Workshop Summary
October 18, 2025
Location: Ledges State Park (near Madrid, Iowa)
Starts: 8:00am / Concludes: 4:00pm
One-Day field nature photography workshop
Main Topics: Landscape, macro, nature “portraits” emphasizing capture of the beautiful colors of autumn splendor. This workshop is scheduled to coincide with peak color at one of the most beautiful fall color locations in Iowa.
Registration Closed
Overview
I’m very excited to return to Ledges State Park (locally referred to as “The Ledges”) in beautiful Boone County, Iowa for this perennial favorite workshop. The Ledges is just 40 minutes North of Des Moines, and 20 minutes Southwest of Ames. I’ve timed this workshop to coincide with what is typically peak fall color in Central Iowa. But even if this year should be unusual and color peaks slightly earlier, the topography of The Ledges generally shelters trees from wind and temperature swings. Because of this, color lingers here.
The Ledges has been a highly productive autumn color workshop location for Peterson Photo Workshopsparticipants over nearly two decades of workshop delivery. The park’s mix of prairie, cliffs, and streams make it simply ideal for nature photography. This has been by far my most popular nature photography field workshop, with many participants returning multiple times. The Ledges is truly different from year to year, and I vary the locations we photograph within the park, depending on local conditions at the time of the workshop. For 2025, I’ll be completely revising the itinerary for moving the group through the park compared to recent years, based on my very-frequent photographic visits to the park.
The Ledges is well-known for its beautiful Midwest landscape views, and it also offers plentiful close-up and macro nature subjects this time of year!
What to Expect
The day will start with landscape photography in the beautiful morning light. We’ll thoroughly discuss camera and tripod settings, composition, and exposure for beautiful landscape images. At various locations in the beautiful landscape, we will photograph the fall colors, and will then move on to close-up and macro nature photography in at different locations – including natural water features in Peas Creek, an interesting meandering stream that flows through the park.
Alternating between hands-on shooting and instructional sessions on various nature photography topics, we’ll explore multiple locations within the park, working to build solid nature photography technique, for the full day.
Topics covered include both basic and advanced topics of outdoor nature photography, including exposure, selective focus, composition, proper field technique, numerous creative techniques, equipment and gear, and much more. 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 fantastic images. My goal is to help you return from the field at the end of the day with a collection of publication-quality autumn color photographs including landscapes, close-up or macro images, and evocative artistic images – and the knowledge to continue to create such images in the future.
What to bring
Photo Gear:
- A Digital SLR, Interchangeable-Lens Mirrorless Camera, or Premium Compact camera
- Normal- , wide-angle, and telephoto- lenses; a dedicated macro lens if you have one; no worries if your gear is minimal – I’m known to shoot 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)
- 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!
The workshop will be limited to a maximum of 10 participants.
Physical Activity Level
This workshop requires moderate physical activity: we will drive to several general photography locations within Ledges State Park, but will then walk to access the exact area at which we’ll shoot. Participants should be in good enough physical condition to be able to walk carrying their own photographic equipment for up to 1/4-1/2 mile or so at a time, in uneven terrain.
Location
Ledges State Park, near Madrid, Iowa. This beautiful location is convenient to Interstates 80 and 35, and approximately a 45 minute drive from the Des Moines airport. 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, October 25, during which participants can share and discuss their top three (3) images of the day. The timing of the following week allows participants time to cull and edit their work from the workshop, and to select some favorites to share.
Register
Midwest Autumn Color
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Start Time: 8:00 am
End time: 4:00pm
Cost: $169 per person
Registration Closed