Birds

Mammals

Wildflowers

Iowa Stock Photos

General Stock Photo List

About Ty Smedes

Signed Prints

Photo Gallery

Photo Tours

Contact Us

I will be leading a photo-tour to the Eastern Sierras of California, during the fall of 2008. Here is the exciting itinerary and all the information you need, to evaluate the trip.

Dates: Flight to Reno on Saturday, October 4th, with lodging thru Saturday October 11th, 2008. Flight home on Sunday, October 12th

Equipment needed: Those of you who know me well, may think we will be photographing wildlife on this trip, but this won’t be the case. The only lenses you will need are wide angle and zoom lenses, to capture the unending variety of stunning scenics.

Photo Subjects: The mysterious tufa towers of Mono Lake, the gnarled trees of the Ancient Bristle Cone Pine Forest, the haunting Ghost Town of Bodie, the stunning vistas of Yosemite Park, the incredible rock formations of the Alabama Hills, and blazing fall colors, will be our subjects. You will be absolutely amazed at the variety of stunning and interesting photo-subjects. We’ll also visit Galen Rowell’s “Mountain Light” Gallery, in Bishop, as well as the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Park. Here are a few sample photos, taken at several of our destinations!

Transportation: Tour participants will fly into Reno on Saturday, October 4th. We will rent cars (car-pooling among friends and acquaintances is encouraged) and will drive a few hours to Lee Vining California, and our first nights lodging. If there is sufficient interest, I will rent a mini-van, and 3 participants can ride with me, each day. This has worked well over the past several years, and there is plenty of room. The additional cost of riding with me all week will be $225. At the end of the week-long tour (Saturday Oct. 11th) we will drive back to Reno for a final nights lodging and our flight home, on Sunday.

Difficulty: There will be no long hikes, but we will have a few walk-ins of about 1/4 mile. One trail is a 1 mile loop, that will be negotiated over the course of about 2 hours, while photographing. Particpants should be in reasonable physical shape, and have a good sense of ballance, as footing is sometimes uneven, and over basic (non-asphalt) trails. Some walking on uneven terrain will also take place while photographing along one of the rivers. Please let me know if you have any medical/physical issues, and we can discuss whether this trip is (or isn't) for you.

Lodging: We will stay in several nearby locations, in order to be located next to the best photo destinations. All motels and cabins are very nice, with many of them being very rustic indeed, including cabins nestled within Yosemite Valley! Lodging will be double-occupancy, unless a single room has been requested, and single-supplement paid. The single supplement will be $375

Daily Schedule: We will photograph at sunrise each morning, to take advantage of the special light and atmosphere which occurs at first light. Likewise we will also photograph from late afternoon till the light is gone, to take advantage of the special lighting that occurs at the end of day. On the 2nd Saturday, we will drive back to Reno, where we will spend the night… We will enjoy a final evening dinner together, and will fly home, the next morning.

Meals: We will eat breakfast at local restaurants each morning, following the morning photo-shoot. Each participant will bring a snack to eat, during early morning, to get through till breakfast time. We will eat lunch, before heading out to photograph again, in late afternoon. We will go to dinner, after our late afternoon shoot.

Costs: $995/person, based on double-occupancy. Single supplement $375/person. Please let me know if you would like to room with another participant, and I will try to match you with another participant of the same sex, of course. Daily transportation in mini-van with me is an additional $225. Regrettably, motel rates are often well above $100/night (double or single) wherever we will be staying, in spite of decreased winter rates.

Services Covered: 8 nights lodging, and professional guidance each day, to all the sites we will photograph. I will get you to the photo-sites at the best times, when the light is best, and will provide guidance when needed.

Services Not Covered: Flight or transportation to/from Reno, daily transportation (unless arrangements have been made to ride with me in the mini-van at additional cost of $225 for the week), meals, drinks, incidentals, and personal items.

Tour Reservation/Deposit Deadline: In order to provide a quality photo-tour experience, the size of this group will be limited to just 8 people, with a minimum of 5 required for the trip to be a “Go”. Of course I’m hoping that those of you who expressed an early interest, will be able to sign up. If the tour does not fill by June 1st. a full refund of the deposit will be returned. As soon as the tour has filled, I will let you know, so we can make our airline reservations. If you choose to join the tour, please send a deposit of $250/person as soon as possible, to reserve a place on the tour. The balance will be due by August 1, 2008.

Cancellations/Refunds: Life is full of surprises, and I fully realize that unforeseen events can sabotage the best of intentions. I will issue a full refund for all cancellations received before August 15th, 2008. Cancellations after August 15th will be refunded at a rate of 50%.

Pre-Trip Planning and Briefing: Once you’ve signed up, you will receive two pre-trip planning and briefing updates. The first document will cover weather, and clothing recommendations, as well as considerations regarding camera equipment, film, and accessories. My goal is to ensure that you have a comfortable and photographically rewarding trip! The second briefing will provide the basic day by day itinerary, along with motel locations, and phone numbers for those at home who may need to reach you, should there be an emergency..

If you have questions, please email me at ty.smedes@smedesphoto.com or call 515-270-9086 !

Ty Smedes
4732 72nd Street
Urbandale
Iowa 50322

ty.smedes@smedesphoto.com

Phone – 515-270-9086

Back to Photo Tours

Home