Workshop Fee:
ACT NOW: save $50
when you register
by August 31, 2018
$695 Early Registration by Aug. 31, 2018
$749 Registration after Aug. 31, 2018
Do you have a Biltmore membership? Biltmore annual passholders can receive a refund of the Biltmore ticket portion of the tuition fee ($69.55) if they want to book their Biltmore ticket themselves using their annual pass. Annual passholders can purchase Chihuly at Night tickets at a $20 discount.
Contact
Mary Louise Ravese
Bella Vista Photography
MLRavese@BellaVistaPhotography.com
(571) 594-2390 (East Coast time)
When
Thursday September 27, 2018, 5 pm
to
Sunday September 30, 2018 3 pm
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Where
Asheville area, Western North Carolina.
Our "home base" is at the 20 acre Mountain Lens Training Center in Hendersonville, NC.
Getting There
Mountain Lens is about a 45 min drive south of downtown Asheville, NC and 30 min drive from Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) which is serviced by these airlines: Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta, Spirit, Elite Airways and United Airlines. Alternatively, a larger airport in Charlotte, NC is a 2 hr drive away.
Approximate driving times:
Atlanta, GA: 3 hrs 20 min
Raleigh, NC: 4.5 hrs
Spartanburg, SC: 1 hr 10 min
Washington DC: 8 hrs
Please do not book any non-refundable airfare until notified by the workshop leader.
Lodging
Lodging is not included in the workshop fee. Mountain Lens offers lodging on-site in a cottage and a carriage house, accommodating up to 13 people for workshops.
Their rates run from $90 - $175 per person for shared suites that include a kitchenette. Luxury amenities include high-definition TVs and high-speed WiFi. For those who prefer private accomodations, Mountain Lens can provide recommendations for local area hotels and B&Bs.
Contact Mountain Lens directly to book your lodging at (828)-230-3685
About the Instructor
Mary Louise Ravese specializes in fine art nature and travel photography from locations across the world. Her photographs are in private, university & corporate collections in over 40 states and are exhibited nationally. She has published images in calendars, magazines, books and websites. Mary Louise is a regular speaker and competition judge for photography clubs. She also enjoys teaching on a wide range of topics related to nature, travel and creative photography. Based in North Carolina, Mary Louise leads classes and workshops at a variety of locations across the US and abroad.
About the
Guest Speaker
Mountain Lens co-
founder Jeff Miller's mission is to help photographers capture the natural beauty of the Southern Appalachians, share it, and ultimately preserve it. He pursues his mission through “immersion” in photography – field trips, consulting, critiquing, and offering digital imaging and printing services.
Jeff also loves to connect with other photographers in several regional and national photography groups. He has delivered both technical and artistic presentations in many venues, and he teaches photography classes and workshops in Asheville NC, at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, at Chimney Rock State Park, and in the Everglades National Park.
Digital Black and White Photography Workshop
from capture to print
In this unique long-weekend workshop, participants will experience the full life cycle of black and white photography from selecting a subject, to shooting, editing and printing.
In a world of color, black and white photography offers the photographer the opportunity to get back to the basic essence of photography – the importance of visual design, composition and exposure. That is why well executed black and white images have such enduring appeal. But shooting for, editing and printing black and white images require different considerations than working in color. Today’s digital cameras, digital darkroom software programs and digital printers provide phenomenal advantages for producing black and white prints that would make Ansel Adams envious.
In this hands-on workshop, Mary Louise will explain how to identify and previsualize scenes with strong black and white image potential. Participants will then spend a day practicing these techniques photographing at Asheville’s 
famous Biltmore (Vanderbilt) estate with its French Chateau inspired mansion and formal gardens, as well as nature photography locations in the region. Just on site at the 20 acre Mountain Lens training center there is a serene pond, a scenic waterfall, two footbridges, and a mile of trails along meandering creeks and a forested hillside.
As a special bonus, the workshop is scheduled to coincide with a Dale Chihuly glass exhibit at the Biltmore for additional photographic opportunities.
Then it’s on to the digital darkroom where Mary Louise will share her step-by- step approach for optimally converting images from color to black and white using Adobe’s Lightroom program.
Joining Mary Louise in teaching will be master printer and Mountain Lens co-founder Jeff Miller, who will explain how to produce the best black and white photographic prints.
Over the weekend in addition to photographing in the field, participants will work on editing their own images with input, guidance and feedback from Mary Louise and Jeff. The workshop culminates with each participant printing one of their images to take home.
"I'm excited to be able to offer this workshop at Mountain Lens. It's unusual to be able to have access to a facility on location where students can take advantage of iMac computers and large format photo printers. Students will be able to make big strides in learning editing and printing because they can put new skills into practice right then and there, under the guidance of master printers." - Mary Louise Ravese
Who Should Attend
Experienced beginner, intermediate and advanced DSLR or mirror-less camera users. Participants must be familiar with basic camera operation, including the setting of aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Participants should also have some basic experience with editing images using Adobe Lightroom software (either Classic or CC versions). If desired, participants can bring their own laptop, but they will be able to use one of the 27 inch iMac machines available at the training facility. Class size is limited to 6 students.
What's Included-
- Classroom and field sessions
- Training handouts
- Entry fee to the Biltmore estate and Chihuly exhibit
- Preliminary and final print of the participant’s work printed on-site
What's Not Included
-
- Accommodations Shared on-site accommodations can be booked directly through Mountain Lens. Mountain Lens can also offer suggestions for off-site accommodations if desired.
- Meals
Brown bag lunches and group dinner reservations at local restaurants can be arranged. - Transportation
Participants should plan to drive or rent a car, public transportation is not readily available to/from Mountain Lens.