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Overview:
Overview:
Join me for an immersive spring wildflower photography workshop in the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, where the High Country comes alive with vibrant early blooms. This is a rare opportunity to photograph one of the most dramatic seasonal transformations in the Southern Appalachians, as Linville Gorge Azaleas and Rhododendrons erupt in color along the rugged cliffs, forested slopes, and exposed rocky crags of the Gorge. The combination of wildflowers, elevation, and raw terrain creates a visual experience that truly must be witnessed in person.
During this workshop, we’ll slow down and work intentionally with the landscape, focusing on how to photograph spring blooms in a complex and often challenging environment. Rhododendron, in particular, will take center stage—its sculptural forms, luminous blossoms, and interaction with light make it an endlessly photogenic subject. You’ll learn how to move beyond simple documentation and create images that feel immersive, expressive, and connected to place.
Throughout the day, I’ll guide you through techniques for composing wildflowers within the broader landscape—balancing intimate details with a strong sense of environment. We’ll explore how to use foreground blooms to anchor wide compositions, how to isolate individual plants or clusters using depth of field, and how to layer flowers, forest, and distant ridgelines to create visual depth. You’ll learn how subtle changes in camera position, focal length, and perspective can dramatically transform a scene.
Spring light in the Gorge is dynamic and often fleeting, and we’ll work with both soft, overcast conditions and filtered woodland light. Instruction will include how to read and respond to changing light, manage high contrast between blossoms and dark forest backgrounds, and use natural shade to bring out color and texture without harsh highlights. We’ll also cover exposure techniques for preserving delicate petal detail while maintaining rich color and tonal balance.
This workshop will also emphasize creative decision-making in the field—knowing when to simplify, when to embrace complexity, and how to let the landscape guide your compositions. We’ll discuss visual flow, negative space, and the importance of patience when working with subtle subjects like wildflowers in a wild setting. For those interested, we’ll touch on focus stacking, working with wind, and stabilizing compositions in uneven terrain.
Above all, this is a day devoted to connection—with the land, the season, and your creative process. Linville Gorge in spring offers a powerful reminder of nature’s rhythm, and this workshop is designed to help you translate that experience into photographs that feel authentic, intentional, and deeply rooted in place.
TERRAIN
Woodland Terrain and Trails with rock. Good sturdy footwear is recommended
ACTIVITY
Moderate trail walking up to a 1.5 miles. Some trails could are steep
EXPERIENCE
Aspiring to Advanced. Cell Phones are welcome
GROUP SIZE
3 Participants
TEMPERATURES
30-80 degrees. Full Winter and Summer Waterproof/Breathable Outerwear is recommended.
HUMIDITY
50-80 %
NEAREST AIRPORT
Charlotte, NC
Topics we will cover
How to research potential shoot locations
How to read the weather
Learn how to create powerful compositions and bring your artistic vision to life
Visualizing your composition, capturing and guiding the viewer
The use of Neutral Density and ND Graduated filters to enhance and control light.
How to identify and control: Balance and visual flow
The use of filters to enhance and control light. How to “see” light
How to control shutter speed for the look you want
Histograms, how to read them, and why they play an important role
Focus Stacking for extreme front and back focus
How to use lens compression, when to use it, and when to go wide
How to blend focal lengths and exposures to maximize Dynamic Range
How to create beautiful Long Exposures to unveil a hidden visual world of intrigue and wonder
Light Painting in the Twilight
Image Critique and the Visual Experience. How do others interpret and read your images?
Post Processing and Digital Workflow in Lightroom and Photoshop, including third party software
What’s included
Photography instruction with Landscape Photographer Tommy White.
Lightroom and Photoshop training.
One full day of landscape photography on the Roan Mountain Highlands.
One-on-one field guidance on framing, settings, visual flow, and “seeing” in the landscape.
GPS field guidance to track our shoot locations. Other helpful software.
Drinks and Snacks are provided during the Workshop.
How to use your equipment.
Visual interpretation of the landscape. How to “see” and use the light.
Follow up online training following the Workshop.
Guidance and safety throughout the entire trip.
What’s not included
Participants should plan to provide their own transportation. Carpooling will be available at your own discretion.
Meals during the trip. I will always have drinks and snacks on hand, but plan to travel with your own favorites as well.
Lodging - We will provide information for you on Lodging upon registration.
Park and admission fees. We are fully permitted in State and National Parks, but occasionally there are other fees per individual.
Alcoholic beverages.
Travel Insurance (Highly Recommended, but optional).
Personal Items.
PACK LIST
Click HERE to view the Packlist
Cancellation Policy: If you need to cancel your booking more than 30 day out, you will be issued a trip credit for any other Workshop in the same year. If your cancellation is within 30 days of the trip, your payment will be forfeited.