We are trying to develop a community where photographers can come and discuss nature, wildlife and pet photography related matters. We encourage you to enter the forums to discuss this article as well as to share your photographs and experiences in our forums here at NWP.

The Nature, Wildlife and Pet Photography Forum
The Value of Workshops (Having Attended a 5 Day Workshop with Steve Kossack) by James Morrissey

This article is ©2009, James Morrissey, and may not, in part or in whole, be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author. The images in this article are the property of James Morrissey and my not be used without written permission from James Morrissey.

Please note that this article represents my opinion based upon my personal experiences.

Zabriskie Point

I have been on a complete Death Valley kick since I first went with Steve Kossack and his workshop in 2006. I have now had the opportunity to photograph DV two times with a workshop and two times by myself and Chanthee. While I will admit that I love just going out there and photographing with Chanthee, there is something really unique and special about the workshop experience that just cannot be replicated when shooting by ourselves. The workshop experience provides so much – education (both photographic and about the area) being the primary thing.

Opposite Dante's View

On my first Death Valley workshop, I was – by far – the most junior of the landscape photographers. While I was very comfortable with portraiture, I was really just starting to get my feet wet in serious landscape photography. I found the workshop to be a great place to put theory into practice. Learning occurred at all stages of the workshop, with peers out in the field, with Steve, and later informally as we showed out work to each other. The group education did not stop when I got home either. It really helped stoke a passion in me to go find other great photographic resources and take better photos. I hope that for many, NWP has become one of those things.

Rusted Piece of a Rail Car at Rhyolite Ghost Town

When exploring something as large as a national park for the first time, it is easy to go everywhere but still 'miss everything.' I feel that this is particularly the case with my early trips to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Even though I have been going there for years now, I am still learning new things. While Steve will be the first to admit that his workshops are only meant to be a primer on what will hopefully be a greater relationship with the park, it gives the photographer the skeleton to be able to start that relationship.

Rhyolite Ghost Town

The third great thing about a group is that the entire agenda is pretty much laid out for you. Sunrise and sunset locations are pretty much set in stone for the week. No gnashing every night with where to go next. Admittedly, my problem is not figuring out where I am going for sunrise and sunset. It is more what to do when the light is not perfect. For example, if Chanthee and I were out shooting on our own, I would be very comfortable going out and getting up at 4:30 AM for sunrise, doing some general shooting for a couple of hours, and then completely crashing the afternoon waiting for the next big sunset. One of the really positive things about the group (at least Steve's) is that it provides a lot of bang for the buck. In addition to hitting spots at sunrise and sunset, we were also given the opportunity to see many places that we may wish to come back and photograph during peak times.

Sunset on the Dunes at Stovepipe Wells

Last, groups are just fun. The relatively relaxed, yet intense paradoxical nature of the relationships created during that week are powerful. The group is inherently helpful in building the creative process. For people like me, I tend to easily repeat myself, hitting the same places in the same way. Working with others who have never been to a place before (or perhaps only a couple of times) helps make it new again. Likewise, going with people who have photographed the park previously helps give ideas and build perspective.

Another Sunset Photo on the Dunes at Stovepipe Dunes 2

Now, this does not mean that every time I do something different or creative that it yields good results. LOL, I still get a bunch of dogs for every beautiful photograph that I take. Having said that, all it takes is one winner that is different from what I have done in the past to make the experience a wonderful and successful one for me.

I want to thank Steve Kossack again for giving me the opportunity to come out and join his Winter Death Valley workshop. It was a pleasure to be with the group and to help facilitate it. If you are interested in learning more about Steve Kossack and his workshops, you can visit his website at: www.stevekossack.com.

Have a story or experience you want to share? Send me a note at James@nwpphotoforum.com Getting married in a National Park and want someone to photograph it? Send me a note as well! I want to photograph your National Park wedding! To see some of our work, please fee free to click on these links:www.morrisseyphotography.com and www.grandtetonwedding.com

If you would like to read about some of our past trips to Death Valley, please check the following articles:
Parallel Play: The Death Valley Experience with Steve Kossack 2006

Spring in Death Valley by James Morrissey 2007

Death Valley 2008 (March)