Travel to Bodie State Historical Park
to photograph the famous "Bodie Ghost Town"
August 7th & 8th, 2010
This workshop includes 4 hours of photography
"Inside the Buildings" of Bodie Ghost Town
$675.00 for this 2 day workshop
(plus entrance & permit fees)



(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.
Itinerary
Friday
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 you are interested in carpooling with me, please let me know.
Saturday
Breakfast is
on your own. Virginia Creek Restaurant opens at 6:30 am for breakfast.
8:00 - 12:00 we will be photographing
inside various buildings around Bodie
12:00 - lunch time in the parking lot (bring your own lunch)
1:00 - 6:00 - we will be back
in town concentrating on the cars & buggies of Bodie
6:00 - the park closes and I
will be heading back
7:00 - we will meet for dinner
at Virginia Creek Restaurant & discuss the days shooting
Sunday
Breakfast
is on your own. Virginia Creek Restaurant opens at 6:30 am for breakfast.
8:00 - photographing the
Bodie Angel & other headstones in the cemetery
10:00 - is an automobile that
is hidden in the brush on the west end of town
11:00 - lunch time in the parking lot (bring your own lunch)
1:00 - 5:00 - back
in town concentrating on the details of Bodie
5:00 - this is the end of the workshop
6:00 - we will meet for dinner
at Virginia Creek Restaurant & discuss the days shooting
Monday
This is a travel day
to back home for me. I am leaving early on Monday morning for a slow, leisurely
drive down 395.
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