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Mendocino Workshop Update

There are three spots left for the April 8th Mendocino Workshop

Complimentary Wine Hour at the Brewery Gulch Inn
We’ll be taking great photographs, and eating fantastic food too! This spread is from last Sunday’s complimentary Wine Hour.

Wine Hour Menu from February 27, 2011

Sesame Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Soy Glaze
Penne Pasta with Basil, Pesto, Baby Spinach & Roma Tomatoes
Green Beans in Romesco Sauce
Sauteed Zucchini & Red Peppers
Amaretto Ginger Crème Brulee

Interested? Click here to receive more information

rebecca abel - April 2, 2011 - 2:38 pm

am interested in local classes (sausalito?) in digital photography and editing. i’ve been doing “extreme” editing and am looking for more information and a support/class structure.

Jay Graham - April 4, 2011 - 8:15 pm

Give me a call when you have time. 415-999-6434

Wet Belly Photography

Ocean foam

Sea Bubbles

This last weekend I wanted to do some “wet belly photography” in the meadow near Muir Beach. What makes wet belly photography so fun and interesting is to capture moisture on leaves and insects early in the morning before full sun. This morning there wasn’t any dew because of the warm weather and northeastern winds we’d been having. I had to rethink my quest and ended up at the tideline looking for interesting shots. This is a shot of sea foam taken with a hand held point and shoot camera and worked a bit in Lightroom. The small point and shoot allowed me to get close without a tripod and shoot fast before the next wave came in. This would have be almost impossible with an SLR. The term “wet belly photography” was coined by Ernest Braun in the 1970′s. I was very lucky to have Ernie as a teacher, mentor, and friend starting in about 1984.

Mendocino Photography Workshop at the Brewery Gulch Inn

First Wave

“First Wave”

April 8, 9, and 10, 2011

This workshop will take place in Mendocino on the rugged Northern California Coast. Venues will include the seashore, the Big River basin, the historic town of Mendocino, and nearby meadows and woodlands. Focus will be on helping participants fine tune their skills and techniques while exploring new ways of seeing.

“The virtue of the camera is not the power it has to transform the photographer into an artist, but the impulse it gives him to keep on looking.” Brooks Atkinson

Workshop Schedule:

We’ll begin Friday evening with a slide show and talk. Saturday and Sunday will include both location shooting sessions (morning and evening) and instructional programs. Instruction will focus on creativity, technique, and the use of Adobe’s Lightroom.

Location:

We’ll be staying and operating out of one of the area’s most beautiful and accommodating inns, The Brewery Gulch Inn. It has won many awards including Trip Adivser’s #1 inn in Mendocino, the BayList 2010 best Wine Country Bed and Breakfast, and was just listed in Heartland Trails Top Ten List of California Bed and Breakfasts.

Cost:

The workshop plus your accommodations at the Brewery Gulch Inn will range in price from $820 to $1060 depending on the room you choose. Brewery Gulch Inn is known for its food. Your stay at the Inn includes a cooked-to-order breakfast each morning, as well as evening wine hours with local wines and beer and a four-item gourmet buffet dinner plus dessert.

Interested? Click here to receive more information

Best Places to Get Great Photographs in Marin

The Inn Above Tide has a collection of my photographs shot in Marin. Here’s where you can find the details and locations for the images.

Drakes Beach

Drakes Beach looking East before sunrise.

Drakes Beach in Point Reyes looking East before sunrise on a crisp, clear, cold morning.

Looking East at 6:06 AM, March 22 – ten minutes before sunrise. My wife, Eileen, and I left Mill Valley a little before 5 AM to get to Drakes Beach on the Point Reyes National Seashore before sunrise. Eileen was sleeping in the car as I was exploring the many different views of the beach. Canon EOS 5D, EF24-105 mm f/4l IS USM at 105 mm, 1/10 sec at f/9.0, ISO 100, RAW

Echo

Reflections in Lake Nicasio

Early morning reflections in Lake Nicasio as the fog was lifting.

Lake Nicasio looking Northwest just off the Nicasio Valley Road. This was my first shot of the morning and just a few minutes before I captured Nicasio Mirror. It’s almost alway perfect picture day early in the morning at Nicasio and especially Lake Nicasio. Warm morning light, fog, and perfect reflections make the views spectacular. If you happen to visit on a cold winter morning, the frost on the grasses add another intriguing element. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF24-105 mm f/4l IS USM at 105 mm, 1/200 sec at f/10, ISO 200, RAW

Infinite Sky

Mist rising off Lake Nicasio at dawn

Early morning mist rising from Lake Nicasio in Marin County, California. Photo by Jay Graham

Lake Nicasio about an hour after photographing Drakes Beach. We were on the way back to Mill Valley, taking a detour around Lake Nicasio, and came upon this beautiful site. Using one the photographer’s most important tools, the u-turn, we parked on the side of the road and shot this photo. Canon EOS 5D, EF24-105 mm f/4l IS USM at 55 mm, 1/250 sec at f/10, ISO 100, RAW

Marinscape

Late afternoon light bathing the hills above Stinson Beach.

Looking south across the grassy ridges at sunset above Stinson Beach, California. Photo by Jay Graham

Bolinas Ridge looking south above Stinson Beach. I was driving South on Ridgecrest Blvd. in the Mt. Tamalpais State Park and shot this scene from the side of the road about 20 minutes before sunset on November 30th. The grasses were still brown but because of the fall rains, new green shoots are starting to show. Canon EOS 5D, EF24-105 mm f/4l IS USM at 32 mm, 1/80 sec at f/4.0, ISO 100, RAW

Mt. Tam Fog Sea

Mt. Tamalpais just after sunrise.

Mt. Tamalpais under a single cloud just after sunrise on crisp winter morning.

Lake Nicasio about an hour after photographing Drakes Beach. We were on the way back to Mill Valley, taking a detour around Lake Nicasio, and came upon this beautiful site. Using one the photographer’s most important tools, the u-turn, we parked on the side of the road and shot this photo. PENTAX Optio W60, 28 mm, ISO 50, 1/160 sec at f/3.5 jpg

Nicasio Mirror

Lake Nicasio reflections

Beautiful reflections of grassy hills, fog, and blue sky on Lake Nicasio in Marin County, California. Photo by Jay Graham

Lake Nicasio looking Southwest in April shortly after sunrise and about two minutes after shooting Echo. The grasses are still green and the lake is brimming at this time of the year. Once you’ve warmed up and taken in all the views, continue on to Point Reyes Station and enjoy some of the best pastries and coffee at the Bovine Bakery. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF24-105 mm f/4l IS USM at 47 mm, 1/160 sec at f/10, ISO 200, RAW

Strawberry Point Sail

Slices of Mt. Tamalpais in the afternoon light.

A lone sailboat on Richardson Bay with afternoon light slicing Mt. Tamalpais, Marin County, California. Photo by Jay Graham

Mill Valley and Strawberry Point viewed from Belvedere Island  just before Sunset on April 24th. One of those perfect days to be by the Bay. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF70-200 mm f/2.8l IS USM at 200 mm, 1/500 sec at f/11, ISO 100, RAW

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