Quick Summary:
• October 16 - 20, 2017
• Based in the Big Bend region of Texas
• 12 students maximum
• Tuition: $625
The format of this upcoming workshop will return to that of previous workshops (2014 and earlier). I.e. this upcoming workshop will not be an advanced workshop.
There will be two assistants helping during this workshop: Wes Clavey and Lacy Olson.
• Details of this workshop: thomasjavery.com/workshops/ws_oct17.html
• How to contact me: thomasjavery.com/contact
Details are being worked out right now. Stay tuned for more information.
Tuition will be $625. The workshop will return to my usual format.
If you're interested and want to get on my email announcement list, please contact me: Contact TJ Avery
Please contact me if you're interested.
The price of tuition has been lowered to $750. The maximum class size is nine people. I currently have five signed up.
Don't let the advanced description scare you. If you have at least a bit of experience shooting in very low light conditions and know how to change aperture, shutter speed, and ISO while in manual, then you'll be okay. This workshop is designed to take basic skills and work them to gain advanced knowledge mostly by experience (so we'll be spending a lot more time shooting in the dark).
Please contact me if you're interested.
This workshop will focus on night photography, and I will teach and demonstrate advanced techniques. We'll also spend more time in the field shooting the dark, night skies that the Big Bend is famous for.
Interested? Please contact me!
Reminder: I will hold a free (open to any visitor of Big Bend National Park) short astrophotography workshop at 9:00pm on Friday, January 15, 2016 in Big Bend National Park. It will be at the small parking lot at the north end of the Basin road (aka the cell phone lot). This workshop is being held on behalf of the Big Bend Conservancy (formerly Friends of Big Bend) and is part of the Dark Sky Weekend celebration.
Please see this post on Facebook for detailed information:
facebook.com/groups/bigbendfriends/permalink/10153377215427547
APRIL 2016 WORKSHOP UPDATE
The April 2016 workshop has filled up, and I've begun a waiting list. If you're interested in attending, please let me know. I've had 1 - 2 cancellations just before every workshop I've held in the past. So, there's a decent chance a spot will open.
Dates: April 5 - 9, 2016.
PLEASE NOTE I have changed the date from February to April for this workshop. The new date will still place us there under dark, moonless skies.
THE DATES ARE NOW CONFIRMED! I will create a detailed listing for this workshop and start accepting deposits soon! Look for an announcement here with further details and instructions.
Please contact me if you are interested or have questions!
I'm planning to hold a photography workshop in the Big Bend of Texas in February 2016. It will start on Monday, Feb. 15 and run through Saturday, Feb. 20.
The dates will place us there under dark, moonless skies when the Milky Way rises at about 4:30am each morning. We will head out very early and shoot the Milky Way and night sky, and we may stick around for sunrise if it looks good. Our days will have limited classroom time; Everyone will have several hours of free time during the day to nap and catch up on things. We will also have an afternoon outing to photograph the landscape and sunset.
The Milky Way is in a different location and orientation at this time of year as compared to the fall (when I hold my usual workshop). It will rise in the east and span over the horizon and will offer new and interesting opportunities.
Full details of this workshop are being developed, and the details will be very similar to past workshops.
Please contact me if you are interested or have questions. I'm not taking deposits at this time, but I can put you on a short list if you are seriously interested in attending.
Please click here for more details on the workshop:
http://www.thomasjavery.com/workshops/ws_oct14.html
I've sent an announcement out to my email list and now have several folks signed up. Please see the workshop details page (click here!) for more information.
I've lowered my price a bit and made some slight changes in how the event will operate. The workshop details page has all the information and fine details.
Please contact me if you are interested or have questions. I hope to see you in Big Bend!
Dates: Oct. 21 - 25, 2014
Tuition: $550
Students: 10
Location: based in the Big Bend area of remote west Texas
I will also alter the structure of the workshop slightly from previous years. The changes will be:
- Our time in the classroom will be cut down. We will meet an hour a day, or two hours every other day, or however it works out at the time. But we will not spend the majority of the mid-day hours in the classroom as in prior workshops.
- I will shoot in the field along side you. However, I will make myself available to you at all times. If you need me, I will help you.
I'm making changes based on feedback on previous workshops. We do a significant amount of driving and moving around because the Big Bend area is a huge place. Trying to cram in a lot of classroom time is difficult, and the end result is folks being a lot more tired than necessary. Plus workshop participants need more time to get supplies, eat, and rest. Just getting food in the area can take a long time. (it's all on "desert time"... very similar to "island time", if you're familiar with that concept :-)
Our shooting locations are also large in area and we are usually the only people there. Workshop participants tend to spread out quite a bit, and having me float around to each person during a shoot is not easy. I will position myself as best possible (middle of the group) and be available, but if no one needs me (which happens 50% of the time) then I will shoot for myself.
These changes are based on past workshops and also a recent private guided shoot that I gave in Big Bend. The guided shoot was like a workshop, but we only had about 2 hours of classroom time (total) and I shot for myself in the field. The end result was quite good. Folks enjoyed it very much and came away with amazing photos.
So, I'm going to transition my workshops to be somewhere in between a classic workshop (as I've conducted in the past) and a guided shoot (where you simply have a leader take you around to various places to shoot).
I will send announcements out to those who have expressed interest. If you want to be placed on my announcement list, please contact me.
Once I finalize the details with the motel, then I will take on students and require a deposit of $200. Please stay tuned for that announcement.
This workshop will focus on night photography of the stars and land-based objects as well as classic daylight landscape photography. We will shoot within and just outside of Big Bend National Park.
The schedule for this workshop is around a new moon. The skies will be very dark and moonless after sunset allowing us to see and photograph the Milky Way.
Unfortunately, I am not planning on a workshop this year. I have made many plans and commitments for 2013, and I've run out of time. (I'm learning here... many times in the past I have over-committed myself and have made my life difficult. I don't like to be in that situation. So, it was a tough decision, but I will not hold a 2013 workshop.)
2014 Workshops
Based on the feedback from emails received, there seems to be a lot of interest in another spring-time workshop. Therefore I am tentatively planning on a workshop for February-Mar 2014.
A quick check of the moon phases and rise/set times reveals that Feb. 28 - Mar. 4 looks ideal. At that time of year, the Milky Way rises in the east a few hours before dawn.
This is a shot of the Terlingua Ghost Town church at that time of year:
If you would like to be placed on my announcement list, please contact me.
We are going to be in my favorite place for 5 days, and we will enjoy the amazing landscape and dark skies at night. I'm really looking forward to it!
The morning before the workshop started, Marti and I woke up at 4am and drove to the cemetery near the Terlingua Ghost Town. The skies were clear and dark, and the Milky Way had just risen above the eastern horizon. These two photos were from that morning.
I have tons of photos to sort through and process. I will be sharing these with you soon. I just need to finish unpacking and catch up on my sleep :-)
Big Bend is an amazing place. I have been there almost a dozen times in the past several years. I love it. And I love to share and experience it with others. I am excited about teaching photography and leading a group around the park to my favorite places to shoot.
The workshop will focus on night photography (stars and land-based objects) as well as classic landscape photography. We will be there at an interesting time. The sky will be moonless for a couple of hours after astronomical twilight and then the moon will rise. Shooting with moonlight provides different and interesting opportunities as compared to shooting with dark skies.
I will bring an assortment of LED lights, including LED candles, for us to use. We will practice light painting and also using the candles as props.
The workshop will be limited to 10 students. Tuition is $750 per participant. You can find out more details on my website:
www.thomasjavery.com/workshops/ws_oct_2012.html
If you are interested, please email me. Thank you!
Nine students attended the workshop. These folks came from all over (Michigan, Washington, and even Mexico!). My sister, Lacy, helped by being our workshop assistant.
I am working on a workshop report page that I plan to publish soon. This will contain details and information, along with many photos, about the workshop and our activities.
Many, many thanks to all who attended! Your participation and friendship is greatly appreciated
Marti and I are extremely pleased and also very excited about it. We have a lot of great plans and ideas for this workshop, but we're most happy about getting to spend time in our favorite place with other like-minded folks :-)
If you're still interested in this workshop, then please contact me. We have started a waiting list and I can put you on it.
Thank you!
The workshop will run from February 26 to March 2, 2012.
This workshop will focus on a wide variety of photography, including landscapes (wide angle, normal focal lengths, intimate scenes, etc), abstracts, macro, details, motion blurring, and night photography. These topics will be covered by Marti and myself. We each have our own styles of photography and strengths in those areas. We will bring this body of knowledge to you therefore covering a wide range of photographic styles and topics.
Please see this page for more information.
