Join us in 2024!

Glorious Azaleas, massive Live Oaks dripping with Spanish Moss, coastal sunrises, and boneyard beaches! Springtime in Charleston is an incredible feast for the photographer. For three days, we will explore the wonders of Charleston and the surrounding areas in the marshes and waterways. The spring flowers will be in full bloom and the weather will be just right for hitting the beaches. This is not only a fantastic way to better your photography but an informative, photographic tour of places that you will enjoy visiting time and time again.

Booking Info: We have a discounted block of rooms at the Fairfield Inn & Suites. 4841 Tanger Outlet Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29418. 1-843-300-3100. Just mention you’re with “Mountains to Sea Workshops.”

OVERVIEW

A three-day workshop adventure, including both sunrise and sunset locations, with Professional landscape photographer Tommy White.  We will meet Thursday afternoon,  for introductions and a presentation on composition.  We will cover topics including proper camera settings, composition, exposure and histograms, hyper-focal distance, focus stacking, exposure blending, HDR, and much, much more.  Rest assured that you will learn essential hands-on skills throughout the day that will ensure you are capturing the image for the best possible exposure and corner-to-corner sharpness.  

Over the weekend, you’ll enjoy a more personalized classroom training where I will share my techniques of post-processing.  At the beginning of the class, we will take time to discuss composition and light to help you cull through your images making better selections for edit.  A valuable step that is often overlooked in today’s fast pace photography world.  We will be demonstrating a run-through on retouching in Lightroom and how to prepare your images for post-processing, followed by detailed instructions on Exposure Blending and Luminosity masking in Photoshop.  Followed by a demonstration on 3rd party filters and how to use them for added creativity.  Last but not least, we’ll share the proper techniques for outputting your image, whether for print or digital purposes, there are techniques that will improve your final result and ensure that your images are lossless and not degraded every time they are saved.

Day 1

We meet and greet in the afternoon in the hotel lobby to get to know each other before heading out to our sunset shoot. This will be a casual start to get our feet wet. Not literally. That comes tomorrow

Day 2

We'll wake early and head out to the beach to dip our toes in the sand and shoot on the iconic barrier islands in and around Charleston. The Angel Oak, Old Sheldon Church Ruins and several other locations will be on tap before the incredible Magnolia Gardens in the evening.

Day 3

Another full day is on tap exploring the boneyard beaches and Spanish Moss-wrapped Live Oaks. During the day we escape the warming spring sun and work on processing in the hotel. Instructor-led discussion and plenty of 1 on 1 time to work on the finer details of image processing. After a break, we head out to our sunset shoot in a secret spot full of gorgeous cypress trees.

Day 4

Our last day of fun together starts early on location in our favorite spot. Following a late breakfast, we will wrap in time to get out of the hotel by checkout.

TERRAIN
BEACHES, LIVE OAKS, PLANTATIONS. BOOTS/STURDY HIKING SHOES AND WATER SHOES

ACTIVITY
EASY to MODERATE WALKING

EXPERIENCE
ASPIRING - INTERMEDIATE - ADVANCED

GROUP SIZE
6

LOCATIONS

• FOLLY BEACH

• BOTANY BAY PLANTATION

• CAPERS ISLAND

• THE ANGEL OAK

• LAKE MOULTRIE

• MAGNOLIA GARDENS

• BOONE HALL PLANTATION

• SHELDON CHURCH RUINS

• ARTHUR RAVENEL JR. BRIDGE

• MANY OTHER OF THE AREA’S LESSER-KNOWN FAVORITES

ALL LOCATIONS WILL BE DISCUSSED IN ADVANCE AND WILL BE SELECTED WITH TIME AND WEATHER IN MIND

LOGISTICS

TEMPERATURES

50-70 degrees

HUMIDITY

60-80%

NEAREST AIRPORT

Charleston International (CHS)

TOPICS WE WILL COVER

• How to create powerful compositions and bring your artistic vision to life

• How to visualize your composition and compose the image to guide the viewer’s attention

• How to identify and control: Balance and visual flow

• How to use filters to enhance and control 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 to compress the scene

• How to blend focal lengths in your images

• How to create beautiful Long Exposures

• How to read the weather and plan out a productive day

• Image Critique and selection for edit.

• Post Processing and Digital Workflow: Creative color, image making, detail enhancement, highlight, and dark recovery.

What’s included

• Photography instruction with Landscape Photographer Tommy White

• 3 days of Photography and Guidance in Charleston, SC

• Drinks and light snacks are provided during the Workshop

• One on One field guidance in composition and technical assistance

• Visual interpretation of the landscape. How to see and use the light

• Fully park permitted and Insured.

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

• Food. Plan to bring your favorite snacks and drinks.

• Lodging

• Park Fees

• Alcoholic beverages

• Travel Insurance (recommended)

• Personal Items

• Transportation. Participants should plan to provide their transportation. Carpooling will be available at your own discretion.

PACK LIST

Click HERE to view the Packlist

Cancellation Policy:  If you need to cancel your booking, the Deposit is nonrefundable 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.