As with capturing and creating breathtaking photographs, Jim Crotty has a passion for teaching and coaching other aspiring photographers through his own program of destination, two day photography workshops. He encourages others to discover their own creative and artistic vision by learning to use camera as paintbrush, the lens as paint and the landscape as canvas. With almost 35 years experience in pursuing the art of photography Jim helps simplify the often difficult and intimidating maze of technical features and functions of the digital camera as well as the overwhelming options that are available for post-shooting, digital workflow.
His teaching style is relaxed and affirming toward the positive, always welcoming all levels of photographic skill to his workshops. Previously Jim has taught at the college level as an adjunct instructor in both speech communications and journalism, at Sinclair Community College and Thomas More College, respectively. He has also presented countless corporate training presentations. In his photography workshops Jim uses those experiences, as well as a wealth of knowledge in the field of digital photography, to deliver educational programs that inspire and reinforce the creative artist that lies within all photographers.
Season of the Good Light
Nature Photography in Hocking Hills with Jim Crotty
September 24 - 26, 2010
The Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls
Hocking Hills State Park, near Logan, Ohio
Workshop limited to 25 attendees. The cost is $195.00 per person for two days of professional and personal photographic instruction, guidance and coaching.
Pre-pay for 15% off = $165.75*
PDF download of full workshop description
About Hocking Hills in September
September is often an overlooked month of wonderful opportunities for nature and landscape photography in one of the most scenic locations in Ohio - the hills, hollows and woodlands of Hocking Hills State Park. The summer crowds have dissipated and the high traffic has not arrived yet for autumn color. However, the light has turned toward providing a much more pleasing effect upon the landscape and the fields are ripe with the visual treasures of autumn wildflowers. The cool evenings of late summer/early autumn often result in beautiful sunrises over mist-shrouded hollows as the area's wildlife gets ready for the coming days of fall.
Hocking Hills State Park, along with many other natural scenic areas within the region, is located 57 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio. The area's many gorges are carved in the Blackhand sandstone that through millions of years of uplift and stream erosion have resulted in breathtaking gorges filled with waterfalls, towering eastern hemlocks and fern-covered forest floors. Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Rock House and the Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve are some of the best known sites and trails within the park, which all lie within a short drive of each other.
The rural landscape between the main scenic locations also provides exceptional opportunities for beautiful images, particularly in early evening hours. Rolling fields are full of goldenrod, thistle and aster. Old barns, churches and forested ridgelines present themselves as excellent subjects for photography.
The Hocking Hills of Southeastern Ohio - the foothills of Appalachia - is often referred to as "the little Smokies." The typography, flora and fauna of the area is very similar to what is found in the scenic areas of Eastern Tennessee that border the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
About the Workshop
To insure quality of instruction and individual attention, the workshop group for "Season of the Good Light" will be limited to just 25 attendees. The workshop is open to all levels of photographic skill, from beginner to advanced, however, those with some experience using 35mm digital SLR cameras will most likely gain the most value from the program. The two, full days of instruction will be a careful balance of teaching and practicing both the art and the craft of nature and landscape photography. The instruction, coaching and guidance will take place in both a classroom setting and in select locations within Hocking Hills State Park. Field locations will be selected based on shoot conditions at the time of the workshop and based on the most appropriate natural subjects for the particular approach - or style - of photography being taught.
Locations within the park that will be utilized as the "outdoor classroom" will most likely include Ash Cave, Conkles Hollow, Rose Lake and pine forest trail, Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls, Rock House, the gardens and grounds of The Inn at Cedar Falls as well as pre-selected rural, landscape settings. The indoor classroom sections of the workshop - as well as base location - will be the newly constructed, state-of-the-art "Gathering Place" conference facility at The Inn at Cedar Falls, conveniently located within just a few miles of Cedar Falls, Rose Lake and Old Man's Cave. For more on why The Inn at Cedar Falls is such a special place in Hocking Hills for creative artists and writers, please see http://www.jpgmag.com/stories/15868.
Subjects that fall within "craft" - or more what is considered the technical aspect of nature photography - will include a complete and in-depth discussion on operating features of the digital 35mm SLR camera. Film speed (image sensor sensitivity) settings, white balance, shutter speed, aperture, focusing, time exposures, lenses, filters, lighting are just a few of the topics to be covered.
Instruction on best practices within the "digital darkroom" will also be included, with such topics as digital file editing and management, best digital file format for nature and landscape photography, adjustments and enhancements such as levels, curves, dodge and burn and image file size and color space. Preparing files for optimal print-making and web publishing and advanced digital editing techniques will be taught to help present nature and landscape photographs that stand-out from the rest, particularly techniques and processes for High Dynamic Range photography and best methods for conversions for fine art black and white photographs.
The "art" section of the workshop will address the importance of the nature photographer to learn to see as the artist sees, in understanding and appreciating how placement of subject, form, color, background and foreground elements and most important of all, knowing to recognize and judge both quality and angle of light. Workshop participants will learn how simple adjustments can dramatically alter the visual impact of the nature and landscape photograph.
There will also be in-depth discussion and instruction on what can be done with the nature and landscape photograph, such as best practices for managing a nature photography business, marketing, web sites and web publishing, book publishing, query letters to publishers, stock image licensing, etc.
Group image critiques will also take place throughout the two-day program. Participants will be encouraged to share their visual discoveries on screen in the gathering space at The Inn at Cedar Falls. The instructor, Jim Crotty, will lead the group in evaluation both the technical and artistic merits of the photographs shown and provide tips and suggestions on what can be improved, all done in a friendly, supportive setting that encourages the artistic development process through constant growth and improvement.
Included in the Workshop
The workshop fee includes two days of professional workshop instruction and guided outings to the best locations within Hocking Hills State Park for exceptional nature and landscape photographic opportunities. The instructor - Jim Crotty - has over 30 years of experience photographing locations in Hocking Hills. His entire focus during the workshop will be on providing attendees with expert instruction and guidance. The only photography he will be doing during the workshop will be when actually demonstrating techniques taught in class.
The fee also includes an optional welcome reception and preview of the two-day schedule on Friday evening, September 24th, at The Inn at Cedar Falls, with light appetizers and drinks.
The other meals included in the price of the workshop are a continental breakfast at The Inn at Cedar Falls on both Saturday and Sunday as well as a brown bag lunch for Saturday and a buffet style lunch on Sunday.
There will also be a booklet provided to all workshop participants with all handouts and reference materials organized in an easy-to-follow format. In addition, a class web "album" will be available for posting and sharing images from the workshop whereby the instructor and other attendees can continue to provide critiques and comments.
The workshop fee does not include meals (other than those listed previously in this description), lodging or transportation, during the workshop or getting to and from Hocking Hills State Park. There is a 10% discount offered for lodging at The Inn at Cedar Falls for all registered participants. Throughout Hocking Hills State Park, as well as in the nearby town of Logan, Ohio, there are a number of other options for lodging, including cabin rentals, the lodge and cabins of the State Park and both primitive and drive-up camping areas.
Transportation and Lodging
The closest airport is Columbus International in Columbus, Ohio.
The address for the base location of the workshop is:
The Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls
21190 State Route 374
Logan, Ohio 43138
Phone: 1-800-653-2557
Fax: 740-385-0820
info@innatcedarfalls.com
Each workshop member is responsible for her/his own transportation. However, since the locations visited and photographed during the two-day program are within a short distance from The Inn at Cedar Falls, workshop attendees are encouraged to car pool, so as to minimize traffic and parking concerns. This will also allow participants with the opportunity to get to know each other and help with the sharing of photography tips and information beyond what will be taught by the instructor.
Schedule
There will be an optional reception and workshop preview on Friday evening, September 24 in The Gathering Space at The Inn at Cedar Falls, from about 6 to 8PM. At that time Jim Crotty introduce himself and discuss the workshop outline for the next two days, including an assessment of the weather conditions and how it could relate to particular shoot location selections.
The workshop will officially begin early on Saturday morning, September 25, also at The Gathering Space, for an initial classroom session on camera operations and functions and effective use of lenses for the variety of photographic situations often approached for nature and landscape photography. There will then be a short outing to either Cedar Falls or Rose Lake for practical application of lessons learned in class. Saturday afternoon will consist of instruction on the artistic aspects of nature and landscape photography as well as digital editing and workflow. Following dinner the group will reconvene for late afternoon and early evening landscape photography at Ash Cave.
Sunday's schedule will start very early for landscape photography at sunrise from the hilltop garden behind the Inn at Cedar Falls. There will be a short classroom session followed by trips to Cedar Falls, Old Man's Cave and either Conkles Hollow or Rock House, depending upon the instructors assessment of the shoot conditions and subjects to be photographed. Sunday afternoon will consist of image critiques in the classroom as well as a presentation on the business and marketing aspects of professional nature photography. The workshop should conclude no later than 6 PM on Sunday.
Equipment and Gear
Ideally a 35mm digital SLR camera body with at least two lenses; one zoom with range from wide angle (such as 35mm) to short telephoto (70 or 80mm); another zoom for telephoto ranges beyond 80mm to 200 or 300mm. Also, a lens with macro or close-up capability, or an extension tube is recommended.
A tripod is highly recommended, as well as a cable release. Participants may also want to consider a detachable flash, reflector and a backpack style camera bag. Plenty of memory cards, either compact flash or SD style, will be beneficial as will a portable image storage device.
The Gathering Space at The Inn at Cedar Falls does include a free wifi network for connectivity to the web, however, a laptop computer is not required for this workshop.
Participants should pack clothing and footwear that would be typical for long day hike activity over rocky and/or wet terrain. Good, quality hiking boots are almost a necessity. Although the hikes into the scenic areas will rarely be longer than two or three miles, there is some change in elevation and narrow, rocky trails. Wet weather gear is encouraged. Light rain will actually be favorable for most of the landscape photography that Jim Crotty will be teaching and demonstrating.
The Leader
Jim Crotty is an accomplished and frequently published professional photographer who has been visiting and photographing in Hocking Hills since his first trip to the region in 1979. He considers Hocking Hills to be the home of his "creative soul." Much of his work can be seen on the current web site for The Inn at Cedar Falls. His images have been published magazines such as National Wildlife, Nature's Best and The Smithsonian. He is a regularly contributing photographer to Ohio Magazine, Ohio State Parks Magazine and Housetrends Magazine. Many of his fine art prints have competed and been presented with awards from the Professional Photographers of Ohio and are on display in some of the larger hospital and medical facilities throughout the state. His images of Hocking Hills have also been featured on the web site for the North American Nature Photography Association. In 2009 he earned the designation of Certified Professional Photographer through his involvement with the Professional Photographers of America.
In his hometown of Dayton, Ohio, Jim presents a regular program of one-day workshops on nature and landscape photography. His teaching style is very open and relaxed and he is always supportive of student desire to learn, improve and explore the rewarding creative discoveries that have been the cornerstone of his own career in professional photography. Many of his workshop students have returned to attend subsequent programs.
Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Dayton and a Master of Professional Communication from Westminster College of Salt Lake City. He has also studied professional nature photography at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Missoula, Montana.
In addition to the fine art of nature and landscape photography, and the teaching of workshops, Jim manages a growing practice in commercial photography services in the Dayton area with a client base that includes many of the largest employers in the region.
"Hocking Hills is a place whereby the changing light of each season and the spirit of the haunting landscape is practically burned into my artistic vision. To be able to share my love for the area within a photography workshop setting is a dream fulfilled."
Contact and Registration
Registration will be limited to the first 25 people who sign-up for the "Season of the Good Light" workshop by calling 927-432-6711, 1-877-JCrotty (527-6889) or email jim@ohiophoto.org.
Cancellations, Delays and Refunds
Jim Crotty retains the right to cancel any workshop for lack of registrants up to 30 days prior to the workshop date. In the event of cancellation every effort will be made to contact each registrant via email and/or phone. Under no circumstances will Jim Crotty or Picture Ohio, llc be responsible for any other expenses such as flights, medical, car rentals and hotels that you may have incurred. Since payment is not due until the day of the program, refunds will be issued only in the event that a participant needs to leave due to a medical or family emergency.
* Refunds for pre-payment of workshop fees are only issued in the event of workshop cancellation by the instructor, due to emergency, illness or severe weather, or due to emergency or illness of registered participant.
Before participating in a workshop all attendees will be required to sign a General Release, Assumptions of Risk, Limitation of Liability and Cancellation form.
Also, one thing that won't be tolerated is any type of rudeness or negative behavior displayed toward the instructor or other participants. Sometimes photographers attend workshop programs with the goal of "competing" against the work of others or to demonstrate that they "know more." If this occurs the instructor reserves the right to remove any participant who is disruptive to the positive, learning process. No refunds will be issued.