Workshop Participant Resources

The following resources will help you prepare for the photography workshop. There’s a ton of information here and some of it might not be relevant for you or the workshop you are taking, but feel free to use it or refer to it later.

There are multiple steps. To make sure you get the right information for your workshop, follow the instructions under each step.

I may earn commissions if you shop through the links below.

Table of Contents

  1. General Things to Know
    1. Travel Insurance
    2. Product Discounts
    3. Newsletter
  2. Outdoor Photography Ethics
  3. Filters
    1. Simplified Shopping List for Filters
    2. Filter Holder
    3. Filter Pouch/Bag
    4. Filters Types
    5. Demo Filters and Discounts on Singh-Ray Filters
  4. Step 1: General Information
    1. Add-On Classes for Some Workshops
    2. Bears (Glacier NP and Grand Teton NP)
    3. Grizzly Bear Safety Video for Tetons and Glacier – MUST WATCH
    4. Bugs
    5. Carpooling
    6. Cell and Internet Service
    7. Crampons Required For Late Fall and Winter Workshops
    8. Equipment Notes
    9. Extension Tubes
    10. LCD Loupes
    11. First Meetup Times
    12. 2024 Minnesota Photo Workshops
    13. 2024 Destination Photo Workshops
    14. Fitness and Medical and Hiking
    15. Food
    16. Getting There
    17. Image Review
    18. Itinerary
    19. Lodging
    20. Park Stickers and Entrance Fees
    21. Spouses and Partners
    22. Sunrise and Sunset Times
    23. Team Reach
    24. Types of Workshops
    25. Vices
    26. Weather
    27. What if it rains?
  5. Step 2: Final Payment Due Dates
    1. 2024 Final Payment Dates
  6. Step 3: Additional Policies and Details
    1. Cancellations
    2. Travel Insurance and Travel Expenses – You usually have 7 to 14 days after you book the trip
    3. If You Get Lost
    4. Bryan Hansel Photography Workshop Facebook Group
    5. Bryan Hansel Photography Fan Supporters Page
  7. Step 4: Workshop Specific Information
    1. Workshop Specific Reads (Check to see if you need one of these)
    2. Infrared Workshops Info
    3. Milky Way Panoramic Gear Info
    4. Night Sky Lighting Equipment
    5. Winter Cleats and Traction Devices – MUST READ FOR WINTER
    6. Glacier National Park
    7. Software for Night Sky Photography
  8. Step 6: Consider Reading These Articles
    1. Tripod
    2. Picking a camera system
  9. The Landscape Photography Zine

General Things to Know

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance, including the “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage, to protect against unforeseen events affecting your travel plans. Travel insurance providers offer a range of affordable plans with varying coverage levels. We suggest using a comparison site like InsureMyTrip.com to review and compare different plan options.

Product Discounts

I’ve worked with several companies to get my workshop participant’s discount. I use these products or services myself. There are more in a document below.

FTC Required Disclosure: I may earn commissions if you shop through the links below. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Discounts on Gear and ServicesDownload
  • Singh-Ray Filters: Buy direct and use the code for a 10% discount. Code: hansel10
  • Kinesis Gear: Buy direct and use the code for a 15% discount. Their F169 is the best filter holder bag on the market. Code: Hansel15
  • SmugMug: If you’re looking for an easy to use website to host your portfolio and offer your images for sale, SmugMug is one of the places. This is company I use for selling my prints. For new users, you get a 10 to 15% discount by using this link: http://www.bryanhansel.com/out/smugmug
  • Luminar AI: This is a image editing program that is powerful and has lots of fun features. It works as a plugin to Lightroom. I wouldn’t buy this as your only image editor, but it does have a lot of automated features that it may work for you. I use it mainly for portraits. It has powerful portrait editing features. If you don’t want to learn a lot about image editing and get good results, then Luminar AI may be for you. Watch the demo at the link and see if you like what you see.
  • Backblaze: You should back up your photos in two places: one hard drive in addition to your local hard drive, and you should back up online in the cloud. I use Backblaze. If you sign up through my link, you get an extra month free and I get an extra month free. Here’s my link: https://secure.backblaze.com/r/02tpwk
  • KEH: If you are looking to sell used gear or buy new gear, KEH is where I turn. I know with lots of photographers switching to mirrorless there are a lot of old lenses to sell and for sale. Give KEH a chance. If you start your transaction through my link, I may earn a small commission.

Newsletter

Subscribe to my newsletter to get tips, read musings and get announcements for photo workshops.

Outdoor Photography Ethics

All my workshops operate under both Leave No Trace and Tread Lightly outdoor ethics. Please, take time to visit those websites and understand the expectations. Download the LNT pamphlet to review before the workshop. The National Forest Service and local parks expect that we will follow these principles. In addition, we will practice my basic outdoor photography ethics and etiquette. The following three points sum up my outdoor ethics philosophy:

  • Only take an action when your action’s impact and anyone else doing the same won’t inhibit the ability of the land to heal itself.
  • Consider the interests of others above your selfish needs.
  • Only act in a way that benefits the group. The group defined as everyone in a location. Further, the group defined as future visitors to that location.

Please, read about my take on outdoor photography ethics and outdoor photography etiquette here:

Leave No Trace PamphletDownload

Filters

I’m a Singh-Ray Ambassador and filter designer, so my recommendations are usually for their filter. But there’s an issue and they aren’t making filters. The owner of Singh-Ray unexpectedly passed away and there are legal issues pending. That’s as much as I currently know about the situation. I’m as mystified as anyone else on the situation. Until/if this works out, I’m recommending the following filter kit.

Simplified Shopping List for Filters

If you just want to buy filters with minimal explanations, this is the list. I will explain what each does below in more detail. Normally, I’d recommend these from Singh-Ray, but since you currently can’t buy Singh-Ray I’ve found that these filters are good quality.

If you printed this off, head back to my website because the links lead you directly to the product. It’ll make shopping easier for you.

If you don’t want to invest in all the above right away, I’d recommend the following. This gets you a holder, a polarizer, and a ND Grad that is perfect for sunrises and sunsets over Lake Superior. You can also find versions of the M10-II holder that don’t include the polarizer or adapter ring if you want to save more money. To save even more money, see the recommended cheap filter holder below.

Note: Haida has a Amazon storefront that can make it easier to shop for all their products.

This kit will cover 90% of all the situations that you find yourself in and can be used to improvise filters in the additional 10%. It uses a combination of round filters that you screw onto your lens and 100mm (this is the filter’s width) x 150mm (this is the filters length) rectangular filters — sometimes these can be 100mm x 100mm. Both the 100mm x 150mm and the 100mm x 100mm sizes are called 100mm filters. For the 100mm filters, you will need a filter holder. Nearly all 100mm filter holders will work with any brand’s 100mm filters.

Filter Holder

You will need a filter holder to hold 100mm filters. I recommend the Haida M10-11 Filter Holder Kit with polarizer and Adapter Ring (buy the version with an adapter ring that fits the thread size on your main wide-angle lens). Note: this is the holder that I use. I tested thousands of dollars worth of holders and this is by far the best one. If you can still find the older version 1, you can save money and it’s just as good if not a little better.

To use these on multiple lenses, you will need an adapter ring that screws into your lens that’s the size of your lens threads. You can usually find the thread size on the front of the lens. It will often appear like this: ⌀77. That means that the threads are 77mm. The adapter rings are called the XXmm Adapter Ring for M10 100mm Filter Holder HD4251-XX where XX is the size of your lens threads. They come in the following common sizes: 95, 86, 82, 77, 72, 62, 58, 52. They also offer uncommon sizes and specialty sizes. For example, if you shoot a Nikon Z 14-24 f/2.8 S, you can buy this specialty holder to get the M10 holder to fit on it.

Other options:

  • The best cheap filter holder that I’ve tried is the Sioti 100mm Square Z Series. The Sioti only comes with one adapter ring. Choose the size for your wide-angle and mid-range zoom.
  • If the Haida doesn’t appeal to you, get the Lee100 Filter Holder.

Filter Pouch/Bag

You’ll need a bag to carry your filters in. The Kinesis Gear F169 is my favorite. It holds all the above filters and the holder. It has a quick clip to attach it to your tripod. It opens easily and keeps everything secure. Buy direct and use the code for a 15% discount. Code: Hansel15

Other options:

  • MindShift Gear Filter Hive Storage Case: I like this case, but I wish that the zipper opened up on the opposite side of the holder. It’s a little bigger than the Kinesis Gear holder, but it also holds round filters. I’m trying to use this holder more this year to see if I can simplify my filter management while in the field. I may modify it to fit my needs.

Filters Types

I use filters for almost all of my work and will teach you about filters on the workshop. While not required, I suggest that you consider purchasing filters for this workshop. The following filters are my most used and what I’d recommend if you are just getting started in filters.

There are two styles of filters that I use: round and rectangular. Round filters screw onto your lens. Rectangular filters require a special holder that allows the filter to be held to your lens. These holders allow you to no only rotate a filter but also move a filter up and down as needed to work with your composition.

Round Filters

For round filters, you need to find the thread size of your lens and buy a filter in that size to fit it. You can usually find the thread size on the front of the lens. It will often appear like this: ⌀77. That means that the threads are 77mm. You would need to buy a 77mm filter to fit those threads. Common sizes are: 95, 86, 82, 77, 72, 62, 58, and 52.

You can use step up rings to use a bigger filter on a smaller lens. For example, if I own a 82mm filter, I can use it on my ⌀52mm lens threads if I use a 52 to 82mm step up ring. This is something you can use to save money if you don’t want to buy a round filter for all your lenses.

Rectangular Filters

Rectangular filters come in many sizes, but I’d recommend that you stick with the 100mm size unless you know you can use the other sizes. The filter sizing works like this: 100mm (this is the filter’s width) x 150mm (this is the filters length) rectangular filters — sometimes these can be 100mm x 100mm. Both the 100mm x 150mm and the 100mm x 100mm sizes are called 100mm filters. For the 100mm filters, you will need a filter holder. Nearly all 100mm filter holders will work with any brand’s 100mm filters. See above for the filter holder.

Rectangular filters may seem like a hassle, but they are more flexible that round filters. All the rectangular filters that I use are split in the center. The top is dark. The bottom is clear. At sunrise and sunset, you place the filter into the filter holder and move the filter up and down until the dark part is over the sky and the clear part is over the ground. The split between clear and dark needs to sit on the horizon or the filter becomes visible in the photo.

These filters balance the brightness of the sky and the darkness of the ground at sunrise and sunset. That lets you easily get a bright foreground and a vibrant sky in a single shot.

Filter Descriptions

  • Rectangular:
    • 3-stop Reverse Graduated ND (ND Grad, NDG): This filter splits in the center with an abrupt break from clear to the darkest part of the filter. The darkness fades as it goes higher on the filter. This is my #1 used filter for sunrise and sunset, especially when shooting over water or flat horizons.
    • Solid ND Filter 5-stop or 6-stop: This is a 100mm x 100mm filter that is complete solid in a neutral grey color. This is used to blur water or any other motion. I use these primarily at sunrise and sunset to blur the motion of wave action on the Great Lakes or when on the ocean. I also have a 10-stop version that’s nice for blurring cloud motion.
    • 3-Stop Soft Graduated ND (ND Grad, NDG): This filter splits in the center with a soft break and gradually gets darker towards the top of the filter. These work well when shooting away from the sun or when the horizon is jagged. You can also combine this with the 3-stop Reverse when you need to tame a really bright sunrise or sunset or when shooting in the mountains. If you want a lot of options, buying a 2-stop Soft NDG is a good addition. It allows you to combine two softs in a variety of ways for unique situations.
  • Round
    • Polarizer: This filter eliminates reflections, glare and that in turn intensifies colors. These are great for shooting around water or where there are reflective surfaces, such as leaves during fall color. If you shoot these with a wide angle lens, you need to be careful if you have a lot of blue sky. It can create lopsided color in the sky. 35mm or longer lenses don’t have this issue.
    • Bryan Hansel Waterfall Polarizer: Designed specifically for shooting waterfalls. This combines a polarizer and a 3-stop Solid ND Filter with a little secret sauce. This allows you to get shutter speeds of around 1 to 2 seconds on overcast days. That’ll make waterfalls get that blurry, silky look.

Demo Filters and Discounts on Singh-Ray Filters

I have three sets of Singh-Ray demo filters. Each set includes:

  • Split ND Grads (4×6-inch filters): 3-stop reverse, 2-stop soft
  • ND Filters: 5-stop Mor-Slo
  • Polarizers: LB Neutral Polarizer

If you are interested in using a Singh-Ray demo filter set during the workshop, let me know. Because the number is limited, the first three people that want to use a set get dibs. Note: If you plan on using a demo filter set, you will need to buy a 4×6-inch filter holder and an adapter ring to fit your wide-angle lens and any other lenses that you wish to try filters on.

Filter Discount

Singh-Ray Filter discount. Order direct from www.singh-ray.com and use the code “hansel10” at checkout to get a 10% discount. I use and recommend Singh-Ray. I’m also a Singh-Ray Filter ambassador and designer.

Filters

Filters – Suggested Filters by Workshop

While not required, I suggest the filters found in the following chart.

WorkshopSplit ND Grads (100x150mm)ND Filters (100x100mm)Polarizers (round threaded)Specialty
Winter Workshops3-stop reverse, 3-stop soft, All-in-One 5- or 10-stop Mor-sloLB Neutral
Waterfall Workshops3-stop reverse 5- or 10-stop Mor-sloLB Neutral, Waterfall Polarizer
Night WorkshopsFor sunsets, 3-stop reverse AstroVision (not needed for the workshop but is nice for areas with light pollution)
Macro WorkshopsLB Neutral
Fall Color Workshops3-stop reverse, 3-stop soft, All-in-One5- or 10-stop Mor-sloLB Neutral, Waterfall Polarizer (nice to have but not needed)
November Workshops3-stop reverse, 3-stop soft, All-in-One5- or 10-stop Mor-sloLB Neutral, Waterfall Polarizer (nice to have but not needed)
Destination Workshops3-stop reverse, 3-stop soft, All-in-One5- or 10-stop Mor-sloLB Neutral, Waterfall Polarizer (Black Hills, Blueridge, Smokies, Bluff Country, Glacier)

Step 1: General Information

Thanks for signing up for this photography workshop. The following pages and the participant package should answer all your questions, but if you still have questions, please, give me a call at 218-370-8351.

Add-On Classes for Some Workshops

There is one possible add-on classes for some workshops. If your workshop has an add-on class, the website description will mention it. I’ll also mention it when I send out a reminder that the final payment is due. You can register for these when you pay your final payment. Each has a required minimum number of participants.

Please, don’t register for these add-on classes until I let you know we have enough people.

  • Night Photography Add-on ($100): This extra session includes a two to three-hour long night photography outing. If the stars are out, we’ll concentrate on shooting stars, but if it is cloudy or stormy, we’ll concentrate on learning low level lighting. Depending on the moon phase, we may spend time shooting the Milky Way or spend time shooting the moonlit landscape. This is Sunday evening. Minimum participants: 3

Bears (Glacier NP and Grand Teton NP)

Glacier National Park and Grand Teton National Park are home to grizzly bears. As we will be traveling in the backcountry, we may encounter bears. Please, read the Bear Safety Pamphlet in the online participant package. Other locations we go, such as the Blue Ridge, northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the Smoky Mountains have black bears.

Bear Safety PampletDownload

Grizzly Bear Safety Video for Tetons and Glacier – MUST WATCH

This is a must watch for those heading to the Tetons or Glacier.

In Glacier, I highly recommend carrying a can of bear spray on the outside of you camera pack.

Bugs

During the spring and summer months, especially in June, you can expect bugs. I highly recommend bringing bug spray, and for workshops in June and July a head net or bug jacket. You have a couple of great options:

Carpooling

We will carpool during the workshop. We need to use 5 or fewer cars in most locations. If a location requires fewer cars, I’ll let you know about two weeks before the workshop. When carpooling, you always wait for the car behind you before making/leaving a turn. Everyone should grab a map from the local gas station or visitor center, and all drivers should talk to me about our next destination before leaving. Depending on the location, the permit may require that I drive my own car without passengers.

Cell and Internet Service

Cell Service is limited in many of the places that I run workshops. You should not expect to have cell service for most of the day when we are in the field at national parks or national forests. For workshops in Grand Marais, you can expect that most locations won’t have cell service.

My cell number is 218-370-8351.

Crampons Required For Late Fall and Winter Workshops

Crampons with spikes are REQUIRED for workshops in Grand Marais during the following months: November, December, January, February and March. Slipping on the ice during these months can result in broken bones and other injuries or a slide into the freezing cold water of Lake Superior. Crampons help mitigate those risks.

I recommend the following crampons:

You can learn more here: https://www.bryanhansel.com/2015/winter-traction-device-winter-photography-dont-fall-ice/

Equipment Notes

For photography gear, bring a wide assortment of lenses and the normal gear that you’d bring. Bring rain gear, camera rain cover and a rain umbrella! The umbrella is handy when or if it rains. Also, bring sturdy hiking boots or hiking shoes. We will hike into several location and the trails are rocky and rugged.

The following checklist is a list of the suggested equipment that you could bring.

Workshop Equipment ChecklistDownload

Next you’ll find specific equipment recommendations for various workshops. Also, see the Section Four for further information on some workshops.

Winter Workshop Equipment Notes

Please, study the section on cold weather in the participant package. I recommend that you bring more batteries than you think you’d need, because the cold saps batteries. It sucks when a participant’s batteries give out in the early afternoon.

Also, consider bringing an airtight backpack or plastic bag to put your camera and lenses in when bringing it into the hotel after being outside the entire day. This will prevent condensation from getting into the electronics.

Hiking crampons or cleats are a must. I’ve seen one broken wrist on a workshop when someone forgot their cleats. Please, read: Winter Traction Devices. We will also use snowshoes which you can rent at the Lake Superior Trading Post. Phone: 218-387-2020.

Grand Marais Fall Equipment Notes

For photography gear, bring a wide range of lenses from wide angle to telephoto. Make sure that you bring a polarizer. It’s an essential filter for fall color. Bring rain gear, camera rain cover and a rain umbrella! The umbrella is handy when or if it rains. Also, bring sturdy hiking boots or hiking shoes. We will hike into several location and the trails are rocky and rugged.

Badlands, Black Hills, Blue Ridge, Glacier, Smokies Equipment Notes

For photography gear, bring a wide assortment of lenses and the normal gear that you’d bring. Bring rain gear, a camera cover, and a rain umbrella. The umbrella is handy when or if it rains. We stay in the field during rain. Also, bring sturdy hiking boots or hiking shoes. We will hike up to 4 miles round trip and some of the trails can be considered moderately rough. See the equipment list for more details.

Consider bringing a super telephoto zoom, such as the Sigma or Tamron 150-600. This works well if we run into any wildlife, and it works surprisingly well at sunrise and sunset. You will also want a wide lens for the stream photography.

Night Workshop Equipment Notes

For photography gear, a fast, wide-angle lens is highly recommended. For full frame, the perfect setup is a 14-24 f/2.8 (or 16-35 f/2.8), 20mm f/1.8 and a 35mm f/1.4. If you don’t have those lenses, a wide and fast lens will work.

Also, bring sturdy hiking boots or hiking shoes. We will hike up to 1.5 miles round trip on trails considered easy to moderate. See the equipment list for more details on shoes and clothing.

Sunsets on the Gunflint can be buggy even in August. Consider bringing a bug shirt or a bug head net.

  • Bring bug spray and head nets!
  • Bring a headlamp.

For photography gear, bring wide and fast lenses. What you bring doesn’t have to be exactly what I use. As long as you have a f/2.8 or faster lenses that goes as wide as 24mm on full frame or 16mm on cropped sensors, you’ll be fine. It is nice to have a wider lens. As an example, my typical night sky gear includes the following cameras and lenses:

  • Full-frame camera
  • 14-24mm f/2.8
  • 20mm f/1.8
  • 35mm f/1.4

If you shoot a cropped sensor camera, the list might look like this:

  • APS-C camera
  • 11-20mm f/2.8
  • 14mm f/1.4
  • 24mm f/1.4

Sometimes condensation can be an issue at night. To help prevent it, bring hand warmers, like you’d use in winter, and a rubber band or wrist sweat band to hold the warmers on your lens. There are also electronic versions that are powered by a USB power bank.

There’s more info about lighting for night photography in step four. See below.

Waterfall Workshops

For north shore waterfalls, you’ll want to cover both wide and long lenses. On full-frame cameras, I’d suggest having lenses from 20mm to 200mm. If you plan on doing the night photography session, then I’d suggest a wide and fast lens.

The most important filters for this workshop are the polarizers. If you are going to purchase one filter, I’d suggest the Bryan Hansel Waterfall Polarizer. This is a 3-stop ND filter combined with a polarizer. It is the filter that Singh-Ray and I developed specifically for shooting waterfalls. A regular polarizer combined with a ND can also work well. When you buy filters direct from Singh-Ray use the code “hansel10” for a 10% discount.

For sunrises, the Singh-Ray 3-stop reverse ND grad is what you’ll use. If your focus isn’t on sunrises and sunsets, then you can skip this filter. But, if you shoot lots of sunrises and sunsets, then I’d suggest picking one up. It’s the filter that I use for 90% of my sunrises and sunsets.

This time of year can be rainy or snowy, so bring lots of clothing and don’t forget your rain gear. An umbrella is a relief on rainy days. A camera rain cover is a worthwhile investment.

Cool Kit That Is Not Required

Extension Tubes

Extensions tubes are a simple device that can give your lens a macro capacity. While I love shooting macro, I don’t always enjoy carrying a macro lens with me. They can be large and heavy. If I know I’m going to be shooting macro, I’ll bring one.

Every now and then I’ll find a macro subject, but I won’t have my macro lens. By having extension tubes with me, I can put one between my camera and lens and that will allow me to get closer to the macro subject than without it. I like using them with my 24-120 lens at about 90-105mm. The best part about extension tubes is that they are light and cheap. You can pick up a set for between $30 and $100. I use the Meike brand.

LCD Loupes

LCD loupes are a nice product that can help you see your LCD screen better in the outdoors. You hold it over your camera’s LCD, and it cuts glare. The Hoodman loupe also has a built-in diopter, so you can adjust it to your eyes. If you need reading glasses, it acts like reading glasses. These are great to help review your images in the field.

First Meetup Times

These are the tentative meetup times. If the specific time isn’t listed, I’ll email the exact time about two weeks before the workshop. We will generally meet either in front of the hotel or in the hotel lobby or conference room. I’ll email the exact location about two weeks before the workshop. In some parks, our lodging might be spread out, so we will meet either in a conference room or a central location. I’ll communicate any changes to these times and locations via email before the workshop.

For 2024, the workshop descriptions have the meet up times in the tentative schedule.

2024 Minnesota Photo Workshops

2024 Destination Photo Workshops

Fitness and Medical and Hiking

To reach some of the field locations, we may have to hike several miles. The hikes are considered easy to moderate. To participate at that field location, you must be able to hike one- to four-mile round trip on moderate terrain. If you have concerns about your physical fitness, call me to discuss. You can also sit out a field location. There are plenty of subjects to photograph near the parking lots.

  • Check the Activity Level on the workshop product page to see the expected type of hiking.

You are responsible for determining your fitness for any trip. If you have any medical conditions that require regular treatment or that is affected by activity, weather, foods, natural conditions, you must notify me in advance of the trip. Medical disclosure forms are available upon request. Please, understand that Bryan Hansel Photography assumes no liability for medical care. Bryan Hansel Photography makes the ultimate determination of your fitness to embark upon or to continue a trip. Medical conditions are not considered exceptions to the cancellation policy.

Food

All meals and drinks are the responsibility of participants. After sunrise, we will break for breakfast. The exact timing depends on the conditions. We will often eat lunches in the field. Most dinners will be after sunset.

Each day, you should bring two to three water bottles (insulated for winter workshops) and snack food, like energy bars or GORP. If you’re not used to eating in the field, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, an apple, and chips work well. Both peanut butter and jelly survive fine without refrigeration for the time we’ll be in the field. A thermos of hot chocolate or coffee is a welcome treat.

  • Badlands (Wall): Wall offers a limited number of restaurants and a small grocery store. If you are flying into Rapid City, consider grabbing groceries there.
  • Black Hills (Custer): Custer offers a wide range of restaurants and has a nice grocery store.
  • Grand Marais: Grand Marais offers a wide range of breakfast and dinner menus at various restaurants. If we plan on eating lunch in the field, you can order box lunches from Java Moose in town or pack your own. I highly recommend the Java Moose lunches.
  • Glacier: The best grocery store is in Browning, so I’d recommend stocking up there before heading to the park.
  • Iowa: Dubuque offers a wide range of restaurants and grocery stores. Some of the small towns that we will visit offer gas station food and maybe a restaurant or two.
  • Smokies: Gatlinburg has amazing and abundant restaurants and I’ve tried many of them. The surrounding towns also have great food. You can expect to secret stops for ice cream and other treats on this workshop. The best grocery store in Gatlinburg is Food City, 1219 East Pkwy.

Getting There

  • Badlands: The Badlands National Park and Wall, South Dakota is located about 55 miles east of Rapid City, South Dakota on Interstate 90. From Minneapolis, it’s a 7.5-hour drive via US-169S to MN-60 W and I90 (check Google Maps for the exact route). Rapid City has a small regional airport (RAP). Devil’s Tower is 107 miles north or Rapid City (check Google Maps for the exact route).
  • Glacier: Amtrak’s Empire Builder serves Glacier National Park from a number of locations. The closest airport is Kalispell (FCA). The hotel is located in St. Mary, Montana. For exact routes, see Google Maps.
  • Grand Marais: Grand Marais, Minnesota is 110 miles north of Duluth, Minnesota on Highway 61. Duluth boasts a small international airport. Grand Marais is 260 miles north of Minneapolis, Minnesota, which has an international airport that also acts as a regional hub. Grand Marais is 128 kilometers south of Thunder Bay, Ontario on Highway 61. Thunder Bay has a small airport. Car rentals are available at the airports.

Image Review

On workshops that have image reviews, you should sort images you’ve made during the workshop and find five to share with the class. Convert all images to jpeg with 1500 pixels on the longest edge and email them to me.

Itinerary

All itineraries are tentative and will change based on conditions. You can find the general tentative agenda on the workshop page.

Lodging

You can find the lodging information in the registration email you received after you registered for the workshop.

Park Stickers and Entrance Fees

Most of the locations we will visit require park permits. Each car will need either a National Park Pass for destination workshops that go to national parks or a state park pass. The following states require permits: Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

You will need to purchase permits before the workshop. You can purchase these at the park office, park entrance or online before the workshop.

Spouses and Partners

Generally, anyone that comes along on the workshop must pay full price. This is especially true in areas, such as national parks, that have strict limits on the number of participants allowed on a photography workshop. Exceptions to this rule are made on an individual basis. One exception might be for health reasons, but it is unlikely that this exception will be made on a destination workshop with limited space.

Sunrise and Sunset Times

My favorite application for finding sunrise and sunset times in PhotoPills. We will try to be at the sunrise or sunset time about 45 minutes to an hour before. When planning for sunrise, you also need to account for drive times. Most of the locations are 30 minutes away from our hotel, but sometimes the locations can be more than an hour away. Plan to wake up early.

Team Reach

Before and during the workshop, you can use the Team Reach app to communicate and coordinate flights, rooms, and car rentals. We may also use it during the workshop to communicate. Check your registration email for the Team Reach code.

Types of Workshops

I offer several types of workshops and the structure is slightly different for each style.

  • North House Folk School: Takes place at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota. These workshops are run by the North House Folk School and have different registration and cancellation policies than my workshops. Each workshop is ~1.5 days long with a slideshow, field time and an image review.
  • Minnesota Workshops: Workshops based in Minnesota have classroom time, outdoor field time, and an image review session during the workshop dates. Sometimes the image review may happen online several weeks after the workshop. The online post-workshop image review is something that I’m experimenting with. So far the feedback has been positive. If your workshop qualifies for this type of image review, I’ll notify you by email before the workshop.
  • Destination Workshops: Destination photo workshops are designed for participants that have taken one of my workshops previously or have equivalent experience. For destination workshops, I’ll provide participants with videos of my presentations before the workshop. You can watch them on your own. If you are a novice, the videos will be a good way to catch up. The goal of destination workshops is to emphasize experiential learning by spending more time in the field. For destination workshops if there is an image review, the review takes place after the workshop via an online video conference.

Vices

Due to permits, federal regulations and state park regulations, alcohol and firearms are prohibited. Illegal substances are also prohibited. If you are going to use tobacco products or other types of inhalers step far enough away from the group so that no one can smell it. Dispose of your cigarette butts properly.  Before offering to drive in a carpool state that you are a smoker, so people can sort themselves accordingly.

Weather

  • Badland and Black Hills in the Fall: In the Badlands, the average temps are 42°F for lows and 69°F for highs. In the Black Hills, average temps are 39°F for lows and 63°F for highs. Expect windy and potentially stormy conditions with cold wind chills at sunrise.
  • Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains Spring: The average temps are 35°F for lows and 68°F for highs. In the mountains, average temps are 33°F for lows and 53°F for highs. Expect windy conditions on the tops of the mountains with bitter cold wind chills at sunrise. It could be much colder at the higher elevations, so expect winter conditions.
  • Glacier: The average temps are 38°F for lows and 60°F for highs. In the mountains, average temps expect temps to be 15-20°F colder. Expect windy conditions on the tops of the mountains with bitter cold wind chills at sunrise. It could be much colder at the higher elevations, so expect winter conditions.
  • Grand Marais Early Winter: For December, the average high temp is 27°F and the average low is 12°F. The beginning of the month is generally warmer. Expect cold, icy conditions.
  • Grand Marais Fall: The average temps are 37°F for lows and 52°F for highs.
  • Grand Marais November: The average high temp is 39°F and the average low is 25°F. The beginning of the month is generally warmer. Expect cold, icy conditions.
  • Grand Marais Spring: The average temps are 32°F for lows and 45°F for highs. The records are -8°F and 83°F. Snow and ice is possible.
  • Grand Marais Summer: The average temps are 54°F for lows and 71°F for highs.
  • Grand Marais Winter: The averages are 10°F for lows and 28°F for highs. The records are -34°F and 58°F. Count on snow on the ground and ice.

What if it rains?

If it rains, we go out shooting. Challenging conditions provide some of the best photographic opportunities. The potential rain makes better photos than sunny days.

To make it easier, bring good raingear and an umbrella. I like Gore-Tex raingear, but if you don’t want to spend much money on raingear, consider rubber raingear or something like Frogg Toggs. The Frogg Toggs don’t usually last as long as Gore-Tex, but they work and are an inexpensive option if you are only going to use the raingear now and then.

A shower cap over your camera protects it from the rain. Considering buying a dedicated camera rain cover for the most protection.

Step 2: Final Payment Due Dates

The following dates are when the final payments are due. You can pay anytime after January 1st of the year of the workshop. You can pay here: https://www.bryanhansel.com/shop/photography-workshop-full-payment/

2024 Final Payment Dates

Workshop Start DateDue DateWorkshop Name
2/2/20244-NovWinter Photo Workshop
2/23/202425-NovWinter on the Gunflint
4/26/202427-JanWaterfall Workshop
5/8/20248-FebBadlands and Black Hills
5/16/202416-FebTeddy Roosevelt National Park
6/6/20248-MarMilky Way Workshop – Panoramic photography
6/20/202422-MarFlowers and the Full Moon
7/7/20248-AprNorthern Night Sky
7/31/20242-MayNight Sky of the Gunflint Trail
8/15/202417-MayNorth Shore infrared Adventure
9/4/20246-JunDark Sky Adventure – Early Fall
10/2/20244-JulLake Superior Fall Color Workshop
11/8/202410-AugShadows of November Long Exposure Workshop

Step 3: Additional Policies and Details

These information sheets cover important information not covered in workshop specific information sheets.

Cancellations

Find the full cancellation policy here: Cancellation Policy. The full policy addresses what happens if you or I must cancel a workshop. Check out the section below about travel insurance. In the event of a cancellation, it might cover your lost fees.

Travel Insurance and Travel Expenses – You usually have 7 to 14 days after you book the trip

I highly recommend purchasing travel insurance for all your travel plans, expenses, and for the workshop fee. You are encouraged to obtain Travel Insurance with Cancel for Any Reason option to protect yourself against cancellations should the unfortunate circumstances that require a cancellation occur.

Bryan Hansel Photography is not responsible for reimbursement of any travel or other expenses, such as but not limited to nonrefundable or refundable airline tickets, hotel rooms, workshop fees or other travel expenses or expenses, related to a workshop cancellation or other events. Bryan Hansel Photography is also not responsible for events that prevent you from arriving at the workshop, such as but not limited to weather events, canceled flights, government shutdowns, force majeure events, or other foreseen or unforeseen events and circumstances. Bryan Hansel Photography reserves to right to cancel any workshop. If a workshop is cancelled during the workshop because of COVID-19 exposure, no money will be refunded.

You can purchase trip cancellation insurance for as little as $40. Use a site like insuremytrip.com to compare plans against one another.

If You Get Lost

While it doesn’t happen often, it is possible to get lost. If you get lost, my cell number is 218-370-8351. Keep in mind that cell service is limited in many of the workshop locations.

To prevent people from getting lost, I always wait at each turn for the next car in the carpool. You must wait for the car behind you. If it seems like the group is getting strung out, I’ll pull over and wait. Look for my car.

Bryan Hansel Photography Workshop Facebook Group

After the workshop, you’ll receive an invite to a private photography group. You’re welcome to share photos there, comment on other photos, keep in touch with other photographers on the workshop or ask questions. It’s a fun and supportive group of photographers made up of former workshop students.

Bryan Hansel Photography Fan Supporters Page

For $5 a month you can become a supporter of my work. Supporters receive additional bonuses Facebook posts from me each month. These posts may be processing videos, quick tips or notices of workshops. This is an evolving group. You can sign up here: https://www.bryanhansel.com/out/support

Step 4: Workshop Specific Information

Read this workshop specific items as needed.

Workshop Specific Reads (Check to see if you need one of these)

Everything you need to know about photography settings in 10 paragraphsDownload
Extra Reading for Winter WorkshopsDownload
Extra Reading for Macro WorkshopsDownload
Photography Resources – Books – Magazines – PodcastsDownload
Photography Resources Phone AppsDownload
Reference Guides and Cheat SheetsDownload

Infrared Workshops Info

For infrared photography workshops, consider whether or not to convert your camera. If you know you will do infrared often, consider it. If your mirrorless camera can use their magnetic internal filter system, I’d recommend getting a full spectrum conversion from Kolari, and then buying the internal filters you want. If you’re just trying infrared and may do it now and then, then get a filter. Don’t convert a camera.

IR Filters

The standard IR filter over the years has been the Hoya R72. The hardest part is deciding what size to get because until you try the filter on a lens, you won’t know if your lens is going to work well with infrared. Kolari offers a Hotspot Database that you can consult. You want to make sure that your lens doesn’t have a bad hotspot before committing to use it for infrared. If it’s listed as good in Kolari’s database, it’ll likely work well with the R72.

Once you figure out if your lens will work well for IR photography, you can buy the filter in that size. The other approach is to buy a filter in 82mm, and then buy step-up rings to use it with other thread sizes. As far as step-up rings, it really doesn’t matter for brands. Brass are more expensive but are less sticky. KASE makes good ones, but any $10-15 step-up would be fine. Here’s a listing of step-up rings on Amazon. Breakthrough Filters makes great brass step-up rings.

Camera Conversions

If you know you will do infrared often, consider a camera conversion. If your mirrorless camera can use Kolari Vision’s magnetic internal clip-in filter system, I’d recommend getting a full spectrum conversion from Kolari, and then buying the internal filters you want. For the class, I’d recommend either a 590nm or 720nm. The 590nm is more versatile when it comes to false color, but the 720nm is the classic for white foliage and blue skies. Also get the Hot Mirror filter to be able to use the camera for visible light photography.

Milky Way Panoramic Gear Info

Basic gear setup for the course would include an L-bracket for your camera, and a ballhead that can rotate 360° on its base. A nodal slide will help you be more successful. If you want to make it easier, you can get a panning clamp. Make sure that the panning clamp will fit you quick release plate on your ballhead. If not, you’ll need an adapter to mount it to your quick release plate.

Required

  • Ballhead with Arca Swiss Quick Release and 360° rotating base
  • L-Bracket for your camera

Highly Recommended

  • Nodal Slide

Recommended

  • Panning Clamp

Lens Choice

Really wide lenses make stitching the pano together more difficult. I’ve found that the sweet spot is around 20 to 24mm. In June, we often need wider than that to capture the top of the Milky Way. If you have a lens that can go to 14mm, bring it. A 14-24 f/2.8 or a 16-35 f/2.8 would be ideal.

Ballhead (Required)

  • There are many different ballheads out there. I recommend Really Right Stuff and Kirk. There are many others that may work.
  • You’ll need the quick release plate to be Arca-Swiss compatible. If it isn’t (Manfrotto and others), then you will need an adapter.

L-Bracket (Required)

  • Pick one designed for your camera. I use Kirk or Really Right Stuff. You can also search Amazon using a term like: L-bracket Nikon Z8, but put your camera where the Nikon Z8 is in the search term.
  • Make sure that the one you get marks the center of your body both on the horizontal and vertical sides.

Panning Clamp Options (Recommended)

This goes into your tripod’s quick release plate and rotates your camera. After I shot the video and was researching this, I found that there aren’t as many good options as their used to be. I’ve found the following. If one is out of stock, check to see if another is in stock.

Nodal Slide (Highly Recommended)

The length of this is going to vary based on your lens. You’ll need to measure from the back of your L-bracket to the front of your lens. You don’t want to go any longer than that. I have multiple sizes for different lens. It should have an Arca-Swiss clamp for your L-bracket and the slide should be Arca-Swiss compatible.

Multi-row Pano Gear (Example of the one of the systems that I own. Not needed for the workshop.)

Night Sky Lighting Equipment

The following equipment is what you may see me use during demonstrations on the workshop or when I’m setting up shots with lighting equipment.

Lightning Trigger

A lightning trigger can help you capture lightning. I use the Pluto Trigger. It requires a smartphone, but it offers many other features that will help trigger your camera in unique circumstances.

Lighting Equipment for Night Photography

I’ll provide this lighting equipment for the photography workshop, so this is a reference for the equipment I use for natural low-level lighting for Nightscapes. All the links go to Amazon.com.

Learn more here:

Lighting

My favorite for low-level lighting

Lights that work fine, but not my current choice:

Extra Lights

Umbrella

Light Stand

Miscellaneous

Winter Cleats and Traction Devices – MUST READ FOR WINTER

On the winter workshops and the Gales of November workshop, we may encounter icy shorelines. For the winter workshop, cleats are a must. For Gales, consider bringing them. You may not need them, but it’s better to have them than not. You must have crampons for this workshop.

Glacier National Park

Software for Night Sky Photography

For more advanced night sky imaging techniques, I suggest several different programs.

  • Landscape and Night Sky Stacking: Sequator (PC) or Starry Landscape Stacker (Mac)
  • Affinity Photo for deep sky astrophotography
  • StarStaX: A star trail stacker.
  • Lightroom Classic and Photoshop
  • PhotoPills: For Milky Way positions
  • Stellarium: For Milky Way and star positions
  • DxO PureRAW 2: The Deep Prime demosaicing can significantly reduce noise in night sky images. The downside is the increased file size. For each image, it adds 80-300mb to your hard drive. Adobe Lightroom Classic now does this better or just as good in most cases.

Step 6: Consider Reading These Articles

Tripod

A sturdy tripod is a must for great landscape photos. While a plastic tripod with a pan/tilt head bought from a big-box store may seem like it will work. It likely won’t. Cheap tripods are just that. They’re cheap. They break. And worst of all, they are NOT steady. While you don’t need to spend $1000 to get the latest carbon fiber tripod from Gitzo or RRS, I do suggest that you consider buying a good tripod if you don’t already own one. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, read this article. You won’t regret buying an expensive tripod. I love my carbon fiber RRS tripod and RRS BH-55 ball head.

Picking a camera system

If you’re still working on building a photography system, learn more in this article:

The Landscape Photography Zine

Issue One:

The Landscape Photography Zine Issue 1 Read OnlyDownload
The Landscape Photography Zine Issue 1 Print VersionDownload