Oregon is more diverse than many living outside of the region might realize, both in terrain and climate. From the rugged ocean shores to the open desert, there is no shortage of experiences and locations to explore that can be very different. While most of our time will be spent in streams, cascades, and waterfalls, this is a unique offering that will take you through multiple geographic areas over the course of a week. We are choosing to focus on waterfalls in the dense Pacific Northwest forests, since spring is a wonderful time as the foliage starts leafing out and photogenic scenes along small and large waterways.

We will start the workshop in the high desert of Central Oregon, photographing large and impressive rock walls and formations. After that, we move North to the Columbia River Gorge region, where spring brings vibrant greens and fast, full-flowing waterways and waterfalls. And if we are fortunate, wildflowers may still be around, too. We wrap up the final couple of field sessions on the North Oregon Coast during a period with a very low tide to allow more interesting opportunities, including potential tidepools filled with aquatic life.

While we draft a schedule to share at the start of the workshop, we are also staying attuned to the weather and other factors to determine when and if changes to locations and timing may occur for an optimal workshop experience. This may include aspects such as when we will get up before sunrise to catch the early morning light vs heading out later for time in the forest waterways. Even on sunny days in the forested locations we plan to visit, there are small scene opportunities abound. This is a workshop that will stretch your creativity in the best way possible, from wide-angle landscapes to small finds with the macro lens. 

Adrian Klein, Michael Shainblum, and Gary Randall all have years of experience traveling and photographing in Oregon, and all of us currently call the state home. It's rare to find a workshop that has this low of an instructor-to-participant ratio. At the workshop starting and finishing days in Redmond and Cannon Beach, respectively, you will be with Michael and Adrian. We are including Gary during the core days, photographing the Gorge and surrounding areas, to bring his local expertise and depth of knowledge to this unique workshop offering. 

Walking/hiking will be required with minimal to moderate elevation gain, up to 5 miles per day; some days will be less. Most of the hiking will be in the Columbia Gorge area. Expect some trails to be wet and slippery depending on conditions. You should be comfortable walking over varying terrain, including possible uneven and soft sandy or rocky surfaces, while carrying your own gear.

This long week-long workshop starts on Sunday afternoon and ends Friday morning. It will be a combination of presentation, image review, processing, and field outings, with the focus on field sessions. We will also arrange no-host optional breakfast and dinner locations on most days. The exact balance and timing of each are subject to change based on current conditions for the workshop. Specific itineraries are not shared in advance.  

The first night will be in Redmond, OR where we plan to photograph the high desert rock landscape of Smith Rock. While it's known around the globe for its world-class rock climbing, it's scenery is beautiful to photograph as well.

We will likely photograph Smith Rock at sunrise to start off day 2. Followed by heading to Hood River, OR where we will stay the next few nights as we focus on exploring the local forests filled with streams, cascades, and waterfalls. Depending the current year blooms, there may be a chance to photograph wildflowers as well. And maybe even a mountain view too.

Drive time from Redmond to Hood River is ~2.5 hrs

On day 5, we will head to the North Oregon Coast in the afternoon for our last couple field sessions. We will be based out of Cannon Beach, OR. After the final field session and breakfast in the morning of day 6, participants can choose to extend their stay in the area on their own or start their journey back home.

Drive time from Hood River to Cannon Beach is ~2.75 hrs.