Glacier National Park Photography Workshop
July 21-25, 2023
Date & Time: Fri, July 21 - 4PM - Tues, July 25 - 9PM
>>> JOIN THE WAIT-LIST HERE
Fine Art Limited Edition of 200
From glacier carved mountain peaks to turquoise alpine lakes and forests bursting with fresh wildflowers, Glacier National Park truly is "The Crown of the Continent!"
On this 5 day Glacier National Park Photography Workshop, you will immerse yourself in the majestic beauty of the park and find photogenic scenes and unique compositions around every turn. With their intimate knowledge of the area, Ryan Smith & Chris Byrne will not only get you to the iconic locations at just the right time, but also venture off the beaten path for seldom photographed compositions. With some luck, you may even be able to photograph some of the park's famous wildlife.
Fine Art Limited Edition Photograph of 200
Itinerary & Logistics
Day 1, July 21: Meet in the afternoon for a short orientations session and early dinner before heading into the park for sunset. After the first day, we will meet well before sunrise to get on location for first light and continue shooting through the early morning hours. We will take a rest break each day from late morning until mid afternoon to rest up for our afternoon/evening session. Being far from city lights, Glacier is the perfect place for Milky Way, shooting stars, star trails and on the rare occasion, even Northern Lights! If conditions allow, we will have at least one night shoot. A flexible daily agenda will allow for optimal conditions, and we will incorporate as many iconic locations as possible. Areas visited could include: Two Medicine, Lake McDonald, Logan Pass and Many Glacier.
The sun rises at 5:30AM and sets at 9:30PM during this time of year. Add in driving time to and from locations and this recipe calls for early mornings and late nights, so it's important to take advantage of the midday rest breaks.
Temperatures can range from 40's overnight to 90's during the daytime hours. Physical difficulty will range from easy to strenuous with a couple of hikes being 6+ miles roundtrip with elevation gains up to 1000 feet. It is important that participants be in good physical condition.
Lodging is included for the nights of July 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th & 25th with checkout on the 26th.
The nearest airport is Glacier National Airport in Kalispell, MT, which is 75 miles from the St. Mary entrance (about 2 1/2 hour drive). We recommend renting a car to make the drive to St. Mary, but there is a possibility arrangements can be made for transportation or a carpool to and from the airport. Contact Us for further information.
What's Included
- 5 nights lodging
- All transportation is provided during the workshop. There is also the option to drive your own vehicle if preferred.
- A great time, good memories, and a lot of laughs!
What's Not Included
- Meals, snacks and beverages
- Transportation to and from your home
- Park entrance fees
In-Field Instruction
- Camera setting considerations for varying conditions, locations and desired effects
- Techniques on creating powerful & dynamic compositions
- Step by step instruction on shooting & stitching panoramic images
- Strategies on gaining full detail in high dynamic range scenes
- Bracketing concepts for adding a variety of looks & blending opportunities
- Camera settings for maximizing depth of field & nailing focus within an image
- Mastering shutter speeds for gaining the desired look & feel of water
- Creating compelling compositions and storytelling through images
- Controlling your camera in manual mode
- Understanding and using the Histogram
- Composition techniques
- Finding foregrounds
- Filters - when and how to use them. Avoiding their pitfalls
- How lens selection affects the scene
- Technical Tricks: Bracketing, Focus Stacking, Perspective Blending
- Understanding and using light.
- Capturing difficult scenes
Post-Processing Instruction
- Lightroom and Photoshop Techniques
- Importing and organizing
- Using the clone tool, warping, stretching and eliminating distractions
- Blending images in Photoshop
- Dodging and burning
- Using layers and masks
- Image critique
Fine Art Limited Edition of 200
Recommended Camera Gear
- DSLR or mirrorless camera (full-frame preferable)
- Lenses ranging from wide angle (16-35), mid-range (24-105) & a long telephoto (200-600) is is preferable for wildlife, but a (100-400) will work, and also be useful for landscapes
- Memory cards
- Sturdy tripod & ballhead
- Remote shutter release
- Circular polarizer and ND filters
- Lens cloths
- Extra batteries, and memory cards
- Rocket blower
- Cleaning supplies
- Laptop with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
- Protection for your camera gear & backpack
Recommended Personal Gear/Clothing
- Quick dry, lightweight long pants and shirts
- Warm/water resistant hiking boots/shoes
- Warm jacket
- Fleece underlayers
- Rain coat and/or wind shell
- Headlamp
- Refillable water bottle
- Microspikes
- Hat, gloves
- Sunglasses
- Insect repellent
- Sunblock
- Umbrella
>>> JOIN THE WAIT-LIST HERE
Ryan Smith
Ryan Smith developed a love and passion for the outdoors early on in life, which fueled an obsession for landscape photography. Growing up in the beautifully diverse state of Utah Ryan has consistently traveled through the west and beyond capturing iconic views, which spark emotion and tell a story. Ryan's artistic style is unique and unmistakable which has led to prestigious awards and work featured within publications. His work is also found within various high end galleries throughout the west including Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Park City, Utah; Telluride, Colorado; Aspen, Colorado & Sedona, Arizona.
Combining his professional experience as a corporate trainer with his passion for photography, Ryan has a knack for sharing the technical aspects of photography in an easy to understand way through various workshops, tours, and events through the west and the Hawaiian Islands. He enjoys adapting to the various needs of his attendees whether it's in the field learning the technical side and composition techniques, or if its in the classroom focusing on perfecting post editing techniques and helping achieve a print ready image.
Chris Byrne
It took Chris Byrne many years to to find photography as a means of artistic expression. During his youth, Chris and his Brother spent most of their time out in the woods exploring. The smell of the trees and dirt, sounds of the rushing creek and leaves are what he remembers most.
Many years later, after choosing a different career path, Chris picked up a camera and began shooting whatever was near his home, which consisted primarily of architecture and cityscapes. It wasn't until he took a camping trip to Glacier National Park, Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone that he rediscovered his passion to get out and explore nature. He soon found himself "hooked" on the outdoors once again, and shifted his pursuits toward landscape and nature photography.
Through photography workshops, and print sales, Chris is now pursuing his passion full time.
