The Thousand Islands region of northern New York is an area of incomparable and diverse natural beauty. Known to the indigenous people as the Garden of the Great Spirit, the granite shorelines and islands of the mighty St. Lawrence River, along with the abundant wetlands, forests, and lakes of the surrounding area provide a wealth of photographic opportunities. The area is especially stunning in autumn. The shorelines and island interiors are rich in maple, beech, and oak that are beautifully complemented by the dark green of the white and pitch pines. At sunrise and sunset the islands are transformed into silhouettes set against a fiery orange and pink sky.

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Join professional photographer Chris Murray as he shares with you his favorite locations and subjects of this place that endlessly inspires him. After an initial orientation session on Sunday we will spend three days in the field exploring and photographing the natural wonders of the Thousand Islands region. Particular attention will be paid to enhancing your creativity through your own vision. Focus will be on making personally expressive images, those that convey your thoughts, feelings, and personality and don’t rely solely on the inherent objective qualities of the subject. Chris will share his inspiration with you and provide individual field instruction as well as indoor instructional sessions and critiques. A highlight of the workshop will be a boat ride to a private island for dinner and an evening photo shoot.

 

Field lessons will include tips and techniques on:

 

• Field lessons will include tips and techniques on:

• reading and shooting the light

• fine tuning compositions

• determining proper exposure for a variety of conditions, from the simple to more complex

• learning to see in black-and-white

• using visual elements for effective visual communication

• working with your range of lenses, from wide angle to telephoto

• using Live View to compose and focus

• using the LCD screen and histogram to refine compositions, check exposures and

      confirm focus​

 

 

Chris will also give indoor instructional sessions on:

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• making personally expressive images

• optimizing images in Lightroom and Photoshop

• converting images to black-and-white

• blending multiple exposures of the same scene for panoramas, HDR’s, layer masks and focus stacks

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We will also have critiquing sessions of participants’ images shot during the workshop. 

Chris will help take your images to a new level. Our low instructor to participant ratio guarantees everyone significant one-on-one instruction in the field, and the beautiful settings will give each plenty of inspiration to explore their photographic vision.

Camera Skills Needed

All skill levels are welcome.

Users of all types of cameras are encouraged to attend, however digital SLR cameras are preferred for their ability to maximize the learning possibilities of this workshop.

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Description of skill levels - click here

Computer Skills Needed

A basic understanding of digital workflow and some working knowledge of Lightroom or Photoshop will be helpful. Chris will be glad to answer your image processing questions.

Other Considerations

Locations visited during this workshop are readily accessible, though a short hike may not be out of the question. Participants MUST be in good physical shape and should wear sturdy boots and use caution due to the frequent rocky terrain.

As with all outdoor pursuits, some risk is inherent; all participants will be required to sign a waiver prior to the workshop.

Group Size

10 participants max.

Registration Fees

$925 tuition only.  *Additional cost of $30 for private boat excursion.  This will be paid at time of event.

Deposit of $250 required at time of registration. Deadline for early registration discount is August 19. Click here for information on any other discounts that may be available.

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Click Here to Register Online

 

Details

Dates and Times

Workshop begins Thursday, October 17 at 2:00 pm and ends Sunday, October 20 at noon

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Where to Meet

Participants will gather at the Bonnie Castle Resort and Marina in Alexandria Bay.

Directions

Directions to the Bonnie Castle Resort and Marina can be found on their website. Call them at (800) 955-4511 if you need further assistance

Meals

Meals are the responsibility of the participant and their cost is not included in the registration fee. Your leader(s) will work with the group to organize meal times and locations.

Lodging

Lodging is the responsibility of the participant and is not included in the registration fee. 

The Bonnie Castle Resort and Marina is holding a number of rooms under "API".  When you make your reservation you must tell them that you are in the API block.  Reservations can only be made under API by calling the hotel at (800) 955-4511. 

Please do not make an online reservation.

 

Getting to the Event

The two nearest airports are Syracuse Hancock International (SYR) and Watertown (ART). Rental cars are available at both locations.

 

Transportation During the Event

Participants’ vehicles will be used for transportation during field trips. We are adamant about carpooling as much as possible to minimize the number of vehicles needed for any given field trip, as well as to lessen our impact on easily damaged roads and trails. Note that the instructor is not allowed to provide transportation for participants during the event.

 

​Please contact the leader(s) directly with questions: chris@chrismurrayphotography.com.