Image Quest
1164 Alvira Street
Los Angeles, California 90035
323 377-7565
davewyman@imountainman.com
 In the Garden of the Gods and Dogs - Mountain Home State Park |
In the Garden of the Gods and Dogs - Mountain Home State Park |
 |
Basics: Come stay in Mountain Home State Forest, on the southern edge of Sequoia National Park and Golden Trout Wilderness, east of the Central Valley towns of Porterville and Visalia. John Muir believed the groves of giant sequoias in the Mt. Home area to be the finest the Sierra Nevada Mountains have to offer. There are, in fact, over 5,000 giant sequoias, including the world's reputedly third largest. The forest floor boasts bright splashes of color, compliments of a variety of wildflower species. This is an old-fashioned camping trip - water and picnic tables, but no showers and no indoor plumbing (instead it's an upgraded outhouse motif). Walking will be minimal - we'll photograph in our campground, and travel around the forest in our cars. Bring your digital or film camera, a tent and a sleeping bag, and spend a few days camped in what might properly be called the garden of the gods. This workshop features beautiful campground accommodations, guided field sessions, evening presentations, and meals cooked up by the instructor (two breakfasts and two dinners). |
|
Special Feature: Bring along your dog! That is, bring your friendly dog who's amenable to being on a leash (at least most of the time). While we'll be serious about coming back with good photographs, we're going to have fun making them. If you don't have a dog? As long as you like canines, come on along. 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. Weather: Expect cool morning and evening temperatures, and mild to warm days. |
 |
|
|
Tentative Itinerary: On Friday,
depart for Mt. Home and our campground. We'll photograph the
big trees and whatever else we find right out of the campground. We'll
have dinner and
a slide show in the early evening. On Saturday, we'll photograph
sunrise over a grove of Sequoias, and spend the rest of the morning
photographing wildflowers and the big trees. We'll tour the forest by
car during the mid-day, and photograph shaded Hidden Falls, as well
as an old pack station. In the afternoon, we will view weird rock
formations (natural or artificial?) known as "Sierra Bathtubs," before returning to camp for
dinner. On Sunday we'll photograph dawn from a vantage
point at a small lake, where we can photograph mist rising over the
water, reflections, and more wildflowers that fringe the shore. We'll
return to camp for breakfast, and then depart for home by noon. If
you wish, follow the instructor, who will make more photographs on
the road back. Trip Leader: Dave Wyman; his photographs have appeared in Outdoor Photographer, Cross-Country Skier, and Sierra magazines, and he is the author of three pictorial guidebooks about California. Since 1982 Dave has conducted photography and natural history tours for the University of Southern California, the Sierra Club, the Los Angeles Zoo, the San Diego Natural History Museum, and the Yosemite Association. |
What you need to Bring:
- A sense of adventure
- Clothes for cool and warm conditions, including rain gear (just in
case), 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)
- Food for a couple of lunches (contact Dave if you need some
suggestions on what to bring and how to keep it fresh)
- Food for your dog/water dish
- Camera gear (see below)
- Optional: Bring a few slides, digital images on CD, and/or prints
to share with the group
|
What is Provided by Image Quest: - Trip leader Camera Equipment: Don't feel that you need to
purchase special equipment.
However, if you have more gear, bring it along - this is the time to
use it. A tripod is almost a necessity,
along with a cable release, since we will be photographing early and
late in the day. The instrutor will have an extra tripod or two to loan
out. Good filters would include a polarizer, and for film, an 81B
(to warm up images made in the shade). Don't forget to bring along a
charger and enough SD or CF cards for digital cameras. |
|
To register: Send payment to Image Quest, 1164 Alvira Street, Los Angeles, California, 90035. You can also use paypal.com if you'd like to use your credit card. We'll send back a receipt and any additional documentation, including directions to our campground, that you need.
The Image Quest Home Page | Back to the Calendar Page | Backroads of Northern California Pictorial Guidebook
