Exit 87 and the Columbia Gorge
A field photography workshop in the Columbia Gorge, led by Sharon Lavier O’Keefe, Founder, Northwest Center for Photography
Field workshop:
6 p.m. Friday, August 10 through sundown, Sunday, August 12, 2012
Workshop wrap-up and critical print critique
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Workshop information
Nestled in a beautiful valley at the foot of Mt. Hood, surrounded by fields of amber wheat, emerald green fields of alfalfa, orchards and vineyards, is one of Oregon's most charming and friendly small communities. Join us and experience a myriad of photographic opportunities that will help you further your skills and creativity in a positive and encouraging environment; these include:
- a classic car Neon Night Cruise
- a sock-hop in the park
- a parade with Rodeo Queens, clowns and marching bands
- horse-drawn plowing and harvesting
- steam-powered wheat threshing
- beautiful wildflowers, grasses, tumbleweeds, etc.
- turn-of-the-century homesteads and schoolhouses
- weathered barns
- pioneer cemeteries
- beautiful skies (hopefully)
- assorted wildlife
- sunrise overlooking The Gorge (an optional side trip)
Our car caravan will wind it's way past flowing fields of grain and alfalfa; stopping periodically for tailgate picnics and to photograph beautifully preserved turn-of-the-century homesteads, deteriorating wooden grain silos, dilapidated barns, abandoned schools and occasional farm animals and wildlife.
Tailored to the needs of photographers, from beginner to advanced, we address your photographic goals on a personal level to ensure you get the most out of the workshop experience. We will emphasize elements of visual design and how they can be used to create the essence of an expressive image. An artistic interpretation of the region is well within your reach regardless of the type of camera or lens you may be using.
We hope you'll join us to photographically capture this region's history, celebrate the crop just harvested, document the lifestyle of early settlers, and enjoy many opportunities to get acquainted with residents of this rural farming community.
About the workshop leader
Sharon Lavier O’Keefe, founder of the Northwest Center for Photography, has been leading the Exit 87 photography workshop for more than 10 years. She has been working as a freelance photographer for over 35 years and teaching photography classes, independently and through Portland Community College for over 15 years. She was the staff photographer for Kaiser Permanente Northwest for more than 12 years.
Sharon’s a gifted teacher and a talented photographer. She inspires her students to find new ways to see the world, in a positive and encouraging environment, and she has a way of engaging strangers to participate in her photographic pursuits. While Sharon takes photography very seriously and is truly passionate about teaching and educating, she firmly believes having fun is essential to the creative process.
Workshop agenda
Day 1 (Friday, August 10, 2012)
We’ll meet at 6 p.m. for a get-acquainted reception and workshop orientation. Light refreshments will be served. Then, we’ll head downtown to photograph the colorful and entertaining Neon Night Cruise. If you loved American Graffiti then you’ll love this event and an opportunity to photograph vintage cars “cruising the gut.” You’ll feel like you’ve been transported back to the 1950s. This is a colorful, fun-filled yet nostalgic event.
Day 2 (Saturday, August 11, 2012)
We’ll meet at 5 a.m. and head out in anticipation of photographing a landscape glowing from the sweet light of early morning. We’ll stop at a city park where we can enjoy a delicious breakfast prepared by members of the local Grange. They serve up some delicious pancakes for a nominal charge; what a great way to start the day—pancakes in the park. Then we’ll go downtown to stake out the best location to photograph the local parade celebrating the recent harvest. After the parade, we’ll photograph vintage farming techniques (e.g., horse-drawn harvesting and plowing, steam-powdered threshing, blacksmiths at work, etc.). Mid-day, our car caravan will tour the surrounding area stopping periodically to photograph abandoned homesteads, pioneer cemeteries, weathered barns and wildlife. Our day will end as we enjoy a tailgate picnic, on a hilltop overlooking the wheat fields, as we await the gift of a sunset.
Day 3 (Sunday, August 12, 2012)
On our final day, you have the option of getting up really early to drive to Stonehenge. As the sun crests the horizon, we’ll photograph the beginning of new day while watching the early morning light as shadows dance their way across The Gorge landscape. Then, we’ll stop by Maryhill Museum to enjoy a breakfast at our cars, taking a few more photographs of The Gorge, before going back to the workshop headquarters for a brief rest and to checkout.
The group will meet at 12:30 p.m. and head out to see what new photographs the region is waiting to give us. We’ll stop by the City Park to photograph vintage and classic cars in the Show and Shine event. In the late afternoon, we’ll continue to explore the region before stopping for a tailgate dinner as we wait for one last amazing sunset, taking a group photo and exchange information before saying our goodbyes. Workshop ends at sundown.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Workshop wrap-up and print critique
We will be conducting a critical print critique of photographs created during the workshop. Participants may bring a disk with up to 40 JPEGs, suitable for projection on a Mac, for the critique. Participants are also asked to bring two enlarged, matted and framed photographs for the Workshop Exhibit. The exhibit is important because it takes the creative process full circle—from conception and execution to presentation. Exhibit photos should be enlarged to at least a 12x18 or 11x14 print size prior to matting and framing. Participants may also bring unframed, matted 8x10 or 5x7 prints for an optional print exchange with fellow workshop participants.
About the workshop
Enrollment. Participation in this workshop is limited to 12 students.
Prerequisites. This workshop is open to those with a working knowledge of their equipment and a basic understanding of photography. A tripod is essential.
Accommodations. The home base for the workshop instructor will be Cousins’ Country Inn, 2114 West 6th Street, The Dalles, OR 97058. To learn more about the inn, go to www.cousinscountryinn.com. To make reservations, call 1-800-848-9378 or send an e-mail to info@cousinscountryinn.com. Early booking of your reservation is strongly encouraged since this is a very popular inn, and it’s the peak tourist season.
Meals. Participants are responsible for all their own meals and should come prepared with whatever’s needed for frequent tailgate picnics.
Transportation. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to, from and during the workshop as well as trip, health and accident insurance.
Workshop tuition (tuition does not include transportation, lodging or meals). The workshop tuition is $195 per person and includes a $25 non-refundable registration fee. Once your registration has been completed, we’ll send out additional information relevant to the workshop.
Withdrawal, Cancellation and Refund Policy. We rely on your attendance to make important arrangements so if, for any reason, you need to withdraw please notify us in writing 30 days or more before the first day of the workshop. At that time, we will refund your deposit, minus the non-refundable registration fee. Registrations cancelled after that will be eligible for a refund (less the non-refundable registration fee and a $35 cancellation fee) only if a replacement can be found. If notification or cancellation is made 14 days or less, prior to the first day of the workshop, you will not be eligible for a refund.
Northwest Center for Photography (NCP) is not responsible for a participant’s cancellation due to a medical emergency, death in the family or acts of war.
In the event NCP cancels a workshop due to inadequate enrollment, all fees and deposits will be refunded in full, or if you prefer they may be transferred to another workshop within 12 months. However, NCP is not responsible for reimbursement of non-refundable airline tickets in the event of workshop cancellation. We strongly recommend you purchase travel insurance.
There are no exceptions to this Withdrawal, Cancellation and Refund Policy.
Waiting lists. When a workshop fills, we start a waiting list. There is no charge to be on the waiting list. If space becomes available, we contact the first person on the list. That person then has 24 hours to register before we move to the next person. If a space becomes available within 14 days of the start of a workshop, the registrar may call all persons on the waiting list and the space will be given to whoever completes their registration first.
Questions. E-mail info@nwcenterforphotography.com