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Updates from Crested Butte - Colorado Mountains and Wildflowers! β°οΈ πΌ
Published 4 months agoΒ β’Β 7 min read
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Hello Reader,
Greetings from Colorado! The first part of July found us teaching a wildflowers workshop in one of our favorite Colorado mountain towns, Crested Butte. We had a wonderful group, and we enjoyed jeeping around the high alpine country, photographing the wildflowers and a few waterfalls. The flowers were beautiful, and we had perfect weather. We were able to share some of our favorite high-alpine locations with the group, and you can see a few of the photographs our attendees captured below.
After Crested Butte, the prediction for the Aurora looked excellent, so we went north a few hours to camp in the Snowy Range in Wyoming and try our chances at catching the Aurora. While we could view the Aurora for a few minutes before it faded for the night, it wasn't strong enough to compel us to create photographs. Nevertheless, we enjoyed camping under the stars with a good friend for a night.
Unfortunately, as predicted with our drought-ridden season, we've had quite a few wildfires in Colorado, causing many people to evacuate their homes. It was a miserable July overall, with hot and smoky conditions here on the front range. Thankfully, firefighters are starting to get control of the fires, evacuation orders are slowly being lifted, and rain is in the forecast. Which is fantastic news, and we extend a big thank you to all the firefighters, pilots, and wildland firefighter crews working around the clock to put them out.
We'll now spend the rest of August here in Golden, working on business items, sneaking in some backpacking trips, and preparing for our fully packed workshop schedule this autumn. Our next stop is Yellowstone National Park for the month of September before heading to Oregon, and ending in Death Valley, with some side trips along the way.
We hope you're staying cool and have had a great summer! We'll catch you next month from Yellowstone.
Warmly, David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick
Nature's Classroom
Wildfire Smoke: How to Predict, and Work With It
Image by Jennifer Renwick
As wildfires become an increasingly common reality in the Western US and Canada, nature photographers face new challenges and opportunities. Our latest blog post offers insights for photographing in smoke-affected areas:
Learn to predict and avoid heavy smoke using tools like NOAA Smoke Forecast and AirNow.gov
Discover techniques for embracing smoke in your compositions, focusing on intimate landscapes.
Understand the impact of smoke on different types of photography, from night sky to landscapes.
We're excited to launch "Field Questions," a new Q&A section in our newsletter! This is your chance to get expert answers to your nature photography queries.
Struggling with Milky Way shots? Puzzled by high-contrast landscapes? Curious about our composition techniques? We're here to help!
Each month, we'll select questions to answer in-depth, sharing practical tips you can apply to your photography.
Your question could help fellow photographers too. Let's grow together in our passion for nature photography!
The Gear Closet
Ultralight Tripod for Nature Photographers
Recently, I've been on a quest for ultralight gear for backpacking. As nature photographers, we know all too well that "ultralight" and "camera gear" are rarely synonymous. One of the heaviest pieces of kit we carry is our tripod, and travel tripods are notoriously short and unstable. This led me to make it my personal mission to find something that strikes the perfect balance between weight, height, and stability, specifically for backpacking adventures.
Enter the Leofoto LS-224CL + LH25 ballhead - the unicorn I've been searching for.
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Key Features:
Weight: Just 2.19 lbs (992 g) for legs and ballhead combined
Maximum Height: An impressive 60" without a center column
Stability: Surprisingly sturdy for its weight class
While there are always trade-offs with ultralight gear, this tripod performs admirably if you use it with care. It's a game-changer for photographers who need to minimize weight without sacrificing functionality.
So why isn't this gem more well-known? It's close to not existing at all - you can only find it on eBay directly from Desmond Photographic, the distributor for Leofoto, it's not even on Leofoto's site.
π We're always on the lookout for inspiring, informative, and innovative content in the world of photography. Here's what caught our eye this month:
David duChemin shares tips on how to effectively edit photographs after shooting. He emphasizes the importance of selecting only the best images, doing smaller edits frequently, and considering the final output. These strategies can help photographers feel less overwhelmed and more creative with their work.
In June 2024, Ron and Sarah took an 18-day photo trip to Iceland, facing challenging weather that limited their travels mostly to the Ring Road. Despite the difficulties, they enjoyed unique experiences, including visiting a puffin colony and photographing beautiful landscapes. Ron has compiled over 100 photos from the trip into a free 129-page ebook portfolio available for download.
"DENIZENS" is a new book by Michael E. Gordon, a photographic artist from California's desert. It showcases stunning images that capture the beauty of desert life.
Recent Workshop Highlights
Crested Butte Wildflowers
πΌ This July, we embarked on an unforgettable adventure with six passionate photographers during our Crested Butte Wildflower workshop. Hereβs a glimpse of our alpine odyssey:
High-Altitude Exploration: We traversed the stunning Colorado high country in Jeeps, accessing remote locations bursting with color.
Photographic Paradise: Participants captured a dazzling array of wildflowers against the backdrop of majestic mountain vistas.
Hands-On Learning: Our group honed their macro and landscape photography skills amidst natureβs vibrant canvas.
Memorable Moments: From dawn shoots to twilight sessions, every day brought new opportunities and shared experiences.
Looking Ahead
Our 2025 Crested Butte workshop filled up in record time! But donβt worry if you missed out:
Join the Waiting List: Click here to be first in line for any cancellations.
π‘ Pro Tip: Crested Butteβs wildflower season typically peaks in mid-July. Mark your calendars for future years!
Image by Warren Diggles
Sunrise to Sunset: Fun-Filled Jeep Adventures in Landscape Photography
I recently attended my first photography workshop led by David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick of Exploring Exposure. From sunrise to sunset, our days were long but incredibly rewarding. This workshop exceeded my expectations in several ways.
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One of the standout features was that the instructors rented 4x4 jeeps to transport us to various locations. This allowed us to access remote areas and cover much more ground than we could have by driving to trailheads and hiking. The combination of extensive hours and enhanced mobility enabled us to capture a wide range of light conditions across diverse landscapes. It was both fun and practical, maximizing our shooting opportunities throughout the day.
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David and Jennifer were excellent instructors - approachable, knowledgeable, and attentive. They made sure to spend time with each participant, offering personalized guidance. While they provided helpful technical advice on camera settings, I found their insights on composition particularly valuable. The principles they shared will undoubtedly influence my approach to photography across various genres.
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A highlight for me was the processing session led by David. Despite my years of experience in photography and post-processing, I learned new techniques that will streamline my workflow, improve my results, and save time. These are definitely going into my regular editing routine.
Overall, this workshop offered a great balance of in-field shooting, technical instruction, and post-processing guidance. The instructors' expertise, combined with the unique locations we were able to access, made for an enriching and memorable experience. I highly recommend Exploring Exposure workshops to photographers looking to elevate their skills and explore beautiful landscapes. ~Warren Diggles
Image by Greg Trainor
An Amazing Experience
I just got back from an amazing workshop in Crested Butte with Exploring Exposure, and I had a great time. David and Jennifer took us to beautiful places and I got some portfolio photos. They were very helpful with setting up compositions and provided excellent feedback. The workshop group size was small so David and Jennifer were able to provide a lot of personal attention to each participant. Plus they were truly nice people to hang out with. I highly recommend Exploring Exposure workshops! ~ Greg Trainor
Image by Warren Diggles
Image by Pat Polacek
Shared passion and skills in a breath-taking location!
The Crested Butte Wildflower Workshop by David and Jennifer exceeded my expectations! I especially appreciate their gentle manner of individualized instruction, and desire to see us improve our skills artistically and/or technically. They are very knowledgeable of the area, and took us to sites that they researched in the days prior to the workshop to take advantage of the best locations for the variety of scenes we would be photographing: wildflowers vistas and close-ups, sunrise / sunset on a mountain or range, an aspen grove, lake (pond) reflections, and waterfalls. Often, they would shoot a scene with their cameras, and show me how they saw the scene through their lens, and the settings, filters, focal length, etc they used to accomplish that. I had fun with Jennifer showing me some techniques to get abstract images, and both of them pointed out good composition opportunities. Their teaching approach is balanced between time in the field shooting, and classroom processing techniques. I came in with a love for the art of photography, and they elevated my skills so I will enjoy my lifetime passion even more! Overall, it was such a fun and rewarding photography workshop, and a highlight of my photography experiences! ~Pat Polacek
Image by Greg Trainor
Image by Warren Diggles
Image by David Kingham
Participants enjoying stunning conditions
Exploring Alpine Country
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