IMAGE QUEST
1164 Alvira Street
Los Angeles, California 90035
323 377-7565
davewyman@imountainman.com

Southern California Photo Express - Friday through Sunday, June 24-26, 2011

From our base in Carlsbad, we will explore the southern reaches of Southern California. Locations will include wooden piers, posing pelicans and bold surfers, an old mission, grand views of the coast, flowers, lounging sea lions, and the people and architecture of this laid-back part of the world. 

Who this trip is for: Anyone who loves photography and the thought of spending a few days in the company of like minded people, in some of the more interesting areas of Southern California. The instructors will accommodate novice through advanced photographers. 

Return Time: We'll end officially by mid-afternoon on Sunday, the 26th.

Trip difficulty: None - the trip will be conducted at a photographer's relaxed pace. Participants do need to be able to walk a mile or so over the course of a day, with their camera gear.

What Will be Provided:

- Guided photography walks at a cornucopia of locations
- Equipment demonstrations and talks
- Help with carpooling where possible
- One dinner, one picnic lunch for the group
- Any entry fees at parks or museums we may visit
- Evening slide show/critique sessions

What to Bring:

- Camera gear (see below)
- Clothing for warm and cool temperatures; recommended

There are many choices for accommodations in the Carlsbad area. Ken and Dave are staying at the Quality Inn, (760 931-1185), where we will meet the group each morning, and of course participants are invited to stay there, or wherever they wish. 

Photographic Equipment: you don't need to spend any money on equipment you don't already have. A basic digital or 35mm camera will serve you well. Two accessories: a tripod & cable release. These items will allow you to photograph in the early morning hours and into evening, and also allow for creative techniques. Medium format cameras are welcome, too; the only issue is set-up and breakdown time, which will mean less chances to find and make creative photographs (that said, both Ken and Dave may have medium format cameras on the trip).

CF or SD cards: bring plenty of storage space for your digital photographs. Bring enough battery power to last through a day.

Film: the instructors recommend film from ISO/ASA 25 to 200. Fujichrome slide film offers excellent color saturation for slide film and has fine grain. Fujicolor and Kodacolor are good print films. Print film speeds up to ISO 400 are fine. 

Going light: This is the trip to bring it all: telephotos, tripods, macro lenses, filters, flashes, etc., etc., etc. However, this isn't the trip to carry of all of that equipment. Ken (and do a lesser extent, Dave) are minimalists. Ken carries most of what he'll use for a day in a small bag; Dave will have a camera bag full of equipment in a car, and then choose one lens for the camera, and an extra lens for a pocket. In other words, don't overdo it. The less you bring, the more you will probably come back with in fine images. Please feel free to contact Dave with questions about what to bring.

Note: Participants are encouraged to bring up to 20 slides/digital images and/or prints to share with the group. Digital images can be on your laptop or a thumb drive or CD (that the instructors can show via a laptop computer or with a digital projector).

Ken Rockwell (kenrockwell.com) is a well-known – some might even claim notorius – web presence. Love him or hate him, he is a force to be reckoned with, as his Ken's voluminous website offers a cornucopia of lens tests, camera reviews, and his clear-sighted, if not occasionally contrarian viewpoints, about the meaning of art and photography. He has the training of an engineer and the soul of an artist and Ken is willing to share his encyclopedic knowledge of photography with all-comers. He has conducted numerous workshops in California's mountains, deserts and coastal regions, in the canyon lands of Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, and along historic Route 66. This is the first time he's conducted a photography in his own neck of the woods.

Dave Wyman has conducted photography workshops and tours since 1984. He originated and directed the travel photography program at the University of Southern California, conducting the program's trips throughout California and the Southwest. His articles and photographs have been published in magazines such as Outdoor Photographer, Outside, and Backpacker; his pictorial guidebooks include Backroads of Northern California, Backroads of Southern California, and Yosemite in Photographs. Dave currently is working on a new book about nature photography. He brings unbridled passion and commitment to his photography, whether he's peering at a sea anemone in a tide pool, or summiting a mountain in the Sierra Nevadas.

Weather: we can expect mild to warm days, and cool evenings. In the unlikely event of  "bad" weather, we'll keep making photographs, because unsettled weather is is sometimes the best weather for photography.

Itinerary:

- On Friday, we'll gather at the Carlsbad Quality Inn, to meet each other, enjoy a welcoming presentation by Ken, make some warm-up photographs, and then have dinner.  After dinner, we'll spend some time looking at photographs that participants would like to share with the group (for those who do want to share, bring up to 20 images, and put them on a thumb drive or CD, or bring your own laptop). 

- On Saturday, we'll spend the day on the go. Some of our locations may include the Oceanside Pier, the San Luis Rey Mission, Torrey Pines State Park, the La Jolla Cove, Guajome Conty Park, the San Diego Botanical Park, etc.

- On Sunday, we'll have an early morning session, have a final meal, and then a last photography session before saying goodbye to each other and to the pleasant confines of Southern California.

Cost: $350

How to register: Send a check or money order by good old fashioned U.S. snail mail to: Image Quest Tours, 1164 Alvira Street, Los Angeles, California, 90035.

Although we prefer payment via the mail, you can also easily use your credit card, via paypal.com.

When you send payment: you'll receive via email a receipt and any additional information, such as maps and a liability form. An instructor will touch base with you by phone and/or e-mail prior to the departure date and, where possible, help arrange for carpooling for participants.  

If you have any questions: call the trip leader, Dave Wyman, at 323 377-7565, or e-mail him at davewyman@imountainman.com.

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