Palouse Photo Workshop

June 6-9, 2023 - Sold Out

June 10-13, 2023 - Sold Out

Spring is the perfect time to photograph the rolling hills of the Palouse in Eastern Washington! The landscape is bathed in a palette of vibrant colors, canola is blooming, wildflowers are abundant, and waterfalls are flowing. The Palouse is a vast region and local photographer/instructor Ryan McGinty will get you to the best locations based on current conditions.

Tuition

$1595
50% Deposit

Max Group Size

5 Students per Instructor
Max 10 Students

Instructor(s)

Ryan McGinty
Kevin McNeal

Physical Intensity

Palouse Photo Workshop Spring Canola Sunburst

Highlights

The Palouse in Eastern Washington turns into a palette of vibrant colors in the spring! Wildflowers and canola are blooming and fields are lime green.
Expect to get off the beaten path with expert instructors. Resident photographer Ryan McGinty knows the Palouse intimately.
If skies are clear, we'll have a couple opportunities for night photography.
Expect to learn many new techniques on this workshop from abstract telephoto compositions to grandiose wide angle shots!
Transportation is included so you can focus on your photography.
Post-processing and image critique sessions scheduled throughout the workshop to make the most of your images.
Supercharge your Palouse experience with our June 2-5 Palouse Barns and Full Moon Workshop!

Itinerary

The exact itinerary will be kept flexible to account for the weather and current conditions. We will optimize our time for the best possible photography. The itinerary below is just an example of what you can expect. If we shoot the night skies, we may skip sunrise the following morning.

Day 1: Meet at 3PM in Pullman, WA for a mandatory orientation session. We will cover many techniques you will be using during the workshop and discuss the itinerary in detail. For sunset, we'll go out to a nearby location.
Day 2: We are out the door well before dawn and make our way up to Steptoe Butte. This high vantage point affords 360-views of the surrounding countryside and you can shoot everything from wide angle to telephoto as the morning light accents the vibrant green fields below. We return to the hotel for breakfast and then spend a few hours doing a post-processing session. After an afternoon break, we venture into some very scenic areas to photograph barns and rolling hills.
Day 3: We are up early again for sunrise at an iconic lone tree. After that we find some old houses, barns, and wildflowers to shoot. We return to the hotel for breakfast and another post-processing session. We go out again mid-afternoon since big puffy white clouds are coming in. They complement the yellow canola fields perfectly! After a quick dinner, we go to Palouse Falls to photograph the sunset over the deep canyon. The skies clear shortly after sunset and we stay out to photograph the Milky Way over the falls.
Day 4: Even though we are tired, we are rewarded with a brilliant sunrise at one of our favorite overlooks. We explore a few other nearby areas before returning to the hotel. The workshop will conclude by 11AM.

Pricing

$1595/person + Tax

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Trip Includes:

All Ground Transportation
Park Entrance Fees
In-Field Photography Instruction
Post-processing and Image Critique

Trip Does NOT Include:

Transportation to/from your home to Pullman, WA.
Lodging
Meals, beverages, and snacks
Instructor Gratuities

When you complete the checkout process, you will be given the option to either pay the full amount or put down a 50% deposit. If you pay the deposit, the remaining amount will be charged 90-days prior to arrival to the credit card we have on file.

Recommended Camera Gear

Sturdy tripod and ballhead
Digital SLR or Mirrorless Camera Body.
Wide angle lens in the 16-35mm range. We recommend a lens f/2.8 or faster for night photography.
Mid-range zoom lens in the range of 24-100mm.
Long telephoto lenses in the 100-600mm range. You will want a lens that is longer than 200mm for many of the locations we visit! A 100-400mm or 150-600mm will be perfect.
Circular polarizer filters and ND filters for your lenses. If you like shooting with grads, bring them along. A 9 or 10-stop ND filter will be useful for creating very long exposures.
Backpack to carry your gear.
Extra batteries, memory cards, and cleaning supplies.
Remote cord for your camera.
Laptop if you wish to backup your photos or follow along during the post-processing instruction.

Personal Gear List

Sturdy hiking footwear, hiking socks, and long pants .
Warm jacket, hat, and gloves for cool mornings
Headlamp
Sunscreen, Sunglasses, Sun Hat.
Water bottle or hydration bladder.
Hiking poles if you like having them.
Bug Spray

Logistics

If you are flying in, we recommend going through Spokane (GEG) or Pullman WA (PUW). From Spokane, it is a 90 minute drive to Pullman. If you don't want to rent a car, fly to Pullman and take Uber or Lyft to the hotel. If you decide to drive from the Seattle area, expect a 4.5 hr drive. Please be in Pullman, WA no later than 3PM on June 6th and meet us at the Coast Hilltop Inn.

Lodging is not included in the workshop fee so you have the option of staying wherever you like. The group will be based at Coast Hilltop Inn where we have a block of rooms reserved for our guests. Give them a call at (509) 332-0928 and mention Action Photo Tours to take advantage of our group rate. Please note that meals, beverages, and snacks are not included in the workshop fee.

Our goal is to maximize your photography while you are here. This can mean long days and not a lot of sleep. We will utilize the middle of the day for rest breaks and post-processing sessions.

Transportation will be provided during the workshop for all participants. This workshop is rated Moderate for activity level. No long hikes are planned but participants should be able to walk a cumulative 1-2 miles each day to get to the shooting locations.

Check out our Palouse Barns and Full Moon Workshop June 2-5. You can book both to really round out your Palouse experience. If you are a female photographer, join our engaging Chicks Who Click community on a special Women's Only Palouse Workshop May 20-23 and May 24-27!

Ryan McGinty

Photography Instructor

Ryan McGinty is a seasoned landscape photographer living in the Palouse area of southeastern Washington. His first-hand experience in this unique agricultural area makes him the perfect instructor to lead people to out-of-the-way places for those once-in-a-lifetime rainbows, sunsets and sunrises in the beautiful rolling hills. He loves chasing the light and diligently checks weather apps to get the latest sun and rain predictions, cloud formations, wind and temperatures for the best locations and light.

His interest in photography started at an early age and continued in college with graduate work at Brooks Institute of Photography. His experience in portrait, wedding, film, and medium and large format photography give him an extraordinary background for his award-winning landscape photography.

His passion for the Palouse is only exceeded by his passion for photography and his desire to show people his favorite places. He takes a legitimate interest in his clients and strives hard to ensure they get the best shots. His photographs have been published in books, calendars and travel guides.

Kevin McNeal

Photography Instructor

Kevin McNeal is a Washington-State photographer who is passionate about photographing grand landscapes that reflect the most unique places on earth. Capturing moments of magic light and transferring this to print is the ultimate goal. His images hold a combination of perseverance, patience, and dedication to capture landscapes in fresh ways. The stories of how these images are rendered come across in the feelings the images convey. He has traveled all over North America, shooting diverse landscapes and finding remote places with the hope that we can convey to the public that this earth is worth caring for. His award winning images can be seen in galleries and showings across the United States. He was recently invited to the Art Wolfe Art Gallery for the Environmental Photography Invitational. Kevin was the grand winner of the Landscape category for the Natures Best Magazine and was selected for the Smithsonian National Museum of History in Washington D.C.. He is a regular contributor to publications like Outdoor Photographer.

Artist’s Statement

“I believe that the Earth shares secrets with us that only can be discovered by trying to understand our position on this planet. We are never fully intimate with the planet but are given brief moments that make our souls want more. These glimpses of nature’s power are fleeting and never the same twice. I also believe it is important to share with those who want it. The treasures that await us given the patience that is out there. What I try to do is bring some of that magic to my images to share with the rest of the world. Each of my images tells a story that everyone can relate to in some way whether it is success, fear, or challenging oneself to overcome obstacles

Kevin's portfolio can be found at www.kevinmcnealphotography.com.

Amy Osness

From an early age, Amy knew she had a wandering spirit. Her desire for adventure and passion for nature, stayed with her into adulthood, prompting her to pursue photography as an expressive art form.

The moments captured by Amy's camera are far removed from the "point and click" variety. She often spends hours and even days scouting possible shoot locations.

Amy loves exploring and photographing all the natural wonders that surround her hometown of St. George, Utah.

See more of Amy's work here: Gallery Instagram