Sundown and Skylines at Hunter's Point Park, Long Island City, NY - 4 hour Workshop

Skill Level(s): Level II, III, and IV Students
Location: Hunter's Point South Park, Center Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101 map
Instructor: Scott Dengrove
Date and Time: Online Class: Friday, Sept 18th, 7 PM - 8:30 PM, Onsite Practice: Saturday Sept 19th, 5 PM - 9 PM (Rain Date Sept 20th)

DESCRIPTION

Capturing the beauty of an illuminated urban skyline against a deep blue sky in a photograph is an enormously exhilarating and satisfying experience. So why not do it with one of the most famous skylines in the whole world, New York City!

Come explore how night time transforms this city that never sleeps with beautiful architectural lighting, dynamic traffic trails, and a world of possibilities all set against a majestic blue twilight sky. There's no greater place to practice low-light cityscapes, night time traffic trails and blue hour photography!

Topics include equipment and camera controls for night time photography, using your tripod safely, metering in the dark, composing great night shots, blue hour photography, traffic trails, and using the moon, and stars to enhance your shot.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The workshop will begin with an online virtual class, hosted on the Zoom platform the day before. We'll start with an introduction and then we'll dive right in to the material. During the online lecture, photography skills and techniques will be taught with a mix of lecture and demonstration.

The workshop will continue with the hands-on portion on-site at Hunter's Point South Park, in the early evening. We will answer questions, review techniques from the online class as well as practice new skills.

For the remaining time you will be given free time to create your own photographs using the techniques you have learned with support from your instructor. During this time, your instructor will be roaming around providing individual attention to each participant to help make your photographs the best they can be.

WHAT TO BRING

Please bring your fully charged camera, tripod and any accessories you'd like to have, see "Equipment Recommendations" below for details. A pen is helpful in case you'd like to take notes

Hunter's Point South Park is a huge sprawling park covering 30 acres of prime NYC waterfront, and we will be standing for quite a bit of the workshop, especially when taking night shots. Comfortable shoes are a must! You may also wish to dress in layers as it can tend to get cool once the sun sets. Bug spray can also be helpful.

EQUIPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

All participants, no matter the amount of equipment they have, will find enjoyment and learn something from participating in this workshop. However, we do have some recommendations that will help to ensure you get the most value out of the workshop.

We recommend bringing both telephoto and wide angle lenses. There are beautiful sweeping vistas of the city skyline, which are best captured with a wide angle lens, however you may also want to take close detail shots of some of the architecture or a close-up of something off in the distance, for which you will find a telephoto lens is best suited.

A good sturdy tripod that can support your camera rig is a must. Tripods with larger diameter legs are recommended for long exposure shots, as well as if the wind picks up, as we'll be near the water.

A wired shutter release will help eliminate vibration from your fingers when activating the shutter for photos with a long exposure. An ND filter can also be helpful to allow for extra long shutter speeds.

A small flashlight with a red filter or bulb is recommended to help view your camera controls once it gets dark. The red color will help to preserve your night vision and make it easier to see details with the lower light levels.

Further equipment recommendations will be provided in a detailed email prior to the field trip.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

As this workshop is 4 hours in length, you should be prepared to do quite a bit of standing when taking night shots and some walking, comfortable shoes are a must!

Though we are allowed to use tripods for this workshop, participants are still expected to maintain proper safety precautions when setting up and using tripods and other equipment. Participants may not assert exclusive control over walkways, pathways or any other property in the park.

In addition, no other park visitor may be blocked from their enjoyment and usage of the facility or inconvenienced. It is the responsibility of all participants to keep the public safe around equipment. Participants will be held responsible for any damage or injuries caused by their equipment.

Although Hunter's Point Park is relatively safe and there will be plenty of people around, as expected in any public urban setting, participants are expected to remain vigilant regarding keeping their equipment safe and under their control. Dengrove Studios is not responsible for any equipment that is lost, stolen or damaged.

Participants are responsible for their own parking costs. Parking IS NOT included with your registration fee. Limited street parking is available as are nearby private parking garages.

WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR?

This workshop is open to Level II - IV photographers with DSLR or Mirrorless cameras with manual settings and interchangeable lenses who want to explore low light and night time photography (no smart phones, tablets, or point and shoot cameras please). Not sure what level you are? Click here to find out. Students should be comfortable shooting in full manual mode, have a camera capable of manual exposure settings and own a good sturdy tripod.

TRANSPORTATION

This special field trip takes place entirely at Hunter's Point South Park in Long Island City, participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from. There is both free and metered street parking as well as two parking garages within walking distance. You will meet your instructor there, full details will be given prior to the workshop.

Hunter's Point South Park is also accessible by taking the 7 line subway to the Vernon Blvd-Jackson Ave station, the park is about a 15min walk from the station or by taking the East River Ferry from the 34th Street dock in Manhattan. The Q103 and B61 buses also stop nearby the park.

ABOUT HUNTER'S POINT SOUTH PARK

Completed in summer 2018 the park began when 30 acres of abandoned post-industrial landscape was transformed into a vibrant and resilient waterfront park. It includes pedestrian and bike paths, playgrounds, picnic terraces, a kayak launch, a 30 foot high cantilevered platform offering unparalleled views of the Manhattan skyline, creating a rich public space offering over 200 free programs to the public each year.

REGARDING COVID-19

The safety of our participants and instructors is of the utmost priority. As such, all of our workshops are run in accordance with guidelines and standards set forth by governmental agencies on the Federal, State, and County level including the CDC, NYS Dept. of Health, NYS Office of the Governor, and Westchester County Dept. of Health.

REFUND POLICY

Registration cancellations and refund requests must be submitted in writing no less than 7 days prior to the start of the workshop. In most cases, refunds will not be given for no shows, latecomers, or missing either the online class portion or hands-on portion of the workshop. In the case of inclement weather, there is an alternative workshop rain date available. If you cannot attend the alternative workshop date a credit will be given for use towards a future Dengrove Studios workshop.

Questions? Feel free to contact us before you register.

Leading up to the workshop you will receive several email communications from us. In order to ensure they get delivered properly and do not get filtered or blocked we suggest adding the following emails to your safe sender list or address book, info@dengrovestudios.com and courses@dengrovestudios.com

$69
Online Class: Friday, September 18th, 7PM - 8:30PM On-site Practice: Saturday, September 19th, 5PM - 9PM (Rain Date Sept 20th)

What type of photographer are you?

Level I - Students are new to photography and either have no formal training in photography or perhaps took a class a long time ago. Level I students are unsure of the operation of their gear or may feel intimidated by taking their camera out of "auto" mode and playing with the manual settings. Photographs of Level I students show significant technical issues as well as compositional issues as they have not yet received training. There's nothing wrong with being a Level I photographer, we all started there, and remember what it's like.

Level II - Students have some understanding of photography principles and may have taken a class or two. Level II students are somewhat familiar with their gear and try to use manual camera settings when they can. As a result, they have gotten lucky from time to time by creating great photographs that were the result of "happy accidents". Although their pictures are applauded by friends and family, they are still at the beginning of learning their craft and their images may have technical issues. Additionally, they can be so caught up with using the right settings they may forget to focus on the artistic side of photography such as composition and lighting.

Level III - Students have a solid understanding of photography principles, thanks to some formal training, and are completely comfortable using their camera in Manual Mode. Level III students have overcome most technical issues relating to exposure and sharpness and are starting to play with interesting lighting and compositions. Most of their photos look better than the average persons and are starting to be thought of as a photographer by friends and family. Level III students may be starting to think about doing some low-end paying photography work or upgrading their gear to full frame sensors and pro lenses.

Level IV - Students have significant experience making, capturing, and processing images that more often then not exhibit a complete understanding of photography principles and creative artistic qualities. Level IV students no longer worry about camera settings, they just happen automatically in their head, and all of their photos are sharp and well exposed. In addition, Level IV student photos exhibit consistently decent lighting and composition and a few of their very best photos exhibit these qualities that can be described as dynamic, beautiful, and awesome. They are not afraid to try unusual or extreme techniques but sometimes use them as a crutch to give their photos that "wow" factor. Level IV students are regarded as "really serious about photography" and may have considered going pro.

Level V - Students have advanced skills and knowledge of photography. Their work is consistently at a professional level with no image quality issues and technicals are spot on. Level V student photo compositions have a maturity about them with a clear style and creativity. A Level V student is capable of shooting in almost any lightning condition and bringing back great photos that are interesting and well exposed. Level V students may or may not be working professional photographers but based on their level of work certainly are capable of being a pro.