Muench Workshops -- Fall Fandango! -- Nov. 4-8, 2009

[DavidTO]

Fall Fandango


November 4-8, 2009
Santa Barbara, CA

Fall is a fantastic time in Santa Barbara! The air is clear, the weather is cool, the sea is calm and the sun rises and sets over the Pacific Ocean, making this an ideal location to shoot all day long. Enjoy everything this beautiful location has to offer with this two-part workshop:

Shoot Santa Barbara: November 4-6
Print Workshop: November 6-8

Or, you can put both parts together for the Full Fandango!

From pre-visualization to post-processing, you'll have an opportunity to launch all aspects of your workflow to a new level.

More info here.

Questions? You can ask them right here, or use our contact page.

[schmoo]

Totally excellent! The spring version of this was an awesome trip, and for all you pixel peepers out there now you get the added option of a print workshop.

When Marc does something thrice, it must be pretty nice

Anyway, no one knows Santa Barbara like Marc does, and that doesn't just go for shooting spots.....



(Danish.... pancakes.....)

[zweiblumen]

Signed up, deposit paid! I'm there for the print portion. FWIW, I'm planning on riding down Friday afternoon (I'll be there in time for dinner).

[Aldazar]

So I was really excited about this workshop, but I realized I don't have a lens which meets the wide-angle requirement for the course. I'm using a Canon 50D with the kit 28-135 lens, so with crop factor, it's way too narrow at 44.8mm full frame equivalent...

The problem is that wide angle lenses are really expensive! To get a full frame equivalent 24mm, I'd have to buy a 15mm lens (or thereabouts) and they're expensive!

Does that mean it's not worth signing up for the course unless I can get ahold of a really wide angle lens?

[Marc Muench]

Originally Posted by Aldazar

So I was really excited about this workshop, but I realized I don't have a lens which meets the wide-angle requirement for the course. I'm using a Canon 50D with the kit 28-135 lens, so with crop factor, it's way too narrow at 44.8mm full frame equivalent...

The problem is that wide angle lenses are really expensive! To get a full frame equivalent 24mm, I'd have to buy a 15mm lens (or thereabouts) and they're expensive!

Does that mean it's not worth signing up for the course unless I can get ahold of a really wide angle lens?

No this is not necessary! although, you have a couple choices. You can rent one from these great guys, or we will show you how to shoot with what you have. I must tell you that wide angle lenses are very handy for the type of landscape images that include foregrounds. However, they are not necessary for all landscape shooting. I will be teaching methods for composition which do not pertain to any particular lens.

There are many things to learn besides the wide angle shot

[Aldazar]

Hi! I'm back with another question.

What level of experience is this course targeted at? I'm assuming you're not targeting super new people still learning what the buttons on their camera do, but who will benefit most from this course? A relative beginner who is comfortable with their camera but isn't a technical whiz, or someone who already has thousands of pictures under their belt and wants to take it to the next level?

Don't feel compelled to stick within the categories I suggested, I'd like to hear your description of the ideal participant.

Also, while I understand that a response that "anyone could benefit from this course" would be tempting, I'm sure that some people would stand to benefit more than others and I'd like to know who.

The reason I'm asking this is because I invited a friend of mine to sign up for this course with me but he's worried that it's a bit too advanced for a relative beginner and would be a waste as he would not be able to get enough out of the course given his relative inexperience. Since I am also new to the whole D-SLR thing and taking photos beyond snapshots, this is naturally a concern for me too.

Thanks!

[Marc Muench]

Originally Posted by Aldazar

Hi! I'm back with another question.

What level of experience is this course targeted at?

Your question is pertinent.

The difficult part of telling you who gets the most out of a workshop or in particular, our workshops, is that everyone comes with different expectations. Furthermore, many participants might not understand what they have learned until it has sunk in months or even years later.

Each day we teach some basics about the cameras as well as technical procedures. Some who know this stuff usually hang out for a new perspective or walk off and photograph, because of where we are! Others can gain tremendous insight in how to spend money on new camera equipment I do believe the sensation of learning the technical aspects of photography is a good high, one that will pass with time but a must to accomplish some of the photography we teach.

Some beginners have told me it was the very best thing ever for them because it opened their eyes to what is possible, and that learning every technical aspect would be easier now that they understood where they wanted to go.
Some more advanced participants have told me that all they wanted was one tip that they needed to take them to the next level which made the entire experience worth while, as you mentioned in your question.

In one workshops while visiting Hunts Mesa in Arizona I was working with a former film producer of documentaries. This fellow was an advanced image maker who felt he did not have the necessary eye for stills and wanted to, as you say take it to the next level. When watching him set up a shot I noticed he was simply too far away from the foreground and mentioned to him to "get closer". This turned out to be the hot tip! Now I would not have guessed that would ever be a hot tip, but in his particular case, as he told me, "made the trip".

I have also had participants with little ambition to become great photogs enjoy the trip. They were simply toting only a point and shoot camera and the will to enjoy the experience for the sole purpose of the travel, and focus on something other than meals and curio shops. In these cases, I really do believe they had a interest in photography deeper than they admitted

Therefore, I believe the person who will benefit from this workshop the most is someone with the desire to learn. Not only do folks learn from the pros but from the other participants as well.

Also, I have recently began sending personal emails out to all the participants asking them what their particular expectations are, in the hopes that Andy Williams, David Porter or I can address them during our one on one sessions.

[AaronNelson]

Originally Posted by Marc Muench

Furthermore, many participants might not understand what they have learned until it has sunk in months or even years later.
.

True, oh so true in my case....

Marc, I wish I could make this workshop...maybe next year!

[philiphutson]

Originally Posted by Aldazar

The problem is that wide angle lenses are really expensive! To get a full frame equivalent 24mm, I'd have to buy a 15mm lens (or thereabouts) and they're expensive!

When I still had my 20d I had a sigma 17-70 on it. They're fairly inexpensive (at least compared to the cannon glass) but still very good lenses. Sigma also makes a 10-XX again a lot less cost than the cannon. One of the best lenses I have used (sharpest and good color) was a sigma that is on my wife's nikormat.

When you're ready to buy make sure you look at the sigmas and tamrons.
-Philip

[philiphutson]

Originally Posted by AaronNelson

True, oh so true in my case....

Marc, I wish I could make this workshop...maybe next year!

The funny thing is sometimes it's Marc's off hand comments that have made the most impact. Other times, like when we were shooting the fog above SB its noticing what he is using/looking at the helps me see things different.
I'll see him using a certain lens and I try to see what he is seeing.
-Philip

[Dave Clee]

Is there still room for both workshops ? I always ask but never seem to be able to get my schedule to align...But maybe just maybe...

Cheers

Dave

[DavidTO]

Originally Posted by Dave Clee

Is there still room for both workshops ? I always ask but never seem to be able to get my schedule to align...But maybe just maybe...

Cheers

Dave

Yes, both the print and shoot portions of Fall Fandango! have room.

[Dave Clee]

Curious, are both workshops definitely going to run ?

Cheers

Dave

Originally Posted by DavidTO

Yes, both the print and shoot portions of Fall Fandango! have room.

[DavidTO]

Originally Posted by Dave Clee

Curious, are both workshops definitely going to run ?

Cheers

Dave

Yep.

[Marc Muench]

The workshop was a good time for everyone! We shot for two days then dove into the dark and photoshoped and printed for another two days


The mission in glorious sun light


some clean surf made it feel like the Caribbean


and the mesa lit up as usual.


We did have great weather

and we had time to contemplate....... others contemplating!


Schmoo stopped by to pick up Travis and use her new 70-200mm lens to take a picture of Travis checking out his new 110 inch pano print



Once again EVERYONE showed off their talent by taking great images and then improving them ever so much more during the print part.

[timk519]

Originally Posted by Marc Muench

some clean surf made it feel like the Caribbean

omg...

[zweiblumen]

Originally Posted by Marc Muench

The workshop was a good time for everyone! We shot for two days then dove into the dark and photoshoped and printed for another two days

Once again EVERYONE showed off their talent by taking great images and then improving them ever so much more during the print part.

I unfortunately only had time to participate in the printing workshop, but WOW!!!! I've been on two shoot-outs with Marc and have followed a lot of what he's done here on DGrin, but I learned SO much in the two days. It was incredible.

Here's that 110" pano:(click on image for larger size)


There are definitely things not perfect about this shot, if you pixel-peep it they will jump at you. However at 5' looking at this you never see them. Here's one of the images that was used in the pano, just to show how HORRIBLE the raw data was. I wasn't going to process these, but Marc talked me into it.


The end result was so drastically different than what I had started with. I still want to go and re-shoot this pano and try and get it tack sharp (need a heavier tripod... damn winds), but I'm so proud of what I was able to make with Marc's instruction. I can't re-iterate how happy I am with this class.

Thanks again Marc! I can't wait to start printing more of my images now

[schmoo]

also on the wave, Marc!

Z: I just cannot believe the difference in your post-processing between 4 days ago and now. That pano just glows with soft light and is so true to life.

[timk519]

Originally Posted by schmoo

also on the wave, Marc!

I'm wondering that was done - was that as much 'right place at the right time', or was there some PP done to make it so.... amazing.

[Marc Muench]

Originally Posted by timk519

I'm wondering that was done - was that as much 'right place at the right time', or was there some PP done to make it so.... amazing.

When the light gets flat after shooting sunrise, and I happen to be near small breaking waves with light streaming through, I like to put the camera (whatever is in my hands at the time, 7D) and shoot!

Settings : no wind, back light, telephoto lens, 5 - 8fps, AIservo Auto focus, fast shutter speed, and most of all the waves must be breaking the way a surfer would dream of

Then some PP mojo However, what I did here did not take more than a few minutes.

Here are the various stages beginning with the RAW file then the slightly enhanced Tiff, to the final, left to right.