Covered Bridges Photo Workshop

Fall Colors in the Covered Bridges Capital of the World

Covered Bridges Photo Workshop

Fall Colors in the Covered Bridges Capital of the World

when: TBD | small group of 6
Where: Parke County Indiana is home to 31 Covered Bridges crossing creeks and rivers in some of the most beautiful, tranquil settings, made all the more attractive by the reds, oranges and golds of fall.
The Covered Bridges are all found in a rustic, charming setting. Each covered bridge comes with its own unique past.

Meeting Time

Everyone should be coming in early afternoon on Thursday the 19th of October. Our first “meet and greet” session, along with a primer on landscape photography will take place on the first day of the workshop.

Sunrise is 8:09 am & Sunset is 6:57 pm

Tentative Itinerary – Please note that the schedule is subject to change – any changes to the schedule will be emailed in advance to all workshop participants.

Thursday

Oct. 19th – Arrival and check-in

Friday – Day 1 | Oct. 20th

10:00 AM – Meet and Greet / Planning
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM – Landscape Photography Class
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM – Lunch Break

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Landscape Photography Class Cont’d

3:45 PM – 7:30 PM – Photograph Covered Bridges and Streams

Saturday – Day 2

Oct. 21st, Field photography at one or more of the shooting locations in the morning and afternoon. Mid-day post-processing workshop and image review sessions.

Sunday – Day 3

Oct. 22nd, Field photography at one or more of the shooting locations in the morning and afternoon. Mid-day post-processing workshop and image review sessions.

Monday – Day 4

Oct. 23rd, Field photography at one or more of the shooting locations in the morning. Mid-day post-processing workshop and image review sessions.

Instruction for the Covered Bridges Workshop:

Cameras / Lenses / Tripods / Heads / Accessories.

Controlling light with diffusers, reflectors, and lights/working with natural lighting.

Depth of Field

How to control depth of field with f/stops and special techniques.

Composition

Learn how to compose properly / finding character in nature / elements of design / textures / contrast / lines / light / visual weight / learning to work camera angles for blurred backgrounds / Two Subject Compositions / What not to do when composing.

Finding Good Subject Matter

Learn when, where, and how to fine good subjects throughout the four seasons.

Macro Lens

Required: For best results, we recommend a lens between 50-300mm. Using a zoom lens you can get distance from your subject. I sometimes combine that with an extension tube. Bring a macro lens also if you have it.

Tripod

Required: Stability is everything in Photography! Using a sturdy tripod will help improve your compositions and get sharper images. A tripod also helps you have both hands free to focus (pun intended!) on learning and getting “the shot”!

Shutter Release/Remote

Optional: A shutter release allows you to take a photo without touching the camera. This helps ensure a sharp photo and is very important for long exposures in dark areas, or at night. They are affordable and a great tool to have in your camera bag!

Getting There

Indiana local residents might prefer driving to the location. If you are from out of state / different country, the best option is to fly into Indianapolis, rent a car and drive to Rockville Indiana about 1 hour west of Indianapolis, IN.

Once you reserve your spot, it might be a good idea to coordinate flight schedule with others in the group to see if it is possible to share car rental fees.

Transportation / Driving Conditions

If you are planning to arrive by car or rent a car from an airport, we recommend to reserve a mid size car or SUV. We will be driving on some dirt roads, driving conditions can be dusty at times or muddy if it rains.

There is no need for 4X4 or high-clearance off-road vehicles, because we are not planning to take any dangerous high-clearance roads in the area.

I will have a larger vehicle and can accommodate a couple of people.

What’s Included

– Inspiration

– Photo Critiques

– One-on-One time

– Photography instruction

– Water and snacks while on location

– Multiple Covered Bridge Locations

What’s Not Included

– Hotel

– Meals/Tips

– Travel Insurance

– Transportation (airfare/car rental) to and from from Indiana

Accommodations

Rockville is a small town & easy to get around.

Rockville Lodging

Airbnb

You can find some great deals where people would rent out a room, apartment or even the whole house for a pretty reasonable fee. I’ve used them before across the country and never have been disappointed.

WHY ATTEND…

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HANDS ON LEARNING

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IMPROVE SKILLS

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HAVE SOME FUN

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MAKE NEW FRIENDS

testimonials

What participants are saying

Blair Ball workshops rate a 10+ and here is why. The class sizes are small allowing Blair to spend a lot of time teaching with each student.

Keeping the workshop small allows Blair to spend time answering questions, giving demonstrations and offering tips about cameras.

He is genuinely interested in seeing that we become better photographers and more confident with our cameras.

Todd S.

Student

Memphis Street Photography provided teaching at its best, a great learning experience with an expert in the field as your coach, great new friends and tremendous knowledge expansion.

What a great day! This was my third class under Blair Ball. He makes it so easy to learn and guides you in the field to do your best photography. I anxiously await another opportunity to learn from him!

Scarlett C.

Student

I had the awesome opportunity to attend Blair Ball’s “Street Photography” class. I found it informative and fun.

I highly recommend attending Blair Ball’s classes. His instruction is easy to follow and you will walk away with much more than you came with! I intend to take several more to sharpen my skills

Tammy A.

Student

I can truthfully say I got my money’s worth out of Memphis Street Photography Workshop. I got out of my normal shooting zone. I got better shooting ideas by being with a group. I got expert instruction from someone who has “Been there and done that.” Got most wins for me in digital competition at Memphis Camera Club

Barry B.

Student

When I signed up for your beginning digital camera workshop and then your Lightroom workshop, I had no idea what a journey I was beginning.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, not only about photography but how to use my camera features and Lightroom more effectively. This journey is fascinating. Thank you!

Linda C.

Student

Thank you for making this the BEST workshop I have ever attended. Your kindness, patience, and desire for us to learn are greatly appreciated.

Terry D.

Student

Thank you for this wonderful experience! You always knew the perfect spot to take us. This will be a trip I will never forget.

Cindy R.

Student

What to Bring

Your digital SLR camera. If you have a favorite point-and-shoot or smartphone.
Lenses. Try to cover a range from (24-300mm).
Tripod. This is a necessity for Macro workshop.
Filters. Although not necessary a Circular Polarizer could be helpful to cut down on glare or if it has rained. Great for fall colors.
Extra batteries. Bring at least 1 or 2 extra batteries.
Extra memory cards. Will discuss the benefits of shooting in RAW format.
Clothing & shoes. Bring layers of clothing and comfortable walking shoes!
Your sense of adventure! We want to teach you what it is YOU want to learn, and have you come away with some great images.
Your Thinking Cap! Show up ready, because you’re going to learn!

Equipment Recommendations:

Cameras and Lenses

You can bring any kind of camera gear with you. As for lenses, our recommendation would be to bring several lenses:

Wide angle / ultra-wide angle: If you have a wide angle zoom lens, like a 12-24 or 16-35mm that can take filters.
Normal range: A 24-70mm or a 24-120mm would probably be your most used lens during the workshop.
Telephoto range: There might will be good opportunities for using telephoto lenses as well. Grab something like a 70-300mm or a 70-200mm

If you don’t have one of these lens, you can rent one at Lens Rentals in Memphis.

Tripod

A tripod is an absolute must for this workshop. It will be needed for both sunrise and sunset shots. Don’t forget your tripod quick release adapters (we have had people before who forgot those). If you only shoot on a tripod, make sure to grab one that is easy to setup (provided that it is not flimsy) – we will be driving, hopping in and out of car quite a bit. There will not be any need for monopods or other camera support gear.

Please use a cable release or know how to work the camera’s timer delay to avoid camera shake.

Filters

Polarizing filter: a must-have for fall colors. If you don’t have one, please purchase one as soon as possible or you can rent one at Lens Rentals in Memphis.
GND filter: for sunrise/sunset shots, a soft-edge graduated neutral density (GND) filter is another item we would highly recommend. Take a 2 stop and a 3 stop GND. If you want to only take one filter, take a 3 stop soft-edge GND. Don’t forget a filter holder, as it will be easier on your fingers, especially in cold mornings.

Investment and How to Sign Up – Limited to 6

The workshop cost is $ per participant. This cost excludes flight, car reservation, lodging, food and other related costs. Workshop participants will be responsible for arranging their own flights, accommodations and ground transportation to and from the workshop location in Rockville, Indiana.

In order to sign up for the above workshop, please use our secure Workshop Registration page.

Reservations/Payment

A deposit of $dollars is required to hold your spot on this workshop. Your final payment of the “balance due” for this workshop must be paid on or before prior to the workshop’s inception. We will send out reminder notices of your balance due a week before this mark.

Payment methods accepted: VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS and PAYPAL.

Learning is never out for the PRO!

Early Bird Registration

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Register Now Small Classes of 6

Date: TBD

Where: Rockville, Indiana

Seating limited, Register Early!

Register Now

Cancellation Policy

Blair Ball Photo Workshops limit class and workshop size. This allows us to provide our students with the best possible learning experience. We rely on your attendance to make important arrangements. This includes, payments, room rentals, Eventbrite, PayPal & other arrangements.

Given our limited group size an empty seat on a workshop is a loss to us. This is our way protecting ourselves.

You may protect yourself too, at your own discretion by purchasing travel insurance.

Workshop – Multi Day

If you cancel within the following timeframes before event date.

90+ days before, full refund less an administration fee of $50 or same $ credit to another workshop. Good for 6 months.
61 – 90 days before, your workshop deposit is forfeited. The remainder of your tuition is refunded.
31 – 60 days before, 50% refund.
<30 days before, no refund or credits allowed.

We do our best to work with our customers, but please understand, we have to make location deposits, airline tickets, reservations, etc. and we cannot operate on a full or partial refund policy without some restrictions. We do our part to bring you a workshop and it’s your responsibility to do your part once booked. We understand things can change and we’ll be happy to review your situation.

If we cancel our workshops due to lack of attendance sign-ups, and/or a major event that impacts our workshops, we do our best to let you know as soon as possible and offer either full-refunds or full-credits to future workshops at your choice.

OTHER WORKSHOPS:

INSTRUCTOR

Blair Evan Ball is a Memphis based Sports, Event, Portrait and Commercial Photographer

I’m honored to have photographed a Presidential Candidate, Tennessee Governor, Memphis Mayor, Shelby County Mayor, Amazon groundbreaking, Olympic Champion runners and 6 time Boston Marathon winner.

I’m also honored to have photographed 150+ Marathons, Half-Marathons, Triathlons, & other running events. As well as numerous corporate events and portraits.

Ph: 901-378-7450 | bballphoto@comcast.net

Honored to have my works published in:

Amazon
Aflac
CBS Sports
Church Health
Bass Pro Shops at Pyramid
The Commercial Appeal
Memphis Sports Magazine
Memphis Health & Fitness
Memphis Flyer
Memphis Business Journal
Greater Memphis Chamber
Memphis Magazine
The Travel Channel
The New York Post
The Guardian
Runners Journal
The Jewish Scene Magazine
Memphis Runners Magazine
American Drag Racing League Magazine
Memphis Motorsports Park
YMCA

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