Workshop Summary
November 15, 2025
Location: Dolliver Memorial State Park (near Fort Dodge, Iowa).
Start: 8:00am / Concludes 4:00pm
One-Day field nature photography workshop
Main Topics: Creation of visually-stunning photographic art emphasizing the textures and patterns of nature, by learning to see creatively and developing compelling compositions. We’ll employ landscape, macro, and creative techniques, deeply exploring the topics of composition and image design, creative exposure, and mood in photography. There will be some discussion of equipment, but the overwhelming focus of this workshop is artistry in nature photography.
Quick Registration (Link to my Square Marketplace Storefront)
Overview
A thick forest of barren trees, branches intersecting and tangling. Tree bark descending into a thick carpet of fallen leaves. Sand, stones, and driftwood on the sandbars of the meandering Des Moines River. Stone faces of rocky cliffs. River water pooled in small inlets. Barren thistle and wildflower stems, bowing and broken after a long growing season. The natural landscape interrupted by interesting contours of hallowed Native American burial mounds. Muted tones, innumerable shades of grey, brown, and beige, yet perhaps a few subtle colors of fall remaining after the brilliant leaves have long since fallen.
These are some of the many subjects we’ll encounter during this workshop, and we’ll work all day creating compelling, artful compositions in the hauntingly beautiful landscape of late fall in the Midwest.
This workshop event will take place at Dolliver Memorial State Park, located 10 miles south of Fort Dodge, Iowa, near the small town of Lehigh. This park is known for its beautiful forest terrain of bluffs and ravines, Native American burial mounds, and riverbank access to the Des Moines River. It’s a beautiful location to photograph any time of year. But after the summer-season picnickers have long since left the park, it’s a fabulous landscape in which to find solitude and create soulful photographic images.
Registration will be limited to 10 photographers.
What to Expect
During this workshop we’ll thoroughly explore the forest hills and the riverbanks on foot, concentrating on the patterns, texture, and natural design of the native landscape. Yes, we’ll cover camera & tripod settings, composition, exposure, selective-focus and other proper field techniques and gear to create beautiful landscape, nature “portrait,” and macro images. But this workshop focuses more on the artistry of nature photography – pre-visualization, composition, image design, creative exposure techniques, and mood. We’ll explore color vs. black-and-white portfolio development, and we’ll discuss artistic concerns that face many photographic artists, such as authenticity in your own art, creating themes within your portfolio, and more.
Alternating between hands-on shooting and instructional sessions on nature photography topics, we’ll explore several locations within the park, working to build solid nature photography technique – and a robust portfolio of images – for the full day.
I am a very hands-on instructor and I do not shoot my own images in the field. Rather, I focus 100% on assisting participants to learn proper technique and to create successful images. My goal is to help you return from the field at the end of the day with a collection of publication-quality or exhibition-caliber photographs including landscapes, close-up or macro images, and evocative artistic images – and the knowledge to consistently create such images on your own.
What to bring
Photo Gear:
- A Digital SLR, Interchangeable-Lens Mirrorless Camera, or Premium Compact
- Normal, wide-angle, macro, and telephoto lenses, if you have them; no worries if your gear is minimal – I’m known to work all day with a single basic focal length.
- A sturdy tripod (Note: If you do not own a tripod, you will want one, but please contact me before purchasing one! You may also find this article “Tripod 101” by photographer Thom Hogan to be helpful. My advice is generally very similar to Thom’s)
- A collapsible diffuser or “5-in-1” diffusion/reflector will be helpful (I have some to share)
- Plenty of media cards for a full day of shooting
- Plenty of batteries for a full day of shooting.
- A rain cover (or small trash liner bag) to cover your camera in case of rain (I’ll show you how to make a camera cover from one, if necessary
Non-Photo Gear
- Appropriate clothing and safety gear: dress in layers. You’ll probably want long pants and long sleeves due to cool weather and brush for some hours of the day
- Comfortable shoes or hiking boots – we will walk a lot
- Rubber hunting boots or waders (optional) – one of the unique features of the Ledges is its streams, and you may find the optimal vantage point to be from ‘in’ the stream
- A hat to block the sun
- Sunblock
- Rain gear – just in case
- Something to cover your camera/lenses/camera bag in case it rains
- Plenty of drinking water (snacks and bottled water will be provided, but please also bring water).
- Your lunch – we’ll eat together in the field
The workshop will be held rain or shine – in fact, often the best nature photography is in the rain!
Physical Activity Level
This workshop requires moderate physical activity: we will drive to a few general photography locations within Dolliver Memorial State Park, but will then hike to access the specific areas at which we’ll shoot. Participants should be in good enough physical condition to be able to walk and hike distances of several hundred meters carrying their own photographic equipment, in uneven terrain.
Location
Dolliver Memorial State Park, near Lehigh, Iowa. This beautiful location is 10 miles South of Fort Dodge, and just 3 miles from the small town of Lehigh. Nearest hotels and airport are in Fort Dodge. The location is a scenic 90-minute drive from Des Moines.
Exact meeting location, maps, and details, will be emailed to registrants prior to the workshop. Additionally, a liability waiver will be sent to all participants at registration – a signed returned liability form will be required from each participant prior to the workshop.
Post Workshop Image Review
I’ll host an optional 90-minute Zoom call one after the event, on Saturday, November 22, during which participants can share and discuss their top three (3) images of the day. This will allow participants time to cull and edit their work from the workshop, and to select some favorites to share.
Registration
Artistry in Nature: The Textures of Autumn
Saturday, November 15, 2025
Start Time: 8:00 am
End time: 4:00pm
Cost: $169 per person
Register Here (Link to my Square Marketplace Storefront)
YES! Spaces are currently available!