Dates: May 18 - 23, 2010
Leaders: David Middleton and Brenda Berry
Location: Tofino, British Columbia
Cost: $1195
About the Workshop
The western edge of Vancouver Island is a wild crenulated coastline of deep bays, rocky headlands, broad tidal flats and small harbor towns decorated with ancient forests, clear waters and wide, inviting beaches. About midway on the coast, where the Pacific dips inland to form the Clayoquot Sound, a long finger of land reaches up and tickles both waters. At the south end of this peninsula is the charming fishing village of Ucluelet, at the north end, the more hip surfing town of Tofino. In between lies the Pacific Rim National Park and, surrounding it all, the Clayoquot Sound World Biosphere Reserve.
The workshop will be based in Tofino on the north end of the Long Beach unit of the Park. Aptly named, Long Beach is 22 kilometers of gorgeous white sand fringed by beautiful stands of old-growth Sitka Spruce and dotted with rocky spires encrusted with giant purple sea stars and vivid green anemones. Off shore, sea lions and gray whales loll in the Pacific surf, while on the Sound side, black bears prowl the shoreline at low tide plucking crabs from beneath the kelp and boulders.
When David Middleton and Brenda Berry scouted the area in the spring, David said, "Having spent 25 years photographing the Oregon and Washington coast I was awed by the abundance of nature and the variety of subjects to photograph in the area. I fell in love with the place and can’t wait to go back." With that kind of endorsement you should just stop and reading now and send in your deposit!
There are so many favorite places to photograph on this workshop it’s hard to name them all. Highlights of the week will include visits to Chesterman and Combers beaches. These pristine shores are approached by winding trails through beautiful forests that open up onto long sandy strands with sea stacks just offshore. We are also certain to visit Cox Bay early in the morning mist in order to photograph its many anemone filled tide pools, only to return to catch the surfers riding the waves at sunset.
During the workshop we will travel by water taxi to Mears Island. Mears Island was at the center of many conservation-versus-logging conflicts and is renowned world wide for its trail through an old-growth forest of several thousand year old giant red cedars. We will also take you to a grove of magnificent old-growth Sitka Spruce that line the twisting boardwalks of the Rainforest Loop Trail.
Wait, have we mentioned photographing black bears from a small boat as they hunt crabs on the shore? We probably should have started here, as this chartered excursion may very well turn out to be your personal highlight of the workshop. The boat will be ours alone, and the captain is well versed in getting us the best angle on the local ursine population. The bears are so close that the splash of each footfall and the emphatic crunch of each bite are easily heard.
Gallery
Included in the Workshop
The workshop fee includes participant instruction from Tuesday evening, May 18th until about noon on Sunday, May 23rd. Please note that we have added a full day to the length of this workshop in order to take advantage of all that the Pacific Rim Park has to offer. A reception with light refreshments on the 18th is included, as is your water taxi transportation to visit Mears Island, and Pacific Rim Park fees. Also included in the workshop price is the private (PAW only) excursion to photograph the black bears.
The workshop price includes the professional instruction of David Middleton and Brenda Berry. You will be the beneficiary of our knowledge of the best spots to photograph, lots of individual field instruction, as well as daily classroom instruction and critiques. And, as on all PAW workshops, we will be there only to help you, not to fill our own portfolios.
This workshop will allow a maximum of 12 participants and requires a minimum of 6.
The workshop fee does not include transportation to, from, or during the workshop. You are also responsible for your own meals and lodging. We will receive a discounted rate at our designated hotel if you chose to stay there. We do our best to facilitate carpooling.
Please let us know if you have any special needs or physical restrictions so that we may try to accommodate them.
PAW workshops: the best leaders, locations, and instruction.
Transportation and Lodging
IMPORTANT! If you are not a Canadian citizen you will need a valid passport.
Airports
Victoria International Airport (YYJ)201-1640 Electra Blvd
Sidney, BC V8L 5V4
Canada
From Victoria to Tofino is a pretty 5 hour drive. Map and directions.
Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
3211 Grant McConachie Way
Richmond, B.C.
Canada
From Vancouver take a car ferry to Vancouver Island and land at Nanaimo. You can get details on the BC Ferries website or call 888.223.3770. It is about a 3 hour drive from Nanaimo to Tofino.
Tofino Airport (YAZ)
There are flights in to Tofino, but be warned that this is a small airport primarily used by private planes. It is also notorious for flight delays due to the foggy coastal weather. Use this convenient airport with caution.
From the US there are also opportunities to take the ferry from either Port Angeles, WA or the Seattle area. See the Ferry Travel website or call 800.686.0446
Car rental is available at Victoria and Vancouver Airports as well as Nanaimo.
TIP: Once you arrive on Vancouver Island you will drive across the island to the coast on Highway 4. If you drive from Nanaimo without stopping allow 3 hours (125 miles) to cross the island. If you are driving across from Victoria (190 slow miles) allow 5 hours. If you are driving, we recommend that you allow a day for the journey so you have time to stop along the way in Port Alberni for lunch and to photograph several other picturesque spots along the way.
Lodging
We recommend the Best Western Tin Wis Resort. This is the location for all of our classroom style activities.Best Western Tin Wis Resort Lodge
1119 Pacific Rim Highway, Tofino
1-800-661-9995 or 250-725-4445
Alternate location in town:
Schooner Motel
1-250-725-3478
Schedule
We will be up and out early in order to catch the soft misty light of morning as the sun rises. We will be out shooting until the quality of the light diminishes at which time we will break for a quick lunch. We will reconvene at the hotel for an afternoon session in the classroom. Classroom sessions include, but are not limited to the art and craft of photography, technical issues, Lightroom and Photoshop, as well as critiques of participants work. Evenings will find us back out photographing until after sunset, shower, download your cards, hit the sack, and we will see you bright and early the next morning. You get the idea. By Sunday afternoon you go home with a smile on your face, a brain full of new knowledge, and a hard drive full of great images.
Equipment and Gear
Camera
We welcome any type of SLR (even film!). Bring a back up camera if you have one (a cell phone doesn’t count). Your camera manual is always welcome. Look for it now. We always recommend a sturdy tripod. We use them, and you should too. It is a great investment. If you don’t have one already, get in touch with us before you purchase one. Of course, bring along your battery charger, extra batteries, lots of memory cards, lens and sensor cleaning supplies. A shower cap makes a handy camera cover on misty days.
Lenses
Bring what you have. A wide angle 12- 24 is ideal for landscapes. You’ll want something in the mid range 28-105, 28 – 200, or similar. A macro is great for tide pools, and something in the 200 – 300 range is ideal for bears. Bring polarizing filters for your wide angle and macro lenses; get them if you don’t have them. Trust me. If you have any questions about your gear, especially if you are going to purchase something new, we are happy to assist you prior to the workshop. We are just an email away and probably more informed than your brother-in-law.
Miscellaneous
Laptop, or external storage device: You’ll need some way to download and view your images. It’s imperative to back up your images. It would be a shame to come all this way and lose your images due to card failure or loss! If you do not have a laptop we can download your card to ours for the critiques.
Clothes
It is a rainforest; therefore it is wet. Bring layers. Spring in the Northwest is generally cool (50-65 day time). Pack a raincoat, polar fleece, hat and gloves. It can be quite chilly; especially early mornings on the boat. By mid day it can be warm so dress in layers and bring a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Umbrellas are good for rain, but even better for tide pools! We recommend black. Black is always in style, and so are sturdy hiking shoes. Bring both. Toss in some extra wool socks for comfort.
The Leaders
David Middleton and Brenda Berry are teaming up to lead this workshop. Not only is David the director of PAW, the author of many books and articles, he is also a long time workshop leader and gifted photography teacher. David has many years of experience photographing the Pacific coast and he has a great love and intimate knowledge of its forests and creatures. Nothing makes him happier than sharing his enthusiasm for the natural world – except maybe dark chocolate.
Brenda Berry is a professional photographer specializing in naturescapes, environmental portraiture, and boat hulls. Brenda has assisted David on workshops from Vermont to the Oregon Coast. As a long time Northwest native, Brenda possesses a unique knowledge of the area and an uncanny ability to find the clearest tide pools, most photogenic surfers, and the best espresso stands.
Contact us:
David Middleton
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
David’s Website: www.davidmiddletonphoto.com
Skype: paworkshops
877.384.PAWS (7297)
Brenda Berry
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Brenda’s Website: www.bberryphotography.com
Skype: paworkshops
877.384.PAWS (7297)
Final Thoughts
It'll be a hull of a workshop. Sign up today!
