Hands-on Nature Photography Outing

Photograph the beautiful canyons and waterfalls at Starved Rock State Park as you are fully enveloped autumn color. Mike MacDonald will guide you through the canyons to dramatic and picturesque spots.  (Gift Cards for this outing are available.)

As with all of our Learning Adventures, Mike will give you guidance and help you set up your shots. As long as you stay close to the group, you’ll get help with exposure, composition, or whatever you need.

The timing of the outing is to get good light and to reduce our interactions with crowds. If you choose to arrive the night before and stay overnight, you get a special rate at Super 8 Motel in Ottawa.

Overcast conditions are probably ideal for shooting in the canyons. And, if it’s a little wet, deepen the fall colors and add more contrast by, say, blackening the tree bark.

NOTE: These outings are planned several months in advance based on the best available knowledge and history, but there is no way to know what nature will bring. We’ll make the best of it!

Since our outings are about taking pictures, you need to be somewhat comfortable with your camera and how it works so that you can better enjoy the experience. Please read the Class Requirements for this course and feel free to email us or give us a call at 630-852-8448 if you have any questions.

Because of the early shooting time, we will gather at a common point, which will be announced after you register, and then we’ll drive into the park. We photograph for for approximately for hours and then, after the shoot, we’ll go out to lunch and share our experiences.

Learning Adventure Agenda

We will gather at a common point, which will be announced after you register. Then we’ll caravan to the park. We’ll photograph for up to four hours depending on how everyone’s feeling. In general, we hike when the light is poor so we’ll have plenty of time for the great light. For morning sessions, this means that we’ll hike in before sunrise when it’s still a little bit dark. For evening sessions, we’ll enter during the afternoon when the light is too harsh. When it’s all over, if you’d like to continue the camaraderie and share your experiences, we’ll head off to a local restaurant.

This photography class will be limited to approximately 6 students per instructor depending on the experience level of the participants. So, please register quickly to ensure a spot.

If you have further questions about Mike MacDonald photography workshops just contact us.