"Cholla Sunburst"

Joshua Tree National Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park offer a stunning backdrop of natural beauty and quiet majesty for this landscape photography workshop. Straddling the Mojave Desert and the Sonoran Desert, this expanse of serene wilderness holds flora, fauna, and rock formations found nowhere else on Earth.

February is the most comfortable time to visit the desert, when daytime temperatures average a balmy 70 degrees and spring wildflowers are likely to be in early bloom. Harry will guide you every step of the way, fine-tuning your technique and helping you get the most out of every shot. So grab your camera and prepare to fill your portfolio with one-of-a-kind photos you’ll treasure for a lifetime!

In Joshua Tree National Park, we’ll shoot spectacular locations such as Hidden Valley, Jumbo Rocks, Cholla Cactus Garden, Barker Dam, Keys View, Eureka Peak, and an optional hike up Ryan Mountain.

In Anza-Borrego Desert State Park — the largest state park in California — we’ll photograph rare desert spring wildflowers, and breathtaking overviews of the Borrego Badlands, climaxing with a sunset shoot overlooking Borrego Valley from the fabled Fonts Point.

"San Diego Bouquet"

We’ll wrap up this photo tour with a double-shot of the Pacific Coast — sunset and sunrise — at locations in La Jolla and San Diego, before your return home.

Workshop Images

To view images from the 2011 Southern California Workshop, visit the California collection and browse the Anza-Borrego Desert, Barker Pond, Cholla Cactus Garden, and Eureka Peak galleries.

Cost

$895 per person, double occupancy. Includes two nights lodging in Twentynine Palms, one night lodging in Borrego Springs, one night lodging near La Jolla, transportation from San Diego to all locations, and all park fees.

Register / More Info

To register, or for more information, or for pricing for single occupancy, click here. This workshop is limited to 7 participants.

Rock Plus Two

On a recent trip to Lake Powell, Arizon/Utah, I was hiking and looking for a photographic composition to capture my wonder at this place.  And I saw these two rocks holding hands on a great smooth rock.  I took the shot and have wondered why I so much like to photograph rocks.

Being of Capricorn persuasion, I am inclined to structure, tradition, achievement, austereness.  Of the four elements — fire, water, air, and earth — I am earth.  To me, a photograph of a rock is a small record of an instant in time on earth.

I have come to revere the silence and relative permanence (or simply the extremely slow rate of change for human perception) of the rocks.  My car may last 10 years, my home 100 years, my city 1000 years, my planet – I don’t know.  The rocks are changing too.

The pace of change we humans have now created flashes by in a world of tweets and likes, facespace, mybook, mytube and yourtube, and news cycles that are shorter in life span than a fruit fly.  We love seeing people get kicked off the island (or the runway, kitchen, dance floor, etc,) .  We can now make a video of ourselves and loved ones.  An almost instantaneous record of what is happening NOW, for all to see for as long as the bits are stored on a disk drive in a computer, and the facebook accounts are still open.

But who sees the changes of the rocks?  And how did they get that way?  They have left us a record of their state now, but how did they get here?  These two rocks were (and probably still are) sitting out on a smooth place on another rock, brought here by – an avalanche?  — a flood? – a thawing iceberg?  And how long will it take for them to become sand, scattered over the surface of the earth by the chaotic movements of the wind and rain?  What really is their history?  Are they brothers, sisters, lovers?

When we are young, we think our physical bodies are immortal, like the rocks.  As we get older, we know that we are here in these bodies but a nanosecond compared to a simple rock.

I do appreciate their history and mystery, even though it is unknown, as much as the history and mystery of my very own soul.

"Sun Kissed"

Tomorrow I’m heading over to Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico, to teach a week of Digital SLR Photography in Georgia O’Keeffe country. I look forward to spending time in that most beautiful landscape, sharing this passion with a new group of participants.

"Hosta Cuddle"

I was running out of inspiration in my photography.  My last “photography trip” was way back in early March 2011, and the next one would not be for a year or more.  No one was buying my photos, and no one was enrolling in my workshops.  I was getting very few “Likes” on my posts.  I was thinking why do this at all.  Who cares about these images anyway?  There are trillions of them on the internet, and why bother.

Yesterday when I was walking up my driveway after a day at the office, I heard the singing of a Cardinal up in the sky somewhere.  I stopped and listened and looked until I saw him, sitting way up on my TV antenna.  Then I smiled and whistled back.  Was he singing for me?

Last Saturday I was at the Chicago Botanic Garden, to shoot some pictures of the flowers and plants there.  Initially, I was walking around in the grip of the mind’s chatter — “Find pretty flowers … in soft light  … with uncluttered backgrounds … and get their names  … and won’t everybody just love it  … and blah blah blah blah blah.”

But then, by walking around, by myself, just being still and letting the plants attract me (letting my heart attract them?), by just walking around and noticing my feelings, my mind’s focus was directed to a group of hostas perched quietly along a stairway under a canvas tent.  Their stillness and apparent contentment with their position, leaf curling against leaf, created in me a feeling of appreciation that these flowing, unspectacularly green ripply plants had accepted their destiny to put on a display –  today — now  — just for me, because everyone else had passed them by.

So what is the purpose of a plant growing or a bird singing or a Harry making a picture?  Is it to win awards, recognition, appreciation from other people? I think not.

I think, when we are still, we are all inspired to do what feels good to us, and I should not forget that for me it feels good to pour some of my life into creating a thing of beauty.  Like the Cardinal singing his song.  Like the hosta leaf growing and cuddling with her sisters.

"Water Color"

My image “Water Color” was selected for the Open Lens II exhibit at Gallery 7, Joliet, Illinois.

Open Lens II is Gallery 7′s 2nd Annual Juried Exhibit of Photographic Fine Art.  Over 535 images were submitted by more than 90 artists from across the country.  The exhibit features 68 images selected by 2 jurors with a Best of Show Award, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Awards, 6 Honorable Mention Awards, and Purchase Awards honoring more than 10 Artists and images.  The exhibit features an Opening and Closing Reception and is open for  viewing by the public and invitees over the course of the exhibit.

The Exhibit Opening Reception is today, June 4, 2010 from 6:00 PM to 9:00PM.  The exhibit runs through the July 15, 2010 Artists Closing Reception.

About Gallery 7

Gallery 7 is a Fine Art Gallery in the Rialto Arts District in Historic Downtown Joliet.  Located just one door north of the historic Rialto Theater, Gallery 7 features Fine Art Photography, Fiber Art and other artworks.  It is a collaboration of nine member and associate member artists.  The gallery is open 11 AM to 2 PM,  Monday through Friday, for receptions and by appointment.  Call 815.726.1840 for appointment openings.  Address:  Gallery  7, 116 N Chicago St, Suite 102, Joilet, Illinois.