Category Archives: Workshops

Romantic Southwest France (April 27-May 5, 2024) – Destination Photo Workshop

We are pleased to announce our destination photo workshop to southwestern France in the spring of 2024.

Somewhere in “Deep” France © Harold Davis

Join a small compatible group of photographers in a 15th Century fortified farmhouse in the lush countryside of southwest France in the springtime. We will be hosted at the Mas de Garrigue, a 15th century fortified farm near the Lot River in the heart of romantic southwestern France. This is an area of gardens, gourmet French home cooking, ancient medieval villages and castles, and a photographer’s and walker’s paradise.

Trip includes many extras and excursions (see Itinerary for details), including the chance to photograph the famous Millau Viaduct.

  • This group is full. Please contact us to be added to the waiting list. Thanks for your understanding.
  • Sadly, Spring 2024 will be the last time we will be able to present this destination workshop to the Mas de Garrigue. This will be your last chance to join us for what has been an extraordinary workshop over the years.

Click here for the detailed Itinerary, and here for the Reservation form! Let us know if you have any questions.

Also posted in Photography

Off-the-Beaten Track Japan Photography Adventure with Harold Davis

Step into the fabled Japan of myth and legend. Journey back in time to a Japan that few westerners are familiar with. Join a small group of compatible photographers led by Harold Davis and a professional guide for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. 

Buddha Samadhi, Tokyo © Harold Davis

This small and compatible group of photographers will meet at our hotel in Tokyo, Japan. After exploring the new and old sides of Tokyo, we’ll travel back in time through the Japanese Alps via the ancient Nakasendo way. We’ll visit well-preserved villages in the Kiso Valley, Matsumoto Castle, the castle town of Takayama, and the World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go. Following a stop in the culturally important city of Kanazawa, we will wrap up the destination photo workshop with a dreamlike visit to the gardens and temples of Kyoto, where the tour will end.

Nachi-san © Harold Davis

Regarding the ancient Nakasendo trail, our in-country partner writes:

Where will this path lead us? The town of Magome hugs the side of the mountain, and the Nakasendo Trail here is lined by inns, wood crafters, and small eating establishments. What waits beyond? The ancient signboards at the top of the town warn travelers the rules of travel with an admonishment to be on your best behavior in town. Now, as you head out of Magome, your journey really begins – views over mountain peaks give way to the ancient Nakasendo as it winds behind farmhouses and small shrines lovingly tended by their neighbours. You pass waterfalls, and stands of bamboo and you walk a section of old paving stones. The path is wide like a smile, welcoming you into the woods.Will you have long conversations with your friends, perhaps new, perhaps old? Will you listen as the cicadas or the crickets or the frogs sing to you?

Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?

Click here for full details, and here for the Reservation form. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Panorama of the Kumano Sanzen Roppyaku Po © Harold Davis

Panorama of the Kumano Sanzen Roppyaku Po © Harold Davis

Also posted in Photography

Composition and Photography Hands-On Workshop at Maine Media in August

Please consider joining me at Maine Media Workshops on mid-coast Maine in August for a 5-day in-person photography workshop. The dates are Monday August 7, 2023 – Friday August 11, 2023. This is a very special workshop to me, and I have enjoyed honing my teaching skills in relationship to photographic composition over the years!

In this hands-on workshop we will approach composition as an instance of open-ended two-dimensional design. Photographic exercises will start with simple shapes, such as lines and circles, and proceed through patterns and repetitions, and onward to spirals, fractals, and abstractions.

Field sessions will take advantage of the “target-rich” mid-coast Maine scenery. It is wonderful to be able to spend some time with a compatible group of photographers exploring this luscious area with our cameras.

Classroom discussions will be intended to provoke thought about composition basics and continuing to enable individual integration of the process of composition into each participant’s creative practice.

Click here for more information and registration!

Tulip Pano © Harold Davis

Nice Little Review of Composition & Photography

This is from the February 2023 issue of the PSA Journal:

“The first clue that you’re about to read a unique book is on the Table of Contents page where all the chapter titles are written at a 90 degree angle from the page numbers. From there, Composition and Photography begins its first chapter entitled ‘Expect the Unexpected.’

“As the pages and chapters continue, Davis presents the reader with an assortment of intriguing photos, explaining the concept of this type of composition, what led to his photographing the subject and why he was compelled to do so. By doing this, he urges the photographer to seek different angles in digital imaging. composing a photo, to be aware of positive and negative space, and to notice the symmetry – or the lack of it – in everyday subjects. While the text is compelling, the photographs are stunning and invite the reader to read even more.”

Click here to buy Composition & Photography (use the discount code HDAVIS40 for a 40% discount at checkout), here for Harold’s upcoming webinar Composition Masterclass, and here for information about Harold’s in-person Composition workshop in Maine in August.

Also posted in Photography, Writing

Composition and Photography Online Masterclass

Learn the fundamentals of composition in photography with internationally renowned artist and photographer Harold Davis

“To create exciting compositions, you must have a willingness to embrace serendipity and change as part of your artistic process. After all, composition is a process not a result” – Harold Davis

Good composition is a fundamental building block of photography. It is easy to recognize, but hard to achieve. In this live 2-hour online masterclass and Q&A, internationally renowned artist, photographer and best-selling Rocky Nook author Harold Davis well help guide photographers at any level to improve their compositions.

“Early bird” discount until March 31, 2023!

Click here to register for this Masterclass.

What will be covered?

  • Work with shapes such as lines, circles, and rectangles
  • Understand directionality, entering, and exiting in composition
  • Work with patterns and repetition
  • Recognize and use positive and negative space
  • Use the various kinds of abstractions in your own work

Outcome:

  • Learn the fundamentals of composition
  • Help to develop your own personal style
  • Inspire your creativity

Where:

  • This is an online course delivered via Zoom

When?

  • Thursday, April 13th, 2023
  • 10.00am – 12.00pm Pacific Time

This online course will be recorded – As a participant you will be sent a password-protected link to the video recording to re-watch at your convenience.

Click here to register for this Masterclass.

2023 | Off-the-Beaten Track Japan Photography Journey with Harold Davis

What: Step into the fabled Japan of myth and legend. Journey back in time to a Japan that few westerners are familiar with. Join a small group of compatible photographers led by Harold Davis and a professional guide for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Click here for the detailed day-by-day trip itinerary (“Prospectus”) and here for the Reservation Form. Our in-country partner is Oku Japan.

When: Sunday October 15 – Wednesday October 25, 2023.

Where: We meet at our hotel in Tokyo, Japan. After exploring the new and old sides of Tokyo, we’ll travel back in time through the Japanese Alps via the ancient Nakasendo way. We’ll visit well-preserved villages in the Kiso Valley, Matsumoto Castle, the castle town of Takayama, and the World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go. Following a stop in the culturally important city of Kanazawa, we will wrap up the destination photo workshop with a dreamlike visit to the gardens and temples of Kyoto, where the tour will end. For full details, please see the Prospectus.

Group Size: This is an exclusive, small photo workshop (non-photographer significant others are also welcome) with very limited space availability (the minimum group size is six and the maximum is twelve). 

How to Register: Please send us an email expressing interest right away; a completed registration requires a $1000 deposit, the trip Reservation Form, a copy of your Covid vaccination card, and a copy of your currently valid passport page.

Pricing & Early-Bird Discount: We are pleased to keep the pricing at the same level as 2022, and to offer an early-bird discount by November 30, 2022. Please see the Reservation Form for details.

About the ancient Nakasendo Trail:

Where will this path lead us? The town of Magome hugs the side of the mountain, and the Nakasendo Trail here is lined by inns, wood crafters, and small eating establishments. What waits beyond? The ancient signboards at the top of the town warn travelers the rules of travel with an admonishment to be on your best behavior in town. Now, as you head out of Magome, your journey really begins – views over mountain peaks give way to the ancient Nakasendo as it winds behind farmhouses and small shrines lovingly tended by their neighbours. You pass waterfalls, and stands of bamboo and you walk a section of old paving stones. The path is wide like a smile, welcoming you into the woods.Will you have long conversations with your friends, perhaps new, perhaps old? Will you listen as the cicadas or the crickets or the frogs sing to you?—Oku Japan

Step into the fabled Japan of myth and legend. Journey back in time to a Japan that few westerners are familiar with. Join a small group of compatible photographers led by Harold Davis and a professional guide for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Our in-country partner is the very well-regarded off-the-beaten track Japan travel specialist, Oku Japan.

Please consider joining us October 15-25, 2023 now that Japan is open. This is a small group with high demand, but we still have a few spaces available. Please call or drop us an email right away if you are interested. This is a unique opportunity, and we will be privileged to make this journey.

Starting in Tokyo, we will end in Kyoto. Travel is by gentle trail (with luggage transport), train, and where appropriate private vehicle. We meet at our hotel in Tokyo, Japan. After exploring the new and old sides of Tokyo, we’ll travel back in time through the Japanese Alps via the ancient Nakasendo way. We’ll visit well-preserved villages in the Kiso Valley, Matsumoto Castle, the castle town of Takayama, and the World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go. Following a stop in the culturally important city of Kanazawa, we will wrap up the destination photo workshop with a dreamlike visit to the gardens and temples of Kyoto, where the tour will end.

Click here for more information, here for the detailed day-by-day trip itinerary (“Prospectus”) and here for the Reservation Form.

Also posted in Photography

Creating Structure Using Forms and Patterns with Harold Davis

Free Live Webinar presented by RockyNook | Thursday October 13 at 11:00am PT

Of all the magical elixirs that make up a successful photograph, composition is perhaps the most fundamental, and at the same time the most elusive. What makes a composition “good”? It’s hard to define exactly, but we instinctively recognize good composition when we see it. There is an undeniable emotional response when a composition resonates with and complements the subject matter of an image.

But traditional attempts to define “good composition” and to pass on rules for good compositional construction are often doomed to failure. The truth is, there are no hard and fast rules. Rules eliminate experimentation and spontaneity which are crucial for creating compelling, dynamic, and exciting compositions. The best compositions contain an element of the unexpected. “Expect the unexpected!” is perhaps the only viable “rule” of composition. To create exciting compositions, you must have a willingness to embrace serendipity and change as part of your artistic practice. After all, composition is a process, not a result.

Edward Weston once wrote in his Daybooks that “to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.” To this, Ansel Adams added that “You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”

To resolve these two semi-paradoxes, in this webinar Harold approaches composition as an instance of open-ended two-dimensional design. Photographic examples and “thought experiments” will start with simple shapes, such as lines and circles, and proceed through patterns and repetitions, and onwards to spirals, fractals, and abstractions. The webinar will present ideas from Harold’s new book Composition & Photography, and will be intended to provoke thought about composition basics.

The goal of this webinar is to enable individual integration of the process of learning to truly see and creative composition into each participant’s visual practice. In other words, this webinar should interest anyone who wants to find out more about creating images that work and about the creative process of composition in photography.

About Harold Davis: Harold Davis is an internationally known photographer and a sought-after workshop leader. According to Popular Photography Magazine, “Harold Davis’s ethereal floral arrangements have a purity and translucence that borders on spiritual.”

The 2022 Photographic Society of America Progress Award winner, he is a Moab Master and a Zeiss Ambassador. He has exhibited widely and his prints are extensively collected. In 2022, several of his images were selected by the United States Post Office for use as postage stamps.

Rangefinder Magazine states that “Harold Davis is a force of nature—a man of astonishing eclectic skills and accomplishments.”

Webinar: Out in the World | the Making of Four Photos

What: Out in the World | the Making of Four Photos

When: Saturday, October 15, 2022 at 11am PT. Duration between one and two hours, including Q&A

Where: On your computer or mobile device from anywhere via Zoom. A tuition payment of $34.95 is required for enrollment. Seating is limited. The registration link is https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uvBNGl-5TcmHc5xC3y3p_w

Bishop Castle Interior © Harold Davis

Details: As the world slouches towards a “new normal,” we are all concerned with what has changed, what stays the same, and how this impacts both our photography and travel.

In this webinar, Harold addresses the issues of where we are going and what are the new opportunities the world offers. He’ll also discuss his ongoing photography and travel workshop plans.

In this context, Harold will explore some of his recent work in the light of the post-production techniques needed to complement the photographic captures. He will detail the process of how four images were made. Learn some of the great behind-the-scenes “secrets” of extraordinary image making!

The techniques shown will include:

  • Hand-HDR, using layers and masking in Photoshop
  • Multi-Raw processing, to expand the dynamic range of a single image
  • Monochromatic conversions, and creating effective black & white photos
  • Essential LAB inversion and sharpening techniques, and how to apply a Curve adjustment in LAB

Folks have asked for it, and here it is! Many of you watched Harold & Phyllis’s live webinars during the first pandemic year, and have been clamoring for more webinars as the world opens. Fasten your seat belts, because it is going to be a fun ride!

There will be ample time for Q&A.

Cripple Creek, Colorado © Harold Davis

Who should attend: In Harold’s view, the process of photography includes both capture and post-processing. This webinar will help you learn the techniques you need to know to master advanced image creation, as well as to pre-visualize the process from beginning to end. In addition, Harold will put the process of image creation in the context of today’s world, in which the only thing constant is change.

Tuition: The tuition for this webinar is $34.95, and requires prior registration. Seating (on a first come, first served basis) is limited. You must register via Zoom to be enrolled in this webinar! The registration link is https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uvBNGl-5TcmHc5xC3y3p_w

About Harold Davis: Harold Davis is an artist, photographer, educator, and the bestselling author of many books, including most recently Composition & Photography from Rocky Nook. The 2022 Photographic Society of America Progress Award winner, he is the developer of a unique technique for photographing flowers for transparency, a Moab Master, and a Zeiss Ambassador. His recent publications include the 2022 release of his Tulip Pano Forever postage stamp by the United States Post Office. He is an internationally known photographer and a sought-after workshop leader. His website is www.digitalfieldguide.com.

Dune Composition © Harold Davis

Composition & Photography Workshop at Maine Media

Please consider joining me at Maine Media Workshops on mid-coast Maine in September as autumn has begun for a 5-day photography workshop. The dates are September 12, 2022 – September 16, 2022.

In this hands-on workshop we will approach composition as an instance of open-ended two-dimensional design. Photographic exercises will start with simple shapes, such as lines and circles, and proceed through patterns and repetitions, and onwards to spirals, fractals, and abstractions.

Field sessions will take advantage of the “target-rich” mid-coast Maine scenery. Classroom discussions will be intended to provoke thought about composition basics and continuing to enable individual integration of the process of composition into each participant’s creative practice.

Click here for more information and registration!

 

Tulip Pano © Harold Davis

Photographing Flowers for Transparency weekend workshop

We’ll be holding a full weekend Photographing Flowers for Transparency workshop Saturday August 6 – Sunday August 7, 2022 here on the east side of the San Francisco Bay.  This is a complete soup-to-nuts photography and digital post-production workshop. This workshop will not be on my 2023 workshop schedule for the Bay area, and there are a few spaces left—so if you are interested in flower photography, or in light box photography, please consider joining our small group for a great weekend of fun in a flower-filled studio!

Click here for more info and the complete curriculum

Some Fine Poppies © Harold Davis

Also posted in Flowers, Photography

Photograph on the Old Nakasendo Trail in Japan

Where will this path lead us? The town of Magome hugs the side of the mountain, and the Nakasendo Trail here is lined by inns, wood crafters, and small eating establishments. What waits beyond? The ancient signboards at the top of the town warn travelers the rules of travel with an admonishment to be on your best behavior in town. Now, as you head out of Magome, your journey really begins – views over mountain peaks give way to the ancient Nakasendo as it winds behind farmhouses and small shrines lovingly tended by their neighbours. You pass waterfalls, and stands of bamboo and you walk a section of old paving stones. The path is wide like a smile, welcoming you into the woods.Will you have long conversations with your friends, perhaps new, perhaps old? Will you listen as the cicadas or the crickets or the frogs sing to you?—Oku Japan

Step into the fabled Japan of myth and legend. Journey back in time to a Japan that few westerners are familiar with. Join a small group of compatible photographers led by Harold Davis and a professional guide for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Our in-country partner is the very well-regarded off-the-beaten track Japan travel specialist, Oku Japan.

Please consider joining us now that Japan is opening and our October 16-26, 2022 trip seems reasonably definite. We have a nice group ready to go, but there are a few spaces left. Please call or drop us an email right away if you are interested. This is a unique opportunity, and we will be privileged to make this journey.

Starting in Tokyo, we will end in Kyoto. Travel is by gentle trail (with luggage transport), train, and where appropriate private vehicle. We meet at our hotel in Tokyo, Japan. After exploring the new and old sides of Tokyo, we’ll travel back in time through the Japanese Alps via the ancient Nakasendo way. We’ll visit well-preserved villages in the Kiso Valley, Matsumoto Castle, the castle town of Takayama, and the World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go. Following a stop in the culturally important city of Kanazawa, we will wrap up the destination photo workshop with a dreamlike visit to the gardens and temples of Kyoto, where the tour will end.

Click here for more information, here for the detailed day-by-day trip itinerary (“Prospectus”) and here for the Reservation Form.

Also posted in Japan

Upcoming Workshop News from Harold Davis

Dear Photographers and Fellow Travelers: We’re very excited that the 2022 live-and-in-person Photographing Flowers for Transparency weekend workshop, here in Berkeley, California in August, is gaining momentum. There are still some places left. Click here for more information and registration.

Waving the Lobelia © Harold Davis

It is looking increasingly likely that our Off-the-Beaten Track Japan Photography Journey will be able to run. The dates are October 16-26, 2022. We’ve been cautiously optimistic all along that Covid restrictions on “tourists” visiting Japan will be lifted by the time of this destination workshop; and, indeed, it seems that this will be the case. We have a great group already committed to this trip, but there still are a few more spaces available. Click here for the complete Prospectus and itinerary (PDF), and here for the Reservation Form.

Dodecagram Papaver Pod © Harold Davis

Please visit our Workshops & Events page for a full listing. In addition to the two workshops I’ve already mentioned, you’ll find virtual workshops sponsored by the Heidelberg Summer School of Photography, as well as live events at Maine Media Workshops (a week-long composition workshop) and at the Photographic Society of America annual conference.

Confusion © Harold Davis

Also posted in Photography

Update: Off-the-Beaten Track Japan Photography Journey

I’m off to France and Spain this coming week, and I wanted to write a brief update for anyone interested in my Off-the-Beaten Track Japan Photography Journey, scheduled to begin in Tokyo on October 16, 2022. We have a very few spaces left in this destination photography workshop, but it is filling up fast.

Misty Mountains © Harold Davis

As you may know, Japan is still closed to foreign tourists. A number of my sources in Japan are cautiously optimistic about this changing. So I think it is likely (but not certain) that we will be able to travel in Japan in October. However, it is likely that the changes will not take effect before the Japanese election in July. 

If you are interesting in coming with me on this Japanese adventure, please read the Prospectus carefully including the Itinerary and the Terms & Conditions. Next, drop us an email to let us know you would like to come, complete the Reservation Form, and mail it to us along with your deposit check and copies of your passport page and Covid vaccination card.

Considering the certain uncertainties and the known unknowns: We will not be requesting the balance payment until after tourist travel to Japan has been confirmed. And, your deposit is fully refundable until that point, and also we will, of course, refund the deposits if we are unable to run this trip.

Very best wishes, and see you in Japan!

Online Workshops in June

I’ll be giving two online workshops in June under the auspices of the Heidelberg Summer School of Photography. These workshops will be given in English.

The first is a Photographing Flowers for Photography session on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 11am PT (2pm ET). Click here for more information and registration

The workshop descriptions are along the right of the page in English. When you click the registration link (in German), you go to https://pretix.eu/dpunkt/foto2022-2/ to pay. You can toggle this to English on the upper right. You need to find my workshops on their list of offerings.

The Flowers session is 45 Euros (about $50). The three Composition sessions (below) are 199 Euros (about $220).

Flowers Party Too! © Harold Davis

Composition & Photography is a three-part online workshop with reviews and exercises on successive Thursdays, June 16, 23, and 30. Online sessions begin at 10am PT (1pm ET). Click here for more information & registration.

Waves on Drakes Beach © Harold Davis

Waves on Drakes Beach © Harold Davis

I hope to see you at these unique online events. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Composition & Photography: A Hands-On Workshop

What: Composition & Photography: A Hands-On Workshop with Harold Davis

Where: Maine Media Workshops + College in beautiful Rockport, Maine

When: Sept 12, 2022 – Sept 16, 2022

Click here for more information and registration.

Description: In this hands-on workshop we will approach composition as an instance of open-ended two-dimensional design. Photographic exercises will start with simple shapes, such as lines and circles, and proceed through patterns and repetitions, and onwards to spirals, fractals, and abstractions.

Field sessions will take advantage of the “target-rich” mid-coast Maine scenery. Classroom discussions will be intended to provoke thought about composition basics and continuing to enable individual integration of the process of composition into each participant’s creative practice.

Tulip Pano © Harold Davis

Also posted in Photography