Eastern Sierra Fall Color
Information

October 15-18, 2019 (four days)

Where does the workshop take place?

This workshop is based in Lee Vining, California, near Mono Lake, the center for some of the best fall color in the eastern Sierra. I won’t know the exact destinations for our field sessions until assessing the conditions immediately prior to the workshop, but possible locations include the June Lake Loop, Lee Vining Canyon, Lundy Canyon, Mono Lake, Conway Summit, Convict Lake, and others.

When does the workshop begin and end?

We’ll start with an introduction and instruction session at our classroom space in Lee Vining beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning, October 15th, followed by our first field session that afternoon. We plan to go from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, with short classroom sessions in the middle of the day. The workshop ends at sunset on Friday. Our aim is to get you to great photo locations throughout the workshop, so the exact schedule may change to take advantage of the weather and conditions.

Transportation

Participants must provide their own transportation to and from Lee Vining. The nearest major airport is in Reno, Nevada; driving time is about three hours. During the workshop we’ll carpool to our field locations—we’ll discuss these arrangements at the introductory session.

Equipment

Whatever camera you normally use will probably be just fine. A digital SLR or advanced mirrorless camera is ideal, but a compact digital camera could work if it has full manual controls and Raw mode. You’ll want to have a selection of lenses from wide angle to short telephoto (or zooms that cover that range). A sturdy tripod is a must. We’ll send you a complete list of things to bring prior to the workshop.

Experience

This workshop is suitable for photographers of all levels except real beginners. You should have a good understanding of technical fundamentals like exposure, shutter speed, aperture, and depth of field.

Hiking

We don’t expect to do any major hiking during this workshop, but participants should be capable of making short hikes of up to a mile (one way). Also, getting to our photo locations may require walking over rough, rocky, uneven, off-trail terrain.

Altitude

This is a high-altitude workshop. Our base in Lee Vining is at around 6,700 feet, and our field locations could be as high as 9,000 feet. Don’t take this workshop if you have a heart condition, or other medical condition that could be adversely affected by altitude.

Lodging

We’ve reserved a block of rooms at Murphey’s Motel in Lee Vining. You can also choose one of the other motels in Lee Vining, and camping is available nearby. When you register for the workshop we’ll send you information about all the lodging options. Lodging is not included in the workshop tuition.

Meals

Restaurant choices are limited, but there are a couple of good ones in Lee Vining, and we’ll send you some suggestions when you register for the workshop. On most days you don’t need to pack a lunch, as we’ll be close to restaurants or stores during the middle of the day. Meals are not included in the workshop tuition.

Deposit

A $500 deposit reserves your space in the workshop. The balance is due 60 days before the workshop (don’t worry, we’ll remind you!).

Cancellation

We know you’ll enjoy this workshop and learn a great deal, but should you need to cancel for any reason we will refund your tuition (or deposit) in full up to 60 days prior to the start of the workshop. Should you need to cancel within 45 to 59 days we will refund your tuition less a $150.00 cancellation fee. Refunds are not available less than 45 days prior to the workshop unless we can fill the vacancy, in which case you’ll be charged a $150 cancellation fee. If you do need to cancel we ask that you let us know as soon as possible so we can alert people on the waiting list.

In the rare event that we need to cancel this workshop because of lack of enrollment or an unforeseen event you will receive a credit toward a future workshop. We recommend that you avoid purchasing non-refundable airline tickets, and consider getting trip cancellation insurance.

This workshop is full!
Please email us to sign up for the waiting list.
 

Legal Stuff:

This workshop is conducted by Michael Frye Photography and is operated under special use permit with the Inyo National Forest. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)