MACRO ∧ MORE in the Columbia River Gorge…A GRAND TIME HAD BY ALL!!

MIKE MOATS

 

Last year, Mike Moats ( www.tinylandscapes.com)  and I (www.jackgrahamphoto.com) began talking about doing a workshop together. Mike, as some of you know, is as good as it gets when talking about macro photography and is my favorite macro photographer around. Not only are his images sharp, interesting, etc, but Mike has a keen eye and the ability to see in a macro world better than anyone I know.

 

 

 

 

In the competitive world of photography workshops, you have to do things a bit different from your competition. This workshop is one such event that makes it attractive to potential attendees.

 

In mid May, we held the 1^st of what we think will be many “Macro and More in the…” photography workshops, the first being here in Oregon, in the Columbia River Gorge. What Mike and I  set out to accomplish was to do a workshop stressing macro photography, but in an area that offers itself to some fantastic photo opportunities. The Columbia Gorge is one such place. We shot sunrises, and sunsets, waterfalls, streams, along with lots of great macro subjects.

   

                                                               Sunrise from Crown Point

 

We had a good group of attendees coming from as far away as Michigan and as close as Northern California.

 

Here is our group looking pretty OK after 3 days in the heat! Kudos’s to all of them!

 

As things worked out the light was average at best. A lot of diffuser use and early in the day shooting was invoked. Days were long as sunrise in mid May is about 5:30AM and sunset is about 8:30PM here in Oregon. What made it even tougher to photograph, let alone get down in the trenches for macro work, was the fact that it was near 100F degrees on Saturday afternoon. (The average temp here in Portland should be about 70 F degrees! ). But this group didn’t complain once came away with what I hope were some good images. Mike and I really enjoyed the personal 1 on 1 contact in the field with each and every participant. 

 

      

FOLKS LOOKING FOR THE BEST ANGLE BEFORE USING THEIR TRIPODS.. always a good thing to remember to do

 

      

Plamps come in handy         Mike working with an attendee making sure all is well in

                                                    macro land

 

We took some time to review some work about half way during the workshop. I know that everyone went out and understood what to look out for even more after this session.

       

Bruce , working hard as always              Shooting into the waterfall             The group shooting sunrise

 

The workshop went too fast and we said our good-by’s on Sunday afternoon. Mike and I along with one attendee went out to the coast on Monday. There’s as much if not more on the OREGON COAST to make Mike & I schedule a “Macro & More on the Oregon Coast” sometime in spring 2009. Stay Tuned!

 

A few folks even went back into the gorge to make more images after the workshop was over on Sunday afternoon. That made Mike & I feel really good.

 

Here are a few images I shot along with the group. What a great workshop this was.

JG

 

 Wild Bleeding Heart

                                                                     Cascading water over moss covered rocks.