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Join us on this fun photographic adventure!

Rocky Mountain Summer Photography Workshop 2022

Join us on these fantastic photographic adventures led by pro photographer Kevin Gourley in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park in the Summer of 2022!

 

Want to learn more about the workshop? Keep on scrolling down!
This web page has a LOT of information about the workshop details!

COVID-19 Considerations: We follow all CDC and local guidelines, as well as requirements from the National Park. For any of our pre-trip meetings, if we are prevented from meeting in-person due to any COVID-19 restrictions at the time, we will offer those sessions via Zoom videoconferencing.

  • The benefit of signing up early is that you'll have the best options for lodging, and you'll be guaranteed a spot in the workshop!
  • Workshop sizes are limited to just 6 photographers per group!
  • Check out our special add-on options! CLICK HERE
You have 6 months to pay, if you use PayPal Credit!
Before you sign up, make sure you check out our new optional class add-on options for more learning opportunities! CLICK HERE
SOLD
OUT!

Rocky Mountain Summer
Photography Workshop Group A 2022

  • July 9-12, 2022
    (Arrive on July 8, Depart on July 13
  • 4 Days + 2 Pre-Trip Meetings + Cookout (weather permitting)
  • Over 44 hours of photographic adventures and learning
  • Special Options Available When Registering!
  • Price $1199
SOLD
OUT!

Rocky Mountain Summer
Photography Workshop Group B 2022

  • July 14-17, 2022
    (Arrive on July 13, Depart on July 18)
  • 4 Days + 2 Pre-Trip Meetings + Cookout (weather permitting)
  • Over 44 hours of photographic adventures and learning
  • Special Options Available When Registering!
  • Price $1199
SOLD
OUT!

Rocky Mountain Summer
Photography Workshop Group AB 2022

  • Participating in both Groups A and B
  • July 9-17, 2022
    (Arrive on July 8, Depart on July 18)
  • 9 Days (Middle day, July 13, is a break day!)
    + 2 Pre-Trip Meetings + 2 Cookouts (weather permitting)
  • Almost 90 hours of photographic adventures and learning
  • Special Options Available When Registering!
  • Price $2398

"A 5 star experience from beginning to end..."

Student Comments: 

Student Comment: "The workshop was fantastic!"

Student Comment: "I had an incredible experience this past week and am happy to have had the opportunity to learn from an amazing instructor and obtain some great shots."

Student Comment: "This workshop was all that I had hoped and more. I was able to spend significant time trying different techniques throughout each day. The mix of wildlife, vistas, waterfalls and close subjects was perfect. Having Kevin to help think through techniques was wonderful plus I learned so much from all the others in the group as well. Great group, great weather, amazing sights and good downtime as well - exactly what I needed!"

Student Comment: "There are workshops and there are workshops and then there's Kevin's workshops. He never ceases to amaze me with his knowledge, willingness to share, kind soul and good humor. I can't say enough about the experience."

A Summer Photographic Adventure At Its Best

We'll be guiding you on some great adventures into this beautiful park to experience the wonder of the mountains, watch the sunrise from a mountain vista, go on some explorations to find elk and moose and other wildlife, and photograph some beautiful waterfalls, mountains, valleys, and lakes.  You will learn how to best experience the magic of this wondrous park.   This is a photographer's paradise IF you know the best tips on how to photograph it!  We'll teach you AND take you to places to get great shots!

Additional Learning Opportunities! Optional Add-on Sessions for This Workshop

When registering, you can choose to include these optional add-on classes:

  • $49 Photo Post-Processing/Editing Techniques Online Class
    • Taking the photo is only half of the process in creating great images.
    • This is a 2-hour online learning video where I cover useful photo editing tips and techniques for post-processing your images using Adobe Lightroom Classic CC and Adobe Photoshop CC.
    • Each year I create a totally new video using the latest version of these Adobe products.
    • Learn various effective methods for enhancing your images and producing the best results for all the great photographs you are going to be taking in Rocky Mountain National Park!
    • These tips are focused on landscape, nature, and wildlife photographs.
    • Includes demonstrations of other useful plugins and HDR processing techniques.
  • $99 Nature Photography Techniques Class on Sunday May 22, 2022 2:00-4:30pm
    • Be even MORE prepared for the trip!
    • We'll cover many helpful tips, lens considerations, camera settings for nature photography including:
      • landscapes
      • wildlife
      • birds
      • waterfalls
    • Great option to add if you want to be more prepared when you get to Rocky Mountain National Park to get great shots!
    • For anyone who cannot attend the meeting in person at our studio in Austin, TX, no worries! We will also make it available online!

Workshop Format

The workshop is divided into three parts:

  1. Two Preliminary Classroom Sessions before we go - This helps you prepare for the trip!
    • We include two pre-trip sessions in mid-June (June 8th and 15th 7-9pm) to discuss the area where we will be traveling, plus discuss techniques and equipment you will need for the trip, giving you enough time to purchase or rent anything you think you might need.  Lens rental might be a great option for a trip like this.
    • If you are not able to attend the meeting in person at our studio, no worries! We'll also share it online.
  2. Photography Workshop in Rocky Mountain National Park 
    (This is the awesome part :-) 
    Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
    Castle Mountain Lodge, Estes Park, Colorado

    Three Workshop Options:
    • 4 Days: July 9-12, 2022
      (arrive on July 8, depart on July 13)
    • 4 Days: July 14-17, 2022
      (arrive on July 13, depart on July 18)
    • 9 Days: July 9-17, 2022
      (arrive on July 8 depart on July 18)

      Whether you choose a 4 day or 9 day option, you're going to have a great experience! The 9 day option gives you more than twice the opportunities to get great wildlife photos and mountain experiences. The middle day (July 13) is a break day!

  3. Post-trip Get-Together
    For those of you who happen to live in the central Texas area, we'll host a get-together sometime after the workshop ends, for fun and fellowship and to share our photos. It's a fun "reunion" with your new photographer friends!  

The Experience in the Mountains

Expect a real adventure. You're going to be taking some great photos.

We will head out together early each morning to photograph, then you will have free time in the afternoon to go out and explore on your own if you choose. 

Only short to moderate hiking is involved in the locations where we'll be photographing. Any trails we hike are less than 2 miles (one way) with uphill stretches (elevation gain of about 450 feet). Various hiking websites rate the trails we hike in the "easy" category. We see people of all ages hiking these trails, but if you're not in good physical shape, you might find one of the hikes a bit of work , but most people find it quite doable. We recommend you be in good general health, because the air is thinner at the higher altitudes in Rocky Mountain National Park (altitutde around 9500 feet).  If you have questions about this, or have specific health concerns, just talk to Kevin before signing up!

Our photographic adventures will typically last around 7-9 hours each day.  After several hours of shooting, you might want to go back to your room/cabin to take a nap, sit on the banks of Fall River and listen to the water flow over the rocks, schedule a time to meet with Kevin for some one-on-one review of your photographs, or head into the beautiful little town of Estes Park to shop and people watch.

You may travel in your own car or rental car, and we carpool to the various locations we will be photographing each morning or afternoon.

We'd love for you to join the group for dinner in town in the evenings, or you can go out on your own.  It's your choice.  We have a lot of fun going out to eat and sharing the day's adventures together.

One evening, we host a complementary burger cookout for the students and their travel companions.

Accommodations - Castle Mountain Lodge, Estes Park, Colorado

Castle Mountain Lodge is where we will be staying and meeting.   It will serve as our "home base".  The lodge is a lovely place, located directly on Fall River.

This is my favorite place to stay in the area, and it is only a short distance from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.  I think you'll like it!

Right from your door at Castle Mountain Lodge, you may see cute little chipmunks or other occasional wildlife strolling through the grounds while enjoying the peaceful sound of the water rippling in Fall River. Depending on the cabin or room you reserve, the river may be right outside your door!

Since Fall River flows through the property, you're always near a peaceful spot to just sit and relax and enjoy the fresh mountain air, and maybe snap a few nice photographs of the water rushing by!

They have a nice gathering area on the riverbank with a fire pit, picnic tables, and outdoor chairs for all guests to enjoy. In addition to standard hotel room amenities, there is an on-site laundry, hot tub, and a quaint library with books, videos, and games.

Castle Mountain Lodge has various cabin/room options and sizes available with very reasonable prices.

Which room you select depends on your personal preference on accommodations and whether you are traveling by yourself. Castles 1 - 6 (motel style rooms) are your best price option. I'd recommend them!

Bringing Someone With You

A bit different from many workshops, you are welcome to bring along a family member/friend with you. (Only adults may accompany our photographic activities.) Since you are booking your own travel and accommodations, and you are able to travel in your own vehicle, you may bring a spouse or companion (ONE ADULT)! As long as they are not taking the class or participating in any of the workshop group teaching sessions, and are not taking any photographs during our outings, they do not need to pay for the workshop... OR if they want to learn photography, they can register for the class too! Remember each class size is limited to only 6 students!

Cut your car rental and room expenses in half - Bring a photographer friend!

If you have a photographer friend who might like to do this workshop with you, you could both register, share a room and rental car to reduce individual expenses.  So, start thinking about a friend who loves photography that might want to join you!

Student Comment: "I think the carpooling was great. And I would love to bring my spouse or a friend next time."

Your other costs in addition to the workshop fee: 

Transportation, rental car (if applicable), meals and lodging. 

What you get in return will be priceless memories and some truly outstanding photos to share with your friends, plus you will learn photography skills that will improve all of your subsequent nature / wildlife / landscape / travel photos  AND, you'll make some new photographer friends along the way!

Choosing between our Summer vs. Fall Workshop?

Both trips are excellent opportunities for photography! Which is better? We really can't choose! Both are honestly fantastic! Summer and Fall each has unique advantages. Green grasses of Summer are colored golden brown by Fall. You'll find less wildflowers blooming in the Fall, but instead you'll see the Aspens turning color (of course we have no way of guaranteeing the optimal time for the Fall colors to appear). If you love wildlife photography, you'll have a much better chance to see moose in the Summer and elk up in the mountains. By Fall, you'll see more Elk in the valleys and almost no chance of seeing moose. Sunrises and sunsets come at different times and from different angles, so both offer different lighting perspectives on this magnificent park. Access to certain roads or parts of the park may also be affected by Fall weather.

If you have already attended the Summer Workshop, we encourage you to come back for the Fall Workshop. You will discover it's a quite different experience! If you have not attended the Summer Workshop, we think you'd love it. We actually have had Summer workshop attendees return to do the Summer Workshop again because it's a great trip and each experience is unique - different weather, different lighting, different snow melt affecting river flow, different wildlife encounters, and different road access depending on weather conditions, etc.

To learn about the Rocky Mountain Fall Photography Workshop, click here.


Click or swipe left and right to view photos from previous workshops.

About the Instructor, Kevin Gourley

I've been in love with Rocky Mountain National Park all of my life, and I have been in love with photography for over 40 years.  While Rocky Mountain National Park is a beautiful locale, you really have to know how to best photograph it, otherwise your photos won't do it justice!  I can help you by showing you the tips and techniques needed to get the best shots!  As many of you already know, I am a pro photographer with a full service studio in NW Austin, Texas, and I teach a variety of popular photography workshops

Cancellation Policy

For cancellations made prior 4/1/2022, a Cancellation Fee of $199 will be charged. For cancellations made 4/1/2022 - 5/1/2022, a $349 Cancellation Fee will be charged. For cancellations made 5/1/2022 - 6/1/2022, a $549 Cancellation Fee will be charged. Cancellations made after 6/1/2022 will forfeit the full amount paid. Exception: Regardless of the time-frame, if someone fills your vacated space, you will be refunded the amount paid minus a $199 Cancellation Fee.

 


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