Upstate South Carolina & North Georgia Photography Event!

Discover the thunderous waterfalls of upstate South Carolina on this weekend waterfall adventure with Tommy White! If you’re into massive waterfalls dressed in their Spring finest of luscious ferns and wildflowers, this Workshop is perfect for you! One benefit Spring has over the other seasons is that everything is perfectly fresh and the water is up and really moving!

This workshop will take you to some of our favorites, where we’ll explore techniques on how to capture the movement of water. We’ll also show you the secrets of how to unlock foreground features that help tell the story of these amazing Waterfalls. Don’t miss out on this one!

Overview

A full three days of adventure and shooting including both sunrise and sunset golden hour locations. We will meet Thursday the 22nd for introductions and pre-instruction, followed by a relaxing evening shoot at a local favorite. We will start during the golden hours of the morning and as the light changes, we will introduce other techniques needed to help you continue to photograph.   We will explore the use of filters to improve upon your waterfall imagery and show you how to achieve both the soft, milky water look, and some good some energy in the water that produces beautiful lines, texture and shapes. Water movement is one of the keys to photographing streams and waterfalls. We will be exploring this topic in depth to ensure you’re able to achieve beautiful lead lines in your composition.

A little about the area

When envisioning the transition from the high mountains of North Carolina to the rolling piedmont of South Carolina one might imagine a gentle and graceful shift of geography. In reality, however, the transition along the southeastern face of the Blue Ridge Mountains—an area known as the Blue Ridge Escarpment or, for short, the Blue Wall, by the Cherokee Indians--is abrupt and dramatic: sheer cliff faces, deep gorges, and beautiful headwater rivers with names like Chattooga, Whitewater, Thompson, Horsepasture, Toxaway, Eastatoe, and Saluda. Fun fact: two of only four Wild and Scenic Rivers in the southeastern United States are in this area (the Chattooga and the Horsepasture). It is fair to say that an over-abundance of nearby natural riches—including Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway—dominate the attention and focus of outdoors enthusiasts. However, the Blue Ridge Escarpment in Upstate South Carolina is a wilderness area of national significance and we’re excited to share a small portion with you through this waterfall workshop! We’ll be setting up base camp at Oconee State Park located in the northwestern corner of Upstate South Carolina. Here, situated within Sumter National Forest, we’ll have nearby access to the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River where numerous tributary streams cascade, tumble, and crash on their way to join up. The Chattooga River watershed and corridor along the state borders of South Carolina and Georgia will be our primary focus throughout the workshop. Some of the waterfalls we’ll be working around could include Issaqueena Falls, Yellow Branch Falls, Spoonauger Falls, King Creek Falls, Riley Moore Falls, Opossum Creek Falls, and Long Creek Falls. Several areas of the Chattooga River itself form interesting waterfalls and cascades, including the infamous Bull Sluice cascade, as well as Woodall Shoals and the Chattooga Potholes. Should the weather and schedule permit, we’ll also have the opportunity to hop on nearby Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway (SC-11) to travel along the base of the Blue Wall through a series of public and private conservation lands, including the Table Rock Watershed, the Mountain Bridge Wilderness and a large swath of property owned by Duke Energy (where Lake Jocassee is located). Waterfalls here include Twin Falls, Oconee Station Falls, and Lee Falls to name a few. We’re both excited to introduce this particular wilderness area—an exciting transitional zone rich with beautiful water--to fellow waterfall and landscape lovers!

Important:  Hikes can vary in difficulty levels and can reach up to 2-3 miles round trip.  We do take our time, so that no one feels rushed and we always want everyone to arrive safe. No one knows your condition and fitness level better than you.  If there any doubts, you may contact us at any time to discuss it in more detail.  Your safety is always our highest priority..  Helping us by being prepared will ensure you have a safe and productive trip.  If there is any question, check out our individualized sessions, custom designed specifically for you.

Enrollment is limited to 8, so you will receive ample individual attention. You’ll quickly learn through direct hands-on instruction and be able to achieve the techniques using your own equipment.  This is the best way to learn and remember it for your next outing.

You will be responsible for your food, lodging and transportation. Admission Fees will also be your responsibility.

We will be staying at the Hampton Inn in Seneca, SC. A bloom of rooms will be listing soon. Contact Tommy White for details: 828-773-0369

Topics we will cover

• How to research potential shoot locations

• How to read the weather

• Learn how to create powerful compositions and bring your artistic vision to life

• Visualizing your composition, capturing and guiding the viewer

• The use of Neutral Density and ND Graduated filters to enhance and control light.

• How to identify and control: Balance and visual flow

• The use of filters to enhance and control light. How to “see” light

• Histograms, how to read them and why they play an important role

• Focus Stacking for extreme front and back focus

• How to use lens compression and when to use it.

• How to blend focal lengths and exposures to maximize Dynamic Range

• How to create beautiful Long Exposures to unveil a hidden visual world of intrigue and wonder

• Image Critique and Visual Experience

• Post Processing and Digital Workflow in Lightroom and Photoshop, including third party softwares

What’s Included

• Photography instruction with renowned Landscape Photographer Tommy White

• Lightroom and Photoshop training

• How to use 3rd party programs like TK Actions, Luminar and Nik

• 2 Full days of Photography and field Instruction in the Winter Tundra near Boone

• One on One field guidance in composition, camera settings, recording movement, and how to create depth and visual flow

• GPS field guidance and how to use Apps and software to document our locations

• Visual interpretation of the landscape. How to find and compose difficult scenes

• Guidance and safety throughout the entire trip

What’s not included

• Participants should plan to provide their own transportation. Carpooling will be available at your own discretion. 4wd is recommended.

• Meals during the trip. I will always have drinks and snacks on hand but plan to travel with your own favorites as well.

• Lodging - We will provide information for you on Lodging after your registration.

• Park and admission fees. We are fully permitted in State and National Parks, but occasionally there are other fees per individual.

• Alcoholic beverages

• Personal Items

Cancellation Policy:  If you need to cancel your booking, the Deposit is non refundable on all Seasonal and Group Photography Workshops.  If the cancellation is less than 90 days, you will receive a full refund minus the deposit and 15% admin fee, when your spot is filled. If the cancellation is more than 90 days, you will receive a full refund when your spot is filled, or, you may move to another available workshop (minus a 15% admin fee) in the current calendar year. The remaining balance on the new Workshop is due upon transfer.

If you are booked for a Private Workshop and you need to cancel, you may reschedule your workshop one time within the current calendar year during an available time.