Join Image Quest and the San Diego Natural History Museum on foray to Bodie, the greatest ghost town in the West, with over 500 structures still standing. We'll also explore the spectacular east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, looking for autumn color in the mountains and spectacular vantage points to of eerie Mono Lake. This will be a pleasant time of year, and we can expect to find our various locations with relatively few other people. The sun, low in the sky at this time of year, will allow us hours of good light each day.

Dates: Thursday through Sunday, October 18-21, 2007.

Cost: $375

Trip difficulty: none; conducted at a photographer's pace.

Transportation: via private vehicle; trip leader will help make carpooling arrangements between those who need rides and those who can offer rides. Note: The San Diego Natural History Museum will have optional van transportation from San Diego; contact the Museum.

Weather: Expect cool morning and evening temperatures, and mild to warm days.

Note: We will have special access to the ghost town of Bodie for split sessions, one at dawn and again at sunset.

Trip Leaders: 

- Dave Wyman - his photographs of Bodie have appeared in Outdoor Photographer, Cross-Country Skier, the California State Parks Guidebook and his book, Backroads of Northern California. Dave has also conducted photography tours since 1982, including tours of Bodie and and the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains for the San Diego Natural History Museum, the Sierra Club, the University of Southern California, and the Los Angeles Zoo. 

- John Boyd is a professional photographer and educator from the Central Valley town of Dinuba, California. He has conducted numerous photography workshops, locations including the  Sierra Nevada Mountains, Bodie and Mono Lake, and the central coast of California.  John is also teaches photography and graphic arts for his local high school. His online photography galleries can be viewed here. 

Accommodations: Stay in the little town of Bridgeport, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Our comfortable motel accommodations are based on double occupancy; ask about a single supplement. Meals: There will be a picnic lunch for the group, and we'll always be near places to purchase food at meal times, including the amazing "gourmet" fast food restaurant, the "Whoa Nellie Deli" in Lee Vining. Itinerary: on Thursday depart anytime for the eastern Sierra and our motel. We'll have a slide show. On Friday we'll photograph sunrise over the Sierra, then have a picnic lunch in Bodie, before ending the day at Mono Lake. We'll have a slide show in the evening. On Saturday, we'll photograph dawn at Mono Lake, and drive into the mountains in the afternoon to photograph the high country and look for fall color at places like Lundy Lake and Lee Vining Canyon. . On Sunday we'll depart Bridgeport for a final sunrise session, and the workshop will officially end around noon. Note: If you wish, follow the instructor across the Sierra on Highway 120, through Yosemite National Park. What you need to Bring: - A sense of adventure - Clothes for cool and warm conditions, including rain gear, and a ski cap for cool mornings and evenings - Mittens (optional - an extra pair of socks will work, too) - Shoes (tennis shoes or boots; bring along an extra pair of shoes, just in case) - Money for for meals not provided (there are restaurants and in Bridgeport and nearby Lee Vining) - Camera gear (see below) - Optional: bring along up to a dozen slides and/or digital images, scanned onto a CD or in your laptop, and/or up to a dozen prints, to share with the group

Reflection in a Window

What is Provided by Image Quest:
- Trip leaders
- Picnic Lunch
- Guided walking tours of Bodie and Mono Lake
- Photographic instruction
- Comfortable accommodations in Bridgeport, at the base of the eastern Sierra.

Camera Equipment: a basic digital or 35mm camera will work well. Don't feel the need to purchase special equipment. However, for those with more gear, bring it along - this is the time to use it. A good accessory: a tripod (along with a cable release), will allow photography early and late in the day. Good filters, particularly for those with film, would include a polarizer, and an 81B (to warm up images made in the shade); a third would be the graduated neutral density filter (digital photography has made somewhat obsolete the second and third filters). Medium format photographers are welcome, too. The instructors will probably bring along both film and digital cameras; digital images - from the instructor and participants - will be shown during the workshop if time permits.  For print (negative) film, Fuji's Reala and basic Fujicolor films are excellent. A good ISO/ASA film speed rating for print film is 200 to 400. For transparencies (slides), the instructors prefer Fujichrome's stable of slide films, such as Sensia, Velvia, and Provia, but the Kodak Ektachromes, such as Elite 100S, are excellent, too.

Memory and power: Bring enough CF or SD cards to contain several hundred photographs. Cameras will be working all day, so sufficient battery power is important. Don't forget a battery charger.

To register: Send payment to Image Quest, 1164 Alvira Street, Los Angeles, California, 90035. We'll send back a receipt and any additional documentation, including directions to our accommodations, that you need. Cancellation: $25 penalty for cancellations more than two weeks prior to the start date of the outing. No refunds after that date unless another particpant takes your place.