ANCIENT GIANTS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
A springtime photography tour and workshop in the amazing Redwoods
A DESTINATION EARTH PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
FUTURE DATES: TBD
To be notified and get first priority on our next California Redwoods Photography Workshop, please click here. We are hosting a 2026 Oregon Coast and Redwoods Workshop that will explore some of this area.
When you immerse yourself in the towering redwood forests of California, it’s easy to look up and feel small. From the forest floor to the massive trunks and all the way up to the treetop canopy, everything about these forests feels both grand and intimate at the same time. Some of the most impressive and unique trees can be found near Eureka, California which has a plethora of groves throughout the region. With 163 Coastal Redwoods Groves in Humboldt State Park, you could spend years photographing these magnificent trees and barely scratch the surface.
On this 5 day Photography Workshop we will explore these beautiful forest landscapes and work our way up the Northern California coast and finish with some extraordinary rugged beaches in Southern Oregon. This workshop is designed to dovetail with my Oregon Coast Workshop which will focus on the rugged coastline landscapes with some morning excursions into the Redwoods. On this photography adventure, we will be doing the opposite. There will be much more time spent in different Redwood groves, each having their own interesting characteristics. We will start off our journey deeper south in Humboldt County and travel north for a taste of the Oregon Coast as we wrap up in the Samuel Boardman scenic corridor. Participants that sign up for both the Oregon Coast and California Redwoods workshops will receive 10% off each workshop.
The small group size will ensure plenty of individual attention and instruction for those that attend. Helping clients create beautiful images will always be priority number one. The goal of the workshop is to give you the ability to explore, learn, and fine tune your photography skills both in the field as well in post processing development to bring your images to life.
INSTRUCTORS: CHRIS BYRNE
GROUP SIZE: 8 Participants
COST: TBD
DEPOSIT: A 50% deposit is required to secure a spot. Final balance due 90 days prior to workshop.
ITINERARY
We will gather the afternoon of Sunday, May 23, in Crescent City, California for a meet and greet and orientation on the region. Depending on the weather, we will then head out to shoot sea stacks on the beach at sunset or an impressive grove of large redwoods nearby. The following morning will will photograph a coastal grove known for light beams (cross your fingers) and then drive further south to the redwoods in Humboldt State Park. We will remain there for a couple more days before driving back north to Brookings, Oregon and shifting our focus to the Oregon Coast. Locations you can expect to see and explore will include Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the Samuel H. Boardman corridor, and plenty of places in between. There will possibly be some back tracking and repeating of some favorite spots. Each afternoon we will check into our new hotel, grab some food, and rest up a bit before heading out for sunset. In the afternoons and evenings we will also mix in post processing instruction in both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for those that are interested. This workshop will end after our morning photography field session on Thursday May 27.
USEFUL INFO / PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY
The sun rises at approximately 5:40am and sets at 8:40pm during this time of the year. Add in driving time to and from locations and this will make for very early mornings and late nights. Temperatures typically range from the 50’s to 70’s but can be colder, windy and rainy. Prepare for variable weather.
Physical difficulty of the locations will be easy to moderate. It is important for participants to be in good physical health. While many locations will be a short distance from a parking lot, there won’t be any long hikes but there may be some short steep sections to get down to beach areas.
AIRPORT / FLIGHT INFO
Closest airports to our starting point of Crescent City, California are Eureka (1.5 hour drive), Portland (5.5 hours), and Sacramento or San Francisco. We will meet on Sunday May 23. We will be carpooling as much as possible (considering COVID-19 safety precautions). A standard mid-size rental car will be sufficient. Lodging options will be sent out as the date approaches. Preliminary plan will be to spend night 1 in Crescent City, nights 2 & 3 in Eureka, and night 4 in Brookings, Oregon. Hotels will be approximately $150 per night or less and can be shared if participants would like to.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
A different kind of workshop to challenge and grow your creativity. From big vistas overlooking the ocean to small and intimate forests, your photography skills will get some work in finding compelling compositions and shooting in wide ranges of good light. This time of year along the California coastal forests provides excellent opportunities for weather, blooming flowers, and foggy mornings all making it possible to create interesting and beautiful images. There is nothing quite like wandering in these old growth forests with the fresh smell of springtime and rejuvenating life in the air. This unique and special place is the perfect environment to improve your landscape photography by recognizing the subtle beauty, creating order out of chaos in the forest, and using difficult light to capture compelling images.
As stated previously there will be early mornings and late evenings but the days are structured to not wear anyone out and get the most enjoyment of the surroundings and scenery. I will provide tips in the field to capture images correctly "in camera" with the goal being that part becomes second nature and students can then focus on the creative aspects of landscape and nature photography. Post processing instruction will run the gamut of importing and organizing files into Lightroom to processing images in Lightroom and Photoshop and finally prepping images for the internet or for print. I am an open book and willing to share any tips or tricks he's learned to help you turn your photos into art!
FIELD & CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION WILL INCLUDE:
- Creating compelling compositions and storytelling through images
- Controlling your camera in manual mode
- Understanding and using the Histogram
- Finding foregrounds
- Filters - when & how to use them and avoiding their pitfalls
- How lens selection affects the scene
- Technical Tricks: Bracketing, Focus Stacking, Perspective Blending
- Understanding and using light
- Capturing Difficult Scenes (getting all the pieces in the field to put together in post processing)
- Lightroom - importing and organizing
- Lightroom development tools
- Cleaning up images - cloning tools, warping and stretching, eliminating distractions
- Blending images in Photoshop
- Dodging and burning
- Using layers and masks
- Mindful sharpening (depending on the output)
- Image Critiques
WHAT TO BRING, CLOTHING, ETC.
- Quick dry, lightweight long pants and shirts
- Fleece or warm jacket
- Shoes that can get wet, muck boots are ideal
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Rain coat
- Bug Spray
- Sun Block
- Umbrella
RECOMMENDED CAMERA GEAR, ETC.
- DSLR or Mirrorless Camera (full frame preferred)
- Zoom Lenses ranging from wide angle (14mm) to telephoto (400mm)
- Filters: Circular Polarizing Filter and Solid ND filters. Graduated NDs are no longer needed with today’s editing tools
- L Bracket for your camera body
- Drone
- Camera manual
- Memory cards
- A very sturdy tripod (NO Peak Design tripods please)
- Cable Release Trigger
- Lens cloths, rocket blower, etc.
- Computer with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
- Notebook
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
- Camera Equipment
- Meals, snacks, alcohol
- Airfare
- Travel Insurance
- Hotels before or after the workshop
- Tips and gratuities
MEET THE INSTRUCTOR
CHRIS BYRNE
Hello there! I’m Chris Byrne and I spent way too many years aimlessly wandering the earth and working for the man before finding my true passion in nature and landscape photography. My love of nature started very early in life as I would study the photographs in my dad’s huge collection of National Geographics, and also spend as much time as I could out exploring in the woods with my younger brother. Fast forward many years and after getting a finance degree in college I went to work in the stock market for over fifteen years (and didn’t get rich). During my time, I saw first hand two of the most devastating financial crises in our country’s history, and after the second go around I completely lost interest in my profession and desperately needed something more. I found myself in a place in life without any inspiration or excitement for what I was doing.
Then on a trip to Glacier, Montana I rediscovered my love of nature. However, the photographs I was trying to get just didn’t do the place any justice. It was then that I decided to get serious about photography and quickly poured all of myself into the craft, learning as much as possible as quickly as I could. I was a super sponge and had a new passion for life! As soon as I became proficient in my skills, I wanted to share my knowledge and began teaching others. Now I lead workshops to some of the best places on the globe.
Along the way I’ve won a few awards, but with so many contests out there, I wouldn’t claim that’s a good judge of a good teacher. Rather I am proud to be able to inspire others and spend as much time as I possibly can with each person in helping them connect with nature while teaching the techniques to capture the images that they want to create. Seeing people make breakthroughs in their art is something that I cherish. I truly believe that nature is good for the soul. The more you explore, the more you will be inspired.
REDWOODS PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
— REGISTER NOW —
50% DEPOSIT IS REQUIRED TO RESERVE A SPACE
FINAL 50% PAYMENT IS DUE 120 DAYS IN ADVANCE