On a recent roadtrip somewhere out west, Gary (a client and participant in one of my Great American Roadtrip tours) and I saw a little country rodeo at a local fair grounds. We turned the truck around and drove onto the fair grounds. Unsure of where to go, or if we needed to pay
an admission we spotted a local cowboy walking across the parking area. I rolled my window down and asked him if he thought anyone would mind if we took a few photographs of the event.
He sized us up and asked “You guys arent’ from PETA are you?”. Gary leaned over from the passenger’s seat and replied “People Eating Tasty Animals?”. “Oh, you’ll fit right in!” replied the cowboy.
You’ll not find many PETA members at these events, but you will find honest, hard working, and hard playing guys and gals. Salt of the earth type people who work daily with animals and love them very much. Small country fairs, rodeos, mountain ranges, and open range are the primary emphasis of this workshop/tour. We will visit several county fairs throughout Wyoming. In between the fairs and rodeos we will photograph the mountains, and grasslands that are the backdrop for these Americana settings.
Instruction
Instruction will be on how to photograph environmental portraits, and how to engage your subjects and make them comfortable during the photography session. We will discuss the use of various focal length lenses, lighting, and camera techniques for portraits in the field. We will discuss and demonstrate photographing under challenging light conditions. In addition to instruction about photographing events and people we will include instruction on landscape photography including filtering and composition.
Location
We begin the tour in Sundance Wyoming. We will conclude the tour in Buffalo Wyoming.
If you are traveling from out of state we can pick you up and return you to Casper International Airport for an additional fee.
Sample Itinerary
Each day we will shoot at sunset and well into the night. There will be plenty of opportunities for breaks, naps, and rest. There will also be plenty of opportunities to capture stunning photographs.
The following itinerary is just an outline. We reserve the right to deviate from this itinerary because each day will be determined by weather, light, and subject opportunity. We have been in touch with every fair and rodeo venue to coordinate our arrival and participation. In those situations where we are able we will arrange for “back-stage access”.
Day 1
3:00 Check-in at the hotel.
4:00 Meet in the lobby for orientation and early dinner.
6:00 Evening Photoshoot at Crook County Fair and Rodeo. Sundance WY
Day 2
9:00 am Breakfast
10:00 am Crook County Fair.
Noon–Lunch and break.
6:00pm Evening Photoshoot at Cambell County Fair. Gillette WY
Day 3
8:00 am. Breakfast and check out of hotel
9:00 drive to Bighorn Mountains
9:00-3:00 pm Drive and photograph Bighorn Mountains
3:00 pm check-in and break
5:00 pm Dinner
6:30 pm Evening and sunset photoshoot. Lovell WY
Day 4
Sunrise Photoshoot at Bighorn Medicine Wheel
9:00 am Breakfast
11—3:00 pm Drive and Photograph Big Horn Mountains
3-5:00 pm Check In Hotel & Break
5-6:00 pm Dinner
Day 5
9:00 am Breakfast
10:00am Bighorn County Fair
4:00–Review of work and dinner
6:00pm Evening Shoot Bighorn County Fair
Day 6
9:00 am Breakfast
10:00am Bighorn County Fair
4:00–Review of work and dinner
6:00pm Evening Shoot Bighorn County Fair
Day 7
Sunrise–photo shoot of Bighorn Mountains
3:00–Check in and Review of work and dinner
6:00pm Evening Shoot Bighorn County Fair
Day 8
9:00 am Breakfast
10:00am Johnson County Fair
3:00–Check in and Review of work and dinner
6:00pm Evening Shoot Johnson County Fair
Day 9
9:00 am Breakfast
10:00am Johnson County Fair
3:00–Check in and Review of work and dinner
6:00pm Evening Shoot Johnson County Fair & Rodeo
Day 10
9:00am Breakfast and end of tour.
Cost: $2495
The workshop fee is for tuition, guided tours, and photographic instruction, admission to all scheduled events.
Not included are accommodations, transportation, or food.
A non-refundable deposit of $500 will hold your spot until 120 days before the workshop when the balance is due.
Transportation from Casper WY (Wyoming’s only International Airport) throughout the tour and back to Casper is $350 per person. Maximum of 4.
Maximum of 6 participants.
Once you are enrolled, we will provide hotel information where we have rooms reserved. There is no need to contact them prior to your check in.
