Creativity With Light

Have you ever anticipated getting to a beautiful location you want to photograph only to arrive and find yourself thinking, “The light’s not right, now what?”  Whether it’s a once in a lifetime vacation to a remote location or an important magazine assignment, you know you have to get the picture.  Join National Geographic Traveler senior photo editor Dan Westergren and world-renowned travel photographer, Nevada Wier as they demonstrate how to find great light and what to do when it’s “not quite right”.

Topics

• Learning to Recognize and Take Advantage of the “Perfect” Light
  To help you begin to appreciate the qualities of light, Dan will begin by showing images that have been captured at the perfect time of day to create that beautiful, magical effect everyone loves.  Learn how great photographers arrive before sunrise and linger long after sunset to capture the glow created by the oblique angle of the sun in the hour before and after sunrise and sunset.  He will also explain how you can use rain, fog and stormy light to add drama to a scene.
• Photographing in Difficult or “Bad” Light
  Whether it’s flat, dull light with little contrast or high-contrast situations where it’s hard to capture detail, Nevada will show you how to photograph effectively during less than ideal times of the day and evening.  Learn the tricks and techniques of low-light photography (indoors and outdoors), -- how to manage contrast to create provocative images, and how to use color to make your images stand out from the crowd.
• Case Study: Getting the Shot
  Dan will discuss how to plan and prepare for a situation so that you can put yourself there at the best possible time for great light.
• What’s in the Bag
  Take a peek inside Dan and Nevada’s photo bags to see what equipment they carry so they can handle any lighting situation.
• Flash for the Travel Photographer
  In this section, Nevada will demonstrate how to make the most effective use of flash techniques to expand your shooting opportunities.  We’ll cover subtle versus intense flash, flash with slow shutter speeds, panning with flash, off camera flash and using gels, diffusers and reflectors.  And just for fun, we’ll look at “painting” with light using flashlights or other light sources.
• The Technical Side ot Capturing Great Light
  Knowing how to read and manage the dials on your camera will open up new ways to maximize the light that’s available.  Dan will cover white balance, histograms, shooting modes, exposure, and other options for controlling light.
• Workflow in the Field
  Nevada will discuss what equipment to bring on your trip to help you store and back up your images in the field to ensure they make it safely home.

Creativity With Light
will be offered in the following cities:

$195.00 per person (includes lunch)
Sessions will run from 9:00 am — 4:00 pm

Dan Westergren
As senior photo editor for National Geographic Traveler magazine, Dan Westergren is responsible for the magazine's photographic vision, which has claimed numerous awards for photography. Dan has also photographed a variety of stories for the magazine.

Nevada Wier
Award-winning photographer Nevada Wier specializes in the remote corners of the globe and the cultures that inhabit them. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including National Geographic magazine, National Geographic Adventure, Outdoor Photographer, Outside, and Smithsonian. She is a Fellow of The Explorer's Club and a member of the Women's Geographic Society.