Riverman
27-Mar-2011, 14:25
I wanted to post a short review of the excellent tour to Death Valley that I recently made with Michael Gordon. I arranged a 2 day private workshop and tour with Michael which was spent exploring the Eureka Dunes area of the park.
Having Michael as a guide made it easy to get to the best locations at the right time of day. Had I been exploring DVNP alone I have no doubt that: (a) I probably wouldn't have made it to an area like Eureka Dunes in the first place; and (b) even if I had, I wouldn't have known where to start in terms of turning my lens on such an overwhelmingly magnificent landscape.
During the tour I gained insights from Michael not only about the geography of the areas we were exploring and driving past but also their history. Having some context to the beautiful landscapes that I was looking at was really valuable. Over the course of the 2 days I also had an opportunity to hone technical skills with the view camera, working on composition, focus and metering.
I cannot speak highly enough of the quality and value of the tour. Not only is Michael a superb photographer - he's also an excellent guide and tutor - not to mention driver and cook! Over our 2 days and nights in the desert we dined like kings - Michael provided and prepared substantial and delicious meals. He also undertook all of the driving - collecting me from and returning me to LAX at the start and end of the trip and allowing me the luxury of admiring the California landscape from the comfort of the passenger seat.
To any others thinking of exploring DVNP I would strongly encourage you to consider one of Michael's private guided tours. You will get a tremendous amount for your money.
I hope to post some images from the trip soon.
Having Michael as a guide made it easy to get to the best locations at the right time of day. Had I been exploring DVNP alone I have no doubt that: (a) I probably wouldn't have made it to an area like Eureka Dunes in the first place; and (b) even if I had, I wouldn't have known where to start in terms of turning my lens on such an overwhelmingly magnificent landscape.
During the tour I gained insights from Michael not only about the geography of the areas we were exploring and driving past but also their history. Having some context to the beautiful landscapes that I was looking at was really valuable. Over the course of the 2 days I also had an opportunity to hone technical skills with the view camera, working on composition, focus and metering.
I cannot speak highly enough of the quality and value of the tour. Not only is Michael a superb photographer - he's also an excellent guide and tutor - not to mention driver and cook! Over our 2 days and nights in the desert we dined like kings - Michael provided and prepared substantial and delicious meals. He also undertook all of the driving - collecting me from and returning me to LAX at the start and end of the trip and allowing me the luxury of admiring the California landscape from the comfort of the passenger seat.
To any others thinking of exploring DVNP I would strongly encourage you to consider one of Michael's private guided tours. You will get a tremendous amount for your money.
I hope to post some images from the trip soon.