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October 5-10, 2023
Location - Banff National Park, Canada
Dates - October 5-10, 2023
Tuition - US $ 1,899.00
Group Size - 8
Tour Operator - Josh Merrill Photography
Instructors - Josh Merrill & Ken Koskela
Tour Overview
The Canadian Rockies are a place of unparalleled beauty and adventure. From jagged, snow-packed peaks to the most unbelievable blue and turquoise glacial lakes, the Canadian Rockies do not disappoint. One of the premier destinations in the world for photography, we will photograph iconic mountain scenes in their early Winter splendor. We will also explore some lesser-photographed locations. Photographic opportunities may include Northern Lights (Weather and Solar Activity Permitting), Star-Filled Skies at night with the Rocky Mountains as a foreground, Waterfalls of Turquoise Glacial Melt-Water and world-class Wildlife.
We’ll be based within Banff National Park, where we will begin with photographing some of the world's most stunning scenes, at places like Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Two-Jack Lake, Vermillion Lakes and Johnston Canyon. We will keep an eye on the nights as well, with potential for Aurora Borealis, and rich night photography potential.
In addition to experiencing the best of Banff, we’ll make a stop-over in Yoho National Park, for locations like the incredible Emerald Lake. An emphasis will be given to time spent in the field, creating incredible images, and working one-on-one with Josh and Ken to improve craft and creativity. We will explore these stunning places with a small group that will maximize your learning and will ensure greater flexibility for us to get to the very best locations for the conditions that we experience.
All of our instructional workshops will cover two key areas: Craft and Creativity
Professional Craft for Landscape Photography
- Getting fluent with your gear and developing a consistent workflow in the field
- Achieving an optimal exposure
- Managing depth of field
- Capturing for multiple exposure blending
- Capturing for panoramic stitching
- Using filters effectively
Creativity in the Landscape
- Core compositional elements in the landscape
- Creative use of depth of field
- Long exposure techniques
- Learning and practicing new compositions
And we’ll also do at least one image review session and share some advanced digital darkroom workflow techniques.
Tour Includes
- Instruction in the field: craft and creative strategies for landscape photography
- Image reviews
- Instruction on digital darkroom workflow
Not Included
- Food and Lodging
- Transportation to and from the workshop
- Park entrance fees
- Participants are welcome to carpool and share accommodations during the tour
Fitness Level
Most of the locations that we will photograph on this trip will feature easy access, but there will be a couple which will require moderate exertion at high elevation. None of our hikes will go beyond 3 miles round-trip, but you’ll need a moderate level of physical fitness and some experience hiking to manage this tour safely.
Suggested Equipment and Clothing
- Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera
- Tripod with Cable Release and L Bracket
- Wide Angle Lens and Telephoto Zoom Lens (Covering a range from 16mm-200mm or more)
- Filters: Circular Polarizer, Neutral Density
- Lots of Memory Cards
- Extra Camera Batteries
- Micro-fiber Cloths
- Camera Bag/Backpack for Gear and Food/Water
Clothing for a variety of weather conditions from 15F to 50F
- Rain Jacket and Pants
- Down Layer
- Hiking Boots (Insulated winter boots are recommended)
- Gloves and Hat
- Plenty of Wool Socks
- Moisture Wicking Base Layer
- Traction Device for Boots, in case we experience any icy paths. (Kahtoola MICROspikes are a great option)
Lodging
Our base of operations will be in Banff, Alberta within Banff National Park. We will arrange for rooms to be blocked off at a discounted rate for your convenience. However, you may choose to stay elsewhere if you prefer. We’ll e-mail you with an itinerary so that you can make your hotel reservations. Be advised that our trip in Banff will take place over the Canadian Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, so booking lodging and rental car as early as possible would be wise.
Cancellation Schedule
- 90 days prior to day 1 of tour = Refund of all registration fees and deposits
- 60-89 days prior to day 1 of tour = Josh Merrill Photography will retain tour deposit
- 59 days or less prior to day 1 of tour = Josh Merrill Photography will retain full tour tuition
We strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance in case you need to cancel your tour and are unable to complete the tour for any reason.
We reserve the right to cancel the photo tour for any reason including low enrollment in the tour. We also reserve the right to operate the workshop with one instructor if enrollment is lower than 6 participants.
Registration and Payment
This tour is operated by Josh Merrill Photography. To register for this workshop, please go to his page here:
Click here to register for the tour with Josh Merrill Photography
Click here to access Josh's webpage for this tour
Click here for tour operator's release of liability and policies (important!)
I have been an instructor twice on this particular tour with Josh. I am happy to answer any questions you have!
Click here to email Ken with questions
I hope to see you in the Canadian Rockies in October 2023!
