Helpful information
Welcome!
We’re very excited to see everyone in Woodland Park in October. We’ve got three jam-packed days of sharing, learning, and practicing planned for you. This webpage contains a bunch of important information that will help you plan for the workshop. If you have any questions, please reach out to us via email, Facebook or Instagram message, phone, text, telegram, carrier pigeon, Pony Express, etc.
Cheers!
Jesse & Moira
DETAILS
Dates
October 17-19, 2023
Location
737 Creek Side Dr, Woodland Park, CO 80863
Arrival
Closest airports:
Colorado Springs Airport (COS) – 40 mins
Denver International Airport (DEN) 1 hr. 37 mins
We suggest planning to arrive no later than Monday night, October 16th, since we will begin bright and early on Tuesday morning.
Uber and Lyft can drive you to Woodland Park, but you might have a hard time getting a ride back. Neither one regularly operates within Woodland Park. Alternatively, you can book a round-trip shuttle with a company like Super Shuttle Express or Groome Transportation. Renting a car in Denver or Colorado Springs is another great option. Feel free to coordinate carpools with other attendees in the Facebook group.
Departure
We will be wrapping up at 9 pm or later on Thursday night, so we strongly suggest planning to leave no earlier than Friday morning, October 20.
As mentioned, it can be difficult to find an Uber or Lyft in Woodland Park. If you don’t have a car, we recommend booking at shuttle with a company like Super Shuttle Express or Groome Transportation to get back to the airport (or carpooling with other attendees).
Agenda
DAY ZERO (MON, OCT 16) (OPTIONAL)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Welcome cocktails/meet-and-greet! Stop by, say hi, have a beverage or two. Get to know your instructors and fellow attendees before the workshop starts.
DAY ONE (TUES, OCT 17)
9:00 am – 9:00 pm (approx)
LA PLANTE: Philosophy, mindset & inspiration; tools and gear (what and why); image deconstruction; demo shoots (day and night); photo exercises; post-production; giveaways.
DAY TWO (WED, OCT 18)
9:00 am – 9:00 pm (approx)
CARDONA: Foundation, philosophy & inspiration; understanding light & mods; image deconstruction; demo shoots (gels and other cool sh*t); photo challenges; post-production demos; group presentations
DAY THREE (THURS, OCT 19)
9:00 am – 9:00 pm (approx)
VINSON: Foundation, philosophy & inspiration; the gear I use and why; foundation of “seeing the light”; image deconstructions; demo shoots (harsh light, flash, and the road to creativity); photo challenges; post-production; wrap-up and final thoughts
Parking
We’ll have plenty of on-site parking for those who have cars. For anyone who shuttled into Woodland Park, you can coordinate rides with your fellow attendees in the Facebook group. If you find yourself without a ride, we’ll make sure that someone comes to pick you up. We promise not to leave you stranded.
Lodging
There are plenty of lodging options for every budget. Here are just a few (listed in order of distance from the workshop venue).
The Green Mountain Falls Lodge – 7 mins
The Outlook Lodge – 8 mins
Eagle Fire Lodge & Cabins – 8 mins
Bristlecone Lodge – 11 mins
Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham – 11 mins
Rocky Mountain Lodge – 12 mins
Holiday Inn Express & Suites – 18 mins
The Cliff House at Pike’s Peak – 18 mins
Pike’s Peak Inn – 18 mins
Villa Motel – 19 mins
Airbnb and VRBO also offer some great options in the area.
JUST FOR FUN
Colorado is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world for good reason. There are a ton of cool things to do here and a lot of our out-of-state attendees like to bring their families along for a mini vacation before and/or after the workshop. Here are just a few of our recommendations near Woodland Park.
Pikes Peak
Garden of the Gods
The Manitou Incline
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Royal Gorge Bridge
Royal Gorge Railroad
Air Force Academy
Rampart Reservoir
Edelweiss German Restaurant
Paradox Beer Company
Bristol Brewing Company
Packing List
Gear
> Camera(s)
> Lens(es)
> Off-camera flash(es)
> OCF trigger(s)
> Flash mods
> Light stand (OPTIONAL: If you’re flying and want to pack lightly, you can share with others)
> Tripod (OPTIONAL: For long-exposure astrophotography, weather permitting)
> Laptop + editing software (If you don’t own a laptop, you might be able share with others.)
Attire
For those of you who are not familiar with Colorado, be sure to check the weather leading up to the workshop. October in the Rockies could mean 70-degrees and sunny or 20-degrees and a blizzard. In general, you’ll want to pack layers; the temperature can fluctuate wildly throughout the day. The workshop will take place primarily inside, but we will plan to go outside for the demo shoots. We can talk more about what to bring in the Facebook group when it gets closer and we know what the weather will be.
Tips for high elevations
We’ll be around 8,500 feet above sea level for this workshop, so some people might feel the effects. First and foremost, drink LOTS of water. We cannot emphasize this enough.
If you’re coming from lower elevations, you’ll also want to limit your alcohol intake. You will get drunker faster here, and it sneaks up on you. That’s why our wedding dance parties are so much fun, but keep in mind, a hangover at 8,500 feet is no fun at all and a bad case of altitude sickness is downright miserable.
If you need it, oxygen cannisters can be purchased at local grocery and convenience stores. Sunscreen is also recommended, even when it’s cold and cloudy out. The thinner atmosphere here means that sunburns can happen quickly.
Other things that might help you at a higher altitude: electrolytes, lip balm, lotion, saline nasal spray and painkillers (Tylenol, Advil, etc.).