Travel to Bodie State Historical Park
on "Photographers Day"
and photograph the most famous ghost town
in the United States... Bodie Ghost Town
May 15, 2010
The cost of the Bodie Ghost Town Workshop is $325
+ park fees ($5) & "Photographers Day" fees ($50)
For an additional $95, you can add on a
"Tag
Along Day" (click for an explanation)
(Click HERE to see more Bodie images)
On Photographers Day, we will be allowed into the Bodie State Historical Park before the General
Public is allowed entrance,
usually 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes
after sunset. This will allow time for a sunrise panoramic
of the IOOF building
and a sunset panoramic overlooking the town from the "top of the hill"
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 there is enough interest, we will take the Stamping Mill Tour into the
mine
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)
I will be photographing
in Bodie 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 $95 per day.
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.
Itinerary
Thursday
This is a travel day
to Bodie for me. I am leaving early in the morning for a slow, leisurely
drive to Bodie.
I will possibly stop a few times on Hwy 395 to take a few
photographs.
If any of you are interested in carpooling with myself or someone
else, please let me know. I ask for $75 to help with fuel.
Friday
This is a "Tag
Along Day" (click for an
explanation)
Breakfast is
on your own. Virginia Creek Restaurant opens at 6:30 am for breakfast.
8:00 am - I 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
7:00 - we will meet for dinner
at Virginia Creek Restaurant & discuss the days shooting
We will also need to "pre-order" tomorrow nights dinner
I would suggest that you get to bed early because the next day starts early
am!
Saturday ("Photographers Day")
This is the Workshop
Day
45 minutes before sunrise we
will gather at the "guard shack" leading into Bodie.
30 minutes before sunrise the
park will open for "Photographer's Day" attendees
Sunrise - 8:00 am we will shoot
on the east side of Bodie into the IOOF building on Main Street
9:00 - 12:00 we will be photographing
the outside of various buildings around Bodie
12:00 - 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
1 hour before sunset we will
be setting up for the sunset shot of Bodie. If there are clouds in the western
sky, we will shoot from the east side of town. If there are no clouds, we
will be shooting from the cemetery on the west side of town.
30 minutes after sunset the park
closes and we will be heading home. By special arrangements, the Virginia
Creek Restaurant is staying open late for our group. They have asked that
we "pre-order" the meals on Friday evening so the chef can have
it ready for us to eat when we arrive
Sunday
This is a "Tag
Along Day" (click for an
explanation)
Breakfast
is on your own. Virginia Creek Restaurant opens at 6:30 am for breakfast.
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
I may be taking a look around 395 for my Fall Colors Workshop
7:00 - we will meet for dinner
at Virginia Creek Restaurant & discuss the days shooting
Monday
This is a travel day
home for me. I am leaving early in the morning for a slow, leisurely
drive.
I will possibly stop a few times on Hwy 395 to take a few
photographs.
Helpful
Information
Bring clothing that
is suited for a variety of temperatures, from cold mornings to warm afternoons.
I have photographed in Bodie when it was 13 degrees.
Be prepared for potential rainy weather.
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".
Suggested Camera Gear to
take on Workshops
Link
to Bodie images
If you are interested in the Bodie State
Park field trip, please e-mail me and reserve your spot
robert@robertrfletcher.com
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
Please
click here to view the "Friends of Bodie" website
To view upcoming workshops, click here