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Thread: Michael Gordon - Death Valley Tour review

  1. #1

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    Michael Gordon - Death Valley Tour review

    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.

  2. #2
    Richard K. Richard K.'s Avatar
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    Re: Michael Gordon - Death Valley Tour review

    Quote Originally Posted by Riverman View Post
    |||||||||||||||||||||||||I hope to post some images from the trip soon.|||||||||||||||||
    That would be totally groovy!
    When I was 16 I thought my father the stupidest man in the world; when I reached 21, I was astounded by how much he had learned in just 5 years!

    -appropriated from Mark Twain

  3. #3

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    Re: Michael Gordon - Death Valley Tour review

    I'll second the kudos about Michael. Best weekend for the money I ever spent.
    There are 3 kinds of people in the world: those who can count and those who can't.

  4. #4

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    Re: Michael Gordon - Death Valley Tour review

    No 4x5 to post yet I'm afraid (will be coming back from the lab in the next few days). In the meantime though, here is a link to my flickr set for the trip with shots made on 35mm.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbk21/s...7626374632006/

  5. #5

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    Re: Michael Gordon - Death Valley Tour review

    I'd taken a workshop with Michael, and can echo the sentiments above- highly recommended!

    Rick

  6. #6
    Michael E. Gordon
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    Re: Michael Gordon - Death Valley Tour review

    THANKS so much, Sean, David, and Rick. It's wonderful to hear such nice comments, and it's wonderful to work with great guys like you in extraordinary settings.

  7. #7

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    Re: Michael Gordon - Death Valley Tour review

    4x5 shots are now online!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbk21/5572868714/

    Thanks again to Michael for introducing me to such a beautiful corner of planet earth.

    Thanks also for Michael's assistance with the Owens River shot - while I tripped the shutter he was using a rope to hold back reeds that were protruding into the frame. That's definitely above and beyond the call of duty!

  8. #8

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    Re: Michael Gordon - Death Valley Tour review

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Gordon View Post
    THANKS so much, Sean, David, and Rick. It's wonderful to hear such nice comments, and it's wonderful to work with great guys like you in extraordinary settings.
    You earned them.....
    There are 3 kinds of people in the world: those who can count and those who can't.

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