Navajoland Workshop |
Workshop focus: Personal Style, Light and Inspiration |
This workshop is open to photographers of all levels of experience, using film or digital.
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Shadows, Monument Valley
I wanted to thank you and Natalie for a great Navajoland workshop. The pace of the workshop was perfectly engaging as well as challenging. I came away KNOWING I will be a better photographer and I look forward to honing my skills using the Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD. Thank you again, Gary Hamilton |
Announcing an exciting Northern Arizona workshop to NavajoLand with Alain Briot and Natalie Briot
Alain Briot, famous large format landscape photographer and Natalie Briot, Painter and Certified Art Teacher “team up” to offer you a unique and feature-packed workshop. Alain and Natalie have lived seven years in Chinle, at the mouth of Canyon de Chelly National Monument and are now taking you to the places they know intimately, the places they have explored inside and out for many years.Visit NavajoLand with two of the most knowledgeable instructors for this location, bring back photographs you will treasure for years to come, and improve your photography skills in record time.
Hello, Alain Briot here. I am pleased to announce some extremely exciting news: Natalie and I are offering a unique, feature-packed workshop filled with exciting and unique photographic opportunities. This workshop will take you to one of our favorite photographic locations: NavajoLand.
About Alain and Natalie Briot
I specialize in creating large format, fine art landscape photographs and I have been photographing since 1980 in Europe and since 1983 in the United States. I have 6 years of experience teaching photography and communication courses at the graduate and undergraduate level at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona and at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. I have 20 years of experience photographing the Southwest and NavajoLand, the fascinating region we will explore during this workshop.
Natalie is a certified Art Teacher. She
has been teaching since 1992, first in Houghton, Michigan, then in Chinle, in the heart of NavajoLand, starting in 1995. Natalie loves teaching and specializes in helping her students fulfill their vision through visual exercises. Natalie is extremely patient and attentive to her students’ needs.
We will take you to each of the locations shown in the photographs on this page so you can bring back your own photographs from these amazing places! Here are some of the locations we will be visiting:
– Canyon de Chelly
– Thunderbird trading post
– Monument Valley
– Round Rock
– Church Rock
– Much more!
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Clearing Storm over Canyon de Chelly
The four unique and exciting aspects of this workshop:
1- 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 NavajoLand and of each location where we will be taking you. 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 more relaxed and less driven 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.
2-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 living in Chinle and exploring NavajoLand. 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.
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Spiderock in Snowstorm
3-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.
4-You will enjoy a visit led by instructors intimately familiar with Navajo Culture
This is a definite advantage for you and the guarantee of an enjoyable visit. As you know Natalie and I have lived in Chinle for 7 years from 1995 to 2002 (we moved from Chinle to Peoria, Arizona, in January 2003). We know the way of life of the Navajos, we are familiar with their customs and their beliefs, and we know how to interact with them. Furthermore, we have been doing business with Navajos since 1995 and have been exploring NavajoLand since 1983, for myself, and since childhood for Natalie who has lived in Arizona nearly all her life.
This intimate knowledge means that we will be able to provide you with a unique introduction to Navajo culture. You will, no doubt, have many questions about the Navajo way of life and about NavajoLand. We will be able to answer these questions, based on our long experience living and working in Chinle. We will also be able to provide you with an insider view of the Navajo Culture and with information about life in NavajoLand that you will not find in guide books.
5- Do not let this unique opportunity pass you by!
As you can imagine seats in this unique workshop are going to be in high demand so to be fair with everyone reservations will be made on a first come first served basis.
Don’t delay. If this workshop is for you, if you have been thinking about building up your portfolio, becoming more serious about your photography, or simply want to visit locations which offer exciting photographic possibilities don’t hesitate: sign up now.
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Round Rock and Clouds
7-Your Itinerary
The itinerary for this workshop was designed with two goals in mind: convenient travel arrangements and exciting photographic opportunities. We will start and conclude this workshop in Chinle where Natalie and I will welcome you.
Detailed account of your itinerary:
Friday, May 6yh, 2016
We will be meet you in Chinle, at Tsegi Overlook, one of the most beautiful overlooks of Canyon de Chelly, before sunset. You will receive both a map and directions to Chinle, and to Tsegi overlook, approximately two weeks before the workshop.
We will stay in Chinle on Friday night.
Saturday, May 7th, 2016
Saturday will be one of the most exciting days in this workshop as we will spend all day exploring & photographing Canyon de Chelly. We will start by getting up before sunrise and driving to the rim of Canyon de Chelly for a sunrise shoot. After breakfast, we will explore the many different aspects of Canyon de Chelly. I will give a presentation on photographic skills and you will start practicing Photographic Skill Enhancement Exercises. These exercises will be conducted throughout the day, preferably when the light is flat so as not to take time away from your personal photography.
We will stay in Chinle again on Saturday night.
Sunday, May 8th, 2016
We will get up before sunrise, and do another sunrise shoot on the rim of Canyon de Chelly. After breakfast we will be on our way to Monument Valley. On the way to Monument Valley we will photograph Round Rock, Los Gigantes Buttes, the Baby Rocks, and other exciting scenery along the way. Our photographic subjects will be selected based on the light quality as well as our schedule. I will give a second presentation on photographic skills and you will practicing additional Photographic Skill Enhancement Exercises on Sunday.
Lodging on Sunday night will be at the Gouldings Lodge in Monument Valley or at the Holiday Inn in Kayenta. Kayenta is roughly 30 miles one way from Monument Valley.
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Sunset at Spiderock
Monday, May 9th, 2016
Again, we will get up before sunrise and drive the short (6 miles) distance to the Monument Valley Visitor Center to photograph the Valley and the Mitten buttes at the sun rises over the eastern gray to use Emily Dickinson’s famous words. This is one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen and although I have been there many times I never tire of it nor stop creating photographs which continue to enchant me. I know you will love it to! We will photograph from two different locations along the rim of Monument Valley. We will drive into Monument Valley after sunrise and I will give a third presentation on photographic skills.
After breakfast we will continue our exploration of Monument Valley and the surrounding area. We will also drive towards Mexican Hat, Utah, to photograph some little known sites including Valley of the Gods and the Goosenecks of the San Juan River. We will choose our location for sunset based on the weather and on photographic possibilities.
Lodging on Sunday night will be at the Gouldings Lodge in Monument Valley or at the Holiday Inn in Kayenta.
Tuesday, May 10th, 2016
We will rise early again to photograph sunrise over Monument Valley from a different overlook than the night before. We will then have breakfast in Gouldings. After breakfast we will part ways to give you plenty of time to start heading back towards your home destination.
8-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 Chinle as well as a list of hotels in Chinle and Monument Valley when you register. You will then receive an email with the Friday evening meeting place and a detailed workshop schedule approximately 2 weeks before the workshop.
– We will be photographing from 4000 to 6000 feet elevation on average. Normally the only problem you can expect is a slight shortness of breath. However the higher elevation is something to keep in mind if you live at sea level or you are prone to encountering physical difficulties at higher elevations.
– A passenger car is suitable for this workshop since we will not drive on 4 wheel drive roads during the workshop. However, if you rent a car, we recommend you rent an SUV as it is more suited to this kind of activity.
-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 do not carry cell phones. 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.
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Sunrise from White House Overlook, Canyon de Chelly
9 – Registration:
There are four ways you can register for this workshop:
1 – Use the paypal button below:
| Spring 2016 Navajoland Workshop |
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2 – Call Alain and Natalie toll free at 800-949-7983 (or 928-252-2466 )
3 – Download, fill and return the emailable Workshop Registration Form
4- Email Alain at alain@beautiful-landscape.com
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 instalment 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 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 .
10-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.
11-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 within one year 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 workhop. We cannot transfer your registration to the Summit. 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. 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.
12-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 .