Photo by Barbara Southworth
Explore close-in sections of Virginia’s river-hugging Potomac Heritage Trail and side paths along feeder streams amid fall splendor and seasonal change on a series of outings for photographers who are experienced hikers. Participants must be able to navigate several miles of challenging terrain, including occasional mud, rock scrambles, and stream crossings, while carrying camera gear including a tripod.
The 6-session course begins with a Friday evening classroom orientation, followed by five photo hikes, with a class blog for image sharing. Evening orientation includes location details, shooting styles and goals, resources, and show-and-tell. Bring a set of up to 10 images on a PC-readable thumb drive to share in class.
Sunday morning hikes start between 6:45 and 7:15 a.m. and last 4 hours. The hikes focus on shooting high-quality, detailed images or wide-angle landscapes. They are paced according to the hiking abilities of the group so that hikers remain together on the trail. The pace also allows for the highest-quality image capture while moving.
In case of inclement weather, the class meets at 10 a.m. at an indoor shooting location or in the Ripley Center classroom for group critique. Students should have basic photography skills. Any manually adjustable digital or film-based format with camera-appropriate tripod and cable release or remote may be used. Students process film, if used, outside of class time.
The first session meets in the Ripley Center classroom.
Instructor: Barbara Southworth
6 sessions (one 3-hour classroom orientation on Fri., Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m. plus five 4-hour hikes Sun., Oct. 14–Nov. 11)
