going to the tufas at Mono Lake
8:45 - we will meet for dinner at Virginia Creek & discuss the days shooting
Saturday
Breakfast is
on your own. Virginia Creek Restaurant opens at 6:30 am for breakfast
8:00 - 12:00 we will be photographing
the inside of various buildings around Bodie
12:00 - 1:00 will be lunch time in the parking lot (bring your own lunch)
1:00 - 5:00 will be spent photographing
the exterior of buildings of Bodie
5:00 - the park closes and I
will be heading back
We will be discussing the days shooting, answering any questions, etc.
8:32 pm is sunset. If a cloudy sunset looks possible, we may be going to the tufas at Mono Lake
8:45 - we will meet for dinner at Virginia Creek & discuss the days shooting
Sunday
Breakfast
is on your own. Virginia Creek Restaurant opens at 6:30 am for breakfast.
5:47 am is sunrise. If it has potential for clouds, we may go to Mono Lake
8:00 am - I will be in the parking lot of Bodie getting camera gear ready
8:15 - I am photographing the
Bodie Angel in the cemetery
Most of the morning will be spent in the cemetery
11:00 - is an automobile that
is hidden in the brush on the west end of town
12:00 - will be lunch time in the parking lot (bring your own lunch)
1:00 - 5:00 - I will be back
in town concentrating on the details of Bodie
5:00 - the park closes and I
will be heading back
We will be discussing the days shooting, answering any questions, etc.
8:32 pm is sunset. If a cloudy sunset looks possible, we may be going to the tufas at Mono Lake
8:45 - we will meet for dinner at Virginia Creek & discuss the days shooting
Monday
This is a travel day
to back home. I am leaving early on Monday morning for a slow, leisurely
drive down 395.
I will be making a stop at the Alabama Hills and photographing the famous arch that frames Mt. Whitney
and may be making a stop at Randsburg Mining District
I hope that all of you will have had a wonderful time, learned a lot and will drive home safely.
Helpful
Information
Park fees are not included in this workshop unless charged for on your invoice.
I suggest the purchase of an Annual State Park pass at the gate. We need to
support our Park System.
Bodie is at an elevation of over 8000'. Be prepared for a shortness of breath
at this elevation.
All of our walking around the town will be at a speed that
is comfortable for everyone.
A friend has a saying: "Walk Slow &
Read". We will do exactly that.
Bodie has a VERY strict Non-smoking policy. The town has burned twice in it's
history and they don't want a repeat of that event!
I would also appreciate,
for the comfort of all participants, that there be a no-smoking policy at
any of our group gatherings... even if they're outdoors.
Meeting times, meeting places and itinerary are subject to changes dictated
by the weather, the road conditions
and other imponderable variables that
are part of doing landscape photography.
We do not carry cell phones in Bodie, there is no cell service there.
I would suggest you carry Walkie
Talkies to communicate with one another.
You are responsible for being at the meeting place at the designated time
and have your photographic equipment with you.
Make sure your batteries are charged and you have plenty of CF or SD cards.
I would also suggest a shoulder type camera bag or a backpack type camera
bag.
A tripod is an absolute "must have".
Camera Equipment & Gear that I take to Photo Workshops
If you are interested in the Bodie State Historical Park field trip, please e-mail me and
reserve your spot.
robert@robertrfletcher.com
To view upcoming workshops, click here
Cities & Towns close to Bodie
Bridgeport, California: 22 miles northwest
Lee Vining, California: 30 miles south
Mammoth Lakes: 52 miles south
Bishop, California: 95 miles south