Spring in Olympic National Park Photography Workshop 2025

Olympic National Park Photography Workshop

 

Dates: May 15 – 19, 2025

Tuition:  $2,495.00

Location: Forks, WA

Instructors: Kurt Budliger & Benjamin Williamson

Overview:

Join internationally renowned landscape photographers Kurt Budliger and Benjamin Williamson on a photo adventure of a lifetime: the magnificent coastal environment of Olympic National Park in Washington state. Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site is three parks in one, offering us a unique opportunity to capture magical images of superb coastal, mountain, and rain forest scenery. Here you will find the longest undeveloped coast in the contiguous United States, with pebble-beaches, towering cliffs and offshore sea stacks; rain forests with moss-covered trees (the best example of intact temperate rainforest in the Pacific Northwest); glacier-capped peaks interspersed with extensive alpine meadows; and a stunning variety of marine and mountain plants and animals.

 

Key Features:

• Gain a strong technical and creative foundation in outdoor photography
• Learn the importance of “seeing the light,” weather forecasting and location scouting
• Learn how to use filters in the field to control dynamic range
• Learn strategies for making dynamic compositions that have energy and engage the viewer
• Learn how to choose aperture and hyperfocal focusing for depth of field
• Bring your images to life using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop (beginner and advanced techniques)
• Get individualized instruction and critique in the field as well as classroom
• Photograph tide pools, streams & waterfalls and lush old growth rain forests
• Photograph sunrise and sunsets along the wild Olympic coast

Schedule:

The workshop will kick off on Thursday May 15, 2025 at 3:30 PM at the Forks Motel with a short reception and presentation and then it’s into the field we go to make images. There is no “set” daily schedule, rather we keep things flexible in order to best respond to the weather and available light for making images.  Typically, we’ll be out bright and early, shoot until mid morning and then take a break for a meal and brief rest.  We’ll convene in the conference room for instruction, post processing and critique during the mid-day hours when the light is typically less conducive to photography.  We’ll then head back out into the field in the late afternoon and evening, ending our session after sunset.  We’ll end our time together with a final morning field session on Monday May 19th.

Physical Difficulty:

There will be no overly strenuous hiking involved during the workshop and most locations will be close to the road.  Some locations, however will involve a short hike of approximately a mile with some moderate elevation gains (return trip up from coastal beaches).  Participants should be comfortable carrying all personal items and camera equipment for at least a mile (2 miles RT).  We will be spending a lot of time shooting along the Olympic coast and in the rain forest.  The terrain is very uneven and can be somewhat slippery.  Hiking boots and a modest level of health and fitness will greatly enhance your experience.