Eastern Sierra and Mono Lake Workshop
— October 4th to 8th, 2019 —
An exclusive five day field workshop to the Eastern Sierra Nevada with Alain and Natalie Briot
Open to 12 participants maximum
1 seat available due to cancellation
Workshop Focus: Color, Light, Composition, Personal Style |
This workshop is open to participants of all levels of experience, using 35mm to large format, film or digital
We will photograph each of the locations shown on this page (and more!) during the workshop
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Mono Lake at Dusk
I have learned so much during the workshop. Thank you very much. You and Natalie offer great insights into the art of photography. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge. My friends and family have noticed how much my photography has improved since I started attending your workshops.Kathy Swanson, Workshop participant |
Announcing an exciting workshop to the Eastern Sierra Nevada with Alain Briot and Natalie Briot
This workshop will take you to some of the most photogenic locations in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, from Mono Lake to the Bristlecone Pines to stunning views of Mt Whitney, Mt Williamson and many other areas. We will also be in an area where many well known photographers have worked, from Ansel Adams to Galen Rowell and many others. We will visit several locations where Ansel Adams created some of his most famous images such as Mt Williamson and others. We will also be in this area during the fall, with very good opportunities to photograph Fall colors (Aspens are plentiful in the Eastern Sierras) and perhaps snow scenes if we get an early snow fall during the workshop. Finally, we will visit photography galleries during the workshop where we will be able to see original fine art prints in person.
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Fall Colors, Eastern Sierra Nevada
1-Your Itinerary
The itinerary for this workshop was designed with two goals in mind: convenient travel arrangements and exciting photographic opportunities. The workshop starts in Lone Pine and concludes in Lee Vining, California.
Friday, October 4th, 2019
We will be meet you in Lone Pine, California. You will receive information on our exact meeting time, together with directions to our meeting place and time before the workshop.
On this first day we will start with workshop and park orientation and introduce each other. After a first photography tutorial, which will address the goals of this workshop, we will then photograph sunset near Lone Pine.
The locations we will photograph will be unique to this workshop. I know some of you attended the Death Valley Workshop which ends in Lone Pine so I want you to know that the locations we will photograph will be different from the locations we photographed during the Death Valley workshop.
We will stay in Lone Pine on Monday night.
Saturday, October 5th, 2019
We will rise early to photograph the Sierra Nevada at Sunrise. After breakfast, we will start on an all day exploration of the Eastern Sierra. We will photograph such famed locations as Mount Williamson, Mount Whiney and Manzanar, and we will also visit the exact place where Ansel Adams created three of his most famous photographs: Mount Whitney from Lone Pine, Mount Williamson from Manzanar and The Manzanar Memorial. You will be able to stand where Adams stood and visualize the difference between the scene as it is and the images that he created. We will end our day at a choice location near Bishop to photograph sunset. This will be a day to remember. We will spend Saturday night in Bishop.
We will stay in Bishop on Sunday night.
Sunday, October 6th, 2019
On Sunday we will focus on photographing the Bristlecone Pines near to Bishop. We will spend all day driving up and exploring the White Mountain where the Bristlecone Pine groves are located. Sunday will also be print review day. Make sure to bring 5 to 10 prints of your work, 8×10 or larger. Our print reviews are comprehensive and friendly, lasting from 15 minutes to an hour. The print reviews provide a superb opportunity to ask any question about your work. It is also a wonderful opportunity to get feedback on your work, not only from Natalie and I but also from other workshop participants.
We will stay in Bishop on Sunday night.
Monday, October 7th, 2019
On Monday we will travel from Bishop to Lee Vining. We will photograph the Sierra Nevada along the way, then explore the Lee Vining and Mono Lake area in search of a great location for afternoon and sunset photography. We will also continue your print reviews. Sunset will be at Mono Lake.
We will stay in Lee Vining on Monday night.
Tuesday, October 8th, 2019
Tuesday morning we will photograph Mono Lake at sunrise at the best location for the Tufas, the unique rock formations found along the shore of Mono Lake. After the shoot is over we will have breakfast in Lee Vining. The workshop concludes in Lee Vining after breakfast, giving everyone plenty of time continue their journey, drive back or fly back home.
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Eastern Sierra Foothills
2-Cost and registration:
The registration fee for this workshop is $1495. If you are an Alumni, meaning you have already attended a workshop with us, you receive $100 off the regular fee therefore your registration is only $1395.
There are four ways to reserve your seat in this workshop:
1- Use the paypal buttons below:
Fall 2019 Mono Lake and Eastern Sierra Workshop |
2 – Download the emailable Workshop Registration Form
3 – Email us at alain@beautiful-landscape.com
4 – Call us toll free at 800-949-7983 (or 928-252-2466). We are located in Arizona.
We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. A receipt will be mailed to you the day after your registration has been processed. You can charge the registration fee in one installment or in 3 equal installments placed to your card a month apart starting when you register. Just let us know your preference when you sign up.
Registrations are allocated on a first come, first served basis. We recommend you act now because our workshops sell out quickly.
If you have any questions before registering, click here to send us an email inquiry. We are pleased to assist you with any questions. You can also call Alain or Natalie Briot at 800-949-7983 or 928-252-2466 .
This workshop is for you if you have been thinking about studying photography under the guidance of Alain and Natalie Briot, two professional instructors, if you want to build up your photographic portfolio, develop your personal style, have your work reviewed professionally, receive answers to your photography-related questions, or if you want to visit and photograph locations that offer exciting and unique photographic possibilities.
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Ancient Bristlecone detail
3-Important things to keep in mind:
– Bring clothing suited for a variety of temperatures, from cold mornings to warm afternoons. Also be prepared for potential rain and for active weather. To quote David Muench: “bad weather equals good photographs.”
– Food, lodging and transportation are not included. Some of you may want to camp, some stay in a hotel, some may want to eat with the group while other may prefer to be on their own. This arrangement provides for maximum flexibility while keeping the cost of this workshop to a minimum. It will gives you maximum freedom in planning your meals and give you time by yourself if you choose.
– We will email you directions to Lone Pine, where we will start the workshop, when you register. You will also receive an email with the Friday evening meeting place and a detailed workshop schedule approximately 2 weeks before the workshop.
-We have a no tag-along policy. Spouses, friends, significant others and non-photographers need to be registered as full-time participants to join any aspect of this workshop. This includes meetings, print reviews, lectures, meals and all other aspects of this workshop. No exceptions. For further details read our Workshop FAQ.
– We will use walkie-talkies to communicate with each other during the workshop, when we are on location and when we are driving. If you become separated from the group we will call you on your walkie-talkie to find out where you are (provided you are within a 2 or 3 mile range). For these reasons we ask that you bring a walkie-talkie, such as a Motorola Talkabout or equivalent, to the workshop. Please set your walkie-talkie to channel 4-5. Some GPS units now double up as walkie talkies, such as the Garmin Rino 110 and 120. If you can, we recommend that you use a GPS-Walkie Talkie combination unit during the workshop.
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Bristlecone Forest in Fog #2
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Sunrise over Sierra Lake
4 – The four unique aspects of this workshop:
A-This workshop has a unique focus: Color in Light and Composition
This means that we will focus our teaching towards helping you develop, or refine, your knowledge of color, light and composition. This is very different from just going to the Eastern Sierra to photograph. Here you will be going to this area with the knowledge that we will help you either develop or refine your knowledge of Color, Light and Composition. To my knowledge few workshops focus on these aspects of photography. Yet, as you know, they are some of the most important aspects of photography. Why? Color, Light and composition are three of the main elements we have to work with in Landscape Photography. Expanding your knowledge of these important areas will make you enjoy your photography more than you ever enjoyed it. How do you develop an in-depth knowledge of color, light and composition? The answer to this question will take 5 days, the length of this workshop. Join us!
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Eastern Sierra Fall
B-You will be working under the guidance of not one but two instructors: Alain, professional large format photographer and Natalie, painter and Certified Art Teacher.
You will be working with two professional instructors who both have intimate knowledge of Mono Lake, the Eastern Sierra and other locations where we will be visiting. Having two instructors for a small group is a huge benefit. It means that you will literally get one-on-one attention. This will result in much faster skill improvements than if you were working either on your own or as part of a large group.
Natalie and I also have a widely different teaching style. I focus upon taking photographs, finding the best light and the best composition possible and then framing the scene, calculating the exposure and so on. Natalie, on the other hand, takes a different approach, focusing on helping you build visual skills one at a time and completing your Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises in a constructive manner. As I said before (and I cannot say it enough) Natalie is very patient and very dedicated.
Working with both of us, and being exposed to our two teaching approaches, will be a pleasurable and effective experience for you. While I will focus on technical photographic aspects as well as on composition and finding the best photograph, Natalie will focus on helping you with your exercises, with answering questions and with providing additional information on a variety of topics.
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Mount Williamson from the exact location where Ansel Adams took one of his most famous photographs.
We will visit the exact location where Ansel Adams
created his famous photograph of Mount Williamson
C-We will take you to some lesser known locations which we discovered after years of exploration.
We found many little known, or completely unknown locations during the many years we spend exploring Mono Lake, the Bristlecone Pines, the Sierras and the surrounding areas. The first time I went there was 1983, and the first time Natalie went there was 1987. Since then we have done numerous visits and expeditions to this area, to explore and photograph. We will be taking you to some of these locations, selecting those that do not require extensive hiking. Of course, knowing me and my work you know that I will choose locations that offer the most exciting photographic opportunities! Of course, visiting these locations is dependent on the weather and on road conditions. We may adapt our itinerary depending on these unpredictable variables.
D-You will be practicing Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises daily
In my 9-part article series on Aesthetics in Photography I introduce my Photographic Skills Enhancement Exercises. This concept is based on approaching photography as an activity in which visual training is necessary. This approach is based on conducting specific exercises designed to allow you to practice your photographic skills.
While my articles describe these exercises and provide you with the theory behind them, my workshops are designed to go much farther by providing an environment where you can apply the skills you learned in my articles under the guidance of Natalie and I. Natalie is very personable, very patient and very attentive to everyone needs. I know you will love working with her.
Of course, you can get as little or as much instruction and input as you want. If you prefer to focus on your own work you will have all the time needed to create your images. Just let us know and we will work with you to provide a learning environment tailored to your needs.
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Mono Lake Sunrise
| Not sure if you want to attend this workshop? Click here to see more photographs from the Eastern Sierra |
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Eastern Sierra Nevada
5-Instructor Availability
We will be helping you and photographing with you from sunrise to sunset, with a break for breakfast and lunch, during the entire duration of the workshop.
6-Cancellation policy
All monies are non-refundable. If you cancel participation in this workshop your registration fees may be transferred towards registration in another Beaux Arts Photography workshop under certain conditions. Transfer of fees to another workshop is not automatic and is decided solely by Beaux Arts Photography as a courtesy. We reserve the right to decide whether to transfer your fees to another workshop or not. You must register for another workshop scheduled one year or less from the starting date of the workshop you originally registered for. If you need more time we may be able to extend the transfer time beyond 1 year. Participants transferring from another workshop will be registered for this other workshop in excess of the regular number of participants. We can only accept two transfers per workshop. If you decide to attend a higher priced workshop, or if the workshop fee has increased, the difference in cost between the two workshops will be charged to your credit card when you notify us that you want to sign up for this other workshop. A ten percent transfer fee may be applied at the time of transfer. In order to get a transfer credit you can only cancel one workshop, Summit or seminar per calendar year. Your registration is guaranteed only when we have payment in full. We reserve the right to change this policy at any time. Workshop fees can only be transferred to another workshop and cannot be used towards purchase of a product such as mats, portfolio cases, CD or DVD tutorials, prints, portfolios, or other. Workshop fees cannot be transferred towards purchase of the Mastery Workshop DVDs. We cannot transfer consulting fees towards workshop registration. If this workshop is cancelled by us you will receive a full refund. By registering for this workshop you agree to this policy.
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Double Arch, Eastern Sierra
7-Liability Limitation
Beaux Arts Photography, Beautiful-Landscape.com, Alain Briot, Natalie Briot, guides, and cooperating agents aim to provide every participant a safe, educational, and enjoyable experience. We act solely as agents for you regarding accommodations, special activities, and travel, by any means, and assume no liability for any act, error, omission, injury, loss, delay, mishap, or damage to persons or property arising from any cause during the course of the workshop or in transit thereto. We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in the services to be provided. We reserve the right to change our arrangements should conditions necessitate, or to cancel any aspect of the workshop due to exceptional circumstances. In the event that we deem it necessary to cancel the workshop we will provide a full refund which the participant(s) acknowledges as full and final settlement. In the event of a workshop cancellation airline tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations associated with participation in this workshop will not be refunded. We recommend you purchase refundable airline tickets and make refundable car and hotel reservations. We also recommend you carry travel and camera equipment insurance.
As there is always an element of risk in any adventure associated with the outdoors, participants must read this form carefully. This liability release will certify that the participant is physically fit and capable of participating in outdoor photography exercises in field locations, and is fully and completely aware of any associated risks created by field locations and weather.
Meeting times, meeting places and itinerary are subject to changes dictated by the weather, the road conditions and other imponderable variables that are part of doing landscape photography. We do not carry cell phones. You are responsible for being at the meeting place at the designated time and have your photographic equipment with you.
By joining this workshop I acknowledge that I have read the above information concerning responsibility and release Beaux Arts Photography, Alain Briot, Natalie Briot, their guides, instructors and any cooperating agent from any liability. Beaux Arts Photography, Alain Briot, and Natalie Briot will assume no liability for injury, illness, or loss of personal property or expenses thereof associated with workshop participation. I also acknowledge that Alain and Natalie Briot have the right to refuse service to anyone at anytime and that workshop policies are subject to change at any time.
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Fall, Eastern Sierra
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Sierra Lake Sunrise
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Mono Lake Sunrise
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Fog at Dawn in the Sierras
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Radiant Arch, Eastern Sierra
Photographs and text Copyright © Alain Briot 2018