Where | Great Smoky | Who for | The Schedule | The Cost |
Great Smoky Fall Color Photography Workshop Cancelled
The rolling blue hills of Great Smoky National Park in fall
A 5-day exploration of color and light
Great Smoky National Park - The Blue Ridge Parkway- Cades Cove Clingmans Dome - Cataloochee - And Much More!
5 days of color and light in Great Smoky!
A 5-Day Landscape field Photography Workshop
A -Door to Door- Experience! Pick up and drop off at the airport.
All accommodations and transportation provided during the workshop!
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Conducted by Steve Kossack
Fine art landscape photographer, guide and host of the DVD Every Picture Tells A Story will lead this workshop. It's size and design will lend itself the flexibility to hike and photograph the available light and color of this exciting area during our 5-day expedition and workshop. We'll travel light and happy in this small group!
About the Expedition and Workshop
As is our policy, this workshop is limited to only a small number of participants.
F-8 And Be There workshops and tours presents a limited availability workshop in the spectacular fall color of North Carolina and Tennessee. Come see the magic for yourself. Here is your chance to photograph one of most varied and beautiful places on the planet!
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| Order your DVD for the workshop |
From Thursday, October 16th through Monday October 20, 2014 we will be photographing and exploring some of the fascinating terrain in what should be peak color season. We will be chasing color and light from the great smokies to the Blue Ridge!
Come be a part of the great smoky fall color workshop 2014!
Southwest photographer and host of the DVD series Steve Kossack: Photographing the Great American Landscape will lead this workshop. It's size and design will lend itself the flexibility to travel and photograph the available light and color of this exciting area during our 5-day shoot. The principal discipline will be landscape photography in the field. There will be very little "down time" on our workshop. We will be in the field from before dawn until after sunset each day. With the exception of our print discussion, this is a FIELD workshop!
Register today for this amazing photographic opportunity
Where are the great smokies?
Ridge upon ridge of endless forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for the diversity of its plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America’s most visited national park. The park usually experiences an autumn leaf season of several weeks as fall colors travel down the mountainsides from high elevation to low. However, the timing of fall color change depends upon so many variables that the exact dates of "peak" season are impossible to predict in advance. We've planned a workshop that will take advantage of all that this area provides photographically. We will surly find color in a lot of locations, however our itinerary will make color a bonus rather than a must!
Read what others have said about our workshops.
The historical Cades Cove at sunrise
Cades Cove is a lush valley surrounded by mountains. A wide array of historic buildings dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries
is scattered through-out the cove. These include a grist mill, a variety of barns, three churches, and a marvelous collection of log homes and outbuildings. A wonderland of culture, color and photo opportunity.
The Blue Ridge Parkway
One of the most popular units of the National Park System. "America's Favorite Drive" winds its way 469 miles through mountain meadows and past seemingly endless vistas. Split-rail fences, old farmsteads and historic structures complement spectacular views of distant mountains and neighboring valleys. We'll be on the lookout for all of these things!
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| The sun hides behind "the blue smoke" on the parkway |
Cataloochee
Cataloochee Valley is nestled among some of the most rugged mountains in the southeastern United States. Surrounded by 6000-foot peaks, this isolated valley was the largest and most prosperous settlement in what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Once known for its farms and orchards, today Cataloochee is one of the most picturesque areas of the park.
Clingmans Dome
At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. A much anticipated sunset location, with color this setting may well be the highlight of our workshop experience!
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This is a FIELD photography workshop. We will be out well before dawn each day and our days will end long after sunset. There will be breaks when possible and meals will certainly happen between locations. These will be long days but highly rewarding! If you like meeting like-minded people and making new friends while sharing landscape photography strategy ... this workshop is for you!
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| Fall color on the creeks |
The Schedule
Our workshop will be based in North Carolina. Our meeting will be in Knoxville Tennessee. You will need 5 days. Two of these days are weekend days.
Thursday
Arrive Knoxville, Tennessee by mid afternoon. Transportation to all locations, including the return to Knoxville on Monday is provided. A sunset shoot if travel times permit.
Friday
We will begin our exploration of The Great Smoky area. Sunrise shoots will begin long before actual sunrise and take place in some of well known as well as lesser known locations. Mid day will be spent photographing the famous and not so famous of the areas natural landmarks as well as many "hand of man" locations. Sunsets will see us taking advantage of side light and weather. From blue rolling hills to waterfalls and brilliant color, we will photograph and explore all that time will allow from well before sunrise to long after sunset. Our itinerary will be flexible and we will chase light and color where and when we find it!
Monday
One last sunrise shoot and we're off for our return trip to Knoxville and home.
Rivers, waterfalls and fall color will be part of the fun and excitement.
Please Remember The Great Smoky area is one of the great fall color destinations in the country however predicting the peak time is always difficult. We have made our best guess! The area holds many treasures at various altitudes. We will have ample substitutes if our schedule is disrupted. There will be lots of shooting and field travel. The days will most likely go from well before sunrise and end well after sunset. Lots of battery power, storage capacity, film, determination, smiles and stories will be needed.
All transportation to , as well as all shooting locations and your return to Knoxville is included!
More About the workshop
Our workshops are different! This is a field workshop. We will be in the field from well before sunrise to past sunset. There is little or no down time on our workshops. We try and put you in as many shooting locations and set ups during the day as possible. Some come back with as many as 2,000 frames! We know your time is limited and we want you to enjoy and experience as much landscape photography as possible on our workshop. Instruction and help is always available. There is always opportunity to work and share with the group. A print discussion of participant images is an event that you'll enjoy. We travel together and stay in the same lodging. Our base is the same for all four nights so there is no packing or moving once we have arrived at our destination. We spend our time and energy in the field DOING landscape photography! This workshop is open to all levels of experience and can be done with film or digital gear. A tripod is a must for landscape photography.
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| Color ... | Light .... | and Culture |
This workshop is small by design. It will allow for ALL levels of photographic experience. There will be no lectures or product endorsements. Personal instruction will be available at all times. The opportunity to photograph and share with the group will always be present. Print discussions will be a part of our workshop. We will be discussing shooting strategies, digital transfer and storage processes as well as workflow in the digital darkroom for those that are interested. Our workshops are different. Once you arrive at the airport it is a -door to door- experience. Everything is taken care of!
Included in your workshop fee are all transportation from Knoxville and return. Your workshop fee also includes your room. Rooms are shared 2 participants to a room. Our time will be spent mostly in the field and sharing not only the room but your images, thoughts and time with another member of the group is very rewarding and part of the experience. If you feel the need for a private room they can be reserved at an additional cost when you register for the workshop. Rooms are very limited so be sure to add one if needed.
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| Color ... | Color .. | and more Color! |
We plan to work hard and come away with hundreds, if not thousands of frames. We will be traveling continuously through out the day. We will go where the light and/or the color is. We will cover just as much of this vast area as possible. These will be long,
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| Fall! |
long days. Again, there should be little, if no, down time! Our plan is to make the most of everything available. We will travel light and cover a lot of territory! There is some walking and a little hiking in some areas. No special skills or conditioning are needed.
I know you will enjoy our Fall color workshop. Please come and be a part of our small group and experience the photographic wonders of this iconic area for yourself!
Climate and Conditions
Weather, Equipment, Etc.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a moderate climate, typified by mild winters and hot, humid summers. Elevations in the park range from 800 feet to 6,643 feet and that the topography can drastically affect local weather. Temperatures can vary 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit from mountain base to top, and clear skies at lower elevations do not guarantee equally pleasant weather on the higher peaks. Clear skies and cooler weather signal the onset of the fall color season. Warm days alternate with cool nights. Daytime highs are usually in the 70s and 80s during September, falling to the 50s and 60s in early November.
You can do this workshop in any format. From point and shoot to large format. Film or digital. A tripod is a must. Our accommodations will provide for most battery recharging needs. A participant print discussion will be part of our workshop.
The workshop fee of $2950 will be required when you register. If you need to cancel, a full refund (less $200) will be available, but only if a replacement for you can be found in time.
Door -to -Door
Transportation from the airport in Knoxville, Tennessee and back is included, as is all transport to shooting locations. Also included is your accommodation (2 participants to a room) Private room available for an additional $495. You will be responsible for your own transportation to and from Knoxville, TN.
We will most likely have our meals together but you are not obligated to join us. Sometimes a break is nice, so your meals are not included in the workshop fee. Bring your gear and food money. We take care of the rest from airport to airport!
If we have to cancel the trip for any reason you will receive a full refund. With very limited availability, this workshop is bound to fill quickly.
This workshop has very limited availability. Do it now!
For more info please e-mail Steve Kossack or telephone Steve at .
© copyright - Steve Kossack
Client Comments
"I want to thank you for encouraging me to come on the Yosemite High Country Expedition. I’ve looked admiringly at the photos from your past High Country workshops and wasn’t sure I had it in me. Thanks for the advice on training and equipment. I think the camera I brought was a good balance between weight and performance. I didn’t feel hampered by the lack of equipment I left at home. It’s been 39 years since I backpacked in the Park. Things like the mountains and lakes don’t change much, but my appreciation for them certainly has. In large part, I think, because of the time I have spent out in the wilds with you photographing the special places we have been. I would not have been ready for this trip either physically, or equipment wise without your expert help. I appreciate your attention to making the trip the best possible for all involved. Once again, I have been able to enjoy the wide vistas and intimate landscapes you expose us to. The other participants were key to this being a great trip also. As usual I learned from all and greatly enjoyed sharing my knowledge and experience. It was great to spend time in the wilderness with good friends and make new ones as well. I felt fortunate to see such beautiful and awe inspiring places and to share the experience with all. As you told us this was primarily a hiking expedition with the opportunity to do some photography. I enjoyed the hiking part and the photography and am pleased with the images I brought home both in the camera and in my mind and heart. Thanks again for a fantastic experience".
"I need to thank you and everyone for making this Yosemite backpack and expedition a blast. I had so much fun, without laughing, in the real world it would be classified as being "Illegal!" Please pass on my thanks and gratitude for making this the best trip ever for me. Steve you did a great job of keeping us all on track without getting too technical, a fine balancing act if I may say so. This trip was not just a job for you, it is a deep passion. I wait until the next one!"
All I can say is 'THANKS' and it was my honor and pleasure to be part of Team Kossack through the Yosemite High Country. I had a fantastic time and the memories are still vivid."