Composition in the Field - Photography Workshop

Algonquin Park now listed on the National Historic Registry is a photographer’s dream no matter what season. In April, one can’t guess these days if there will be spring blossoms or a blanket of snow on the ground, but either are worth showing up with a camera, as epitomized from the images in the slideshow, shot by Mary Ann Glass (with a cellphone), Justin P. Goodhart, Mark Rosengarten, and Joe Santacroce.

Your DPA instructor will advise you on composing landscape scenery of small cascading waterfalls, which once was the power source since the park was formerly a gun powder mill, complete with now with time-torm tracks on which large metal containers transported tons of raw materials from one stone housing unit to another. These bins held loads of sulfur, sodium nitrate and charcoal in the process of making the gun powder. The sulfur imported from Iran back as early as the 1800’s had quite a stench and you can photograph the old round stone structure which served as the wash-up quarters where workers went after finishing a hard day of labor. (In peak production years, perhaps during the American Civil War, the mill blended 49 tons of gun powder.)

The old stone housing units no longer have the gears and machinery which were the components of the state-of-the-art system to make the gun powder. (The machinery is now in Delaware in the Dupont Museum.) Now, 200 years later, the crumbling stone structures are a wonderful photo op to create a photographic narrative of the Hudson Valley from some time ago. (The formation of these housing unit was designed to withstand explosions which caused more than one death over the years, but mostly the explosion moved upward versus outward as a result of how these units were constructed.)

Your DPA instructor will help you practice Shutter Speed Priority on the little waterfalls to render crystal clear stop action of the water, a split second of the its ongoing, never-stopping movement or an impressionistic version of the velvety smooth flow of the waters. Or focus on idyllic landscapes, whether snow or greenery, depending on what Mother Nature decides. Expect demonstrations from your DPA instructor of various composition techniques to add to your artillery of photo options from Leading Lines, to Negative Space, Rule of Thirds, Layering and more, each easy-to-learn. After the in-the-field shoot you will have at least 10 composition strategies to refer back to in all future photo shoots, helping you evolve your signature style of photography.

For lessons in portraiture, capture a day in the life of a local resident who you might encounter enjoying a walk in the vicinity of the old round stone unit for a photogenic detail of your story, maybe accompanied by a dog playing fetch.

This historic park is conveniently located just across the way from the Digital Photo Academy national headquarters, a photo op in and of itself.

The DPA headquarters originally served as the office space where the Duponts closed on contracts where local residents came to purchase small quantities for hunting and target practice. There were also larger construction companies in need of explosives for removing tree stumps and such as they went about building the roads of Newburgh and surrounding cities. Beyond that clientele there were the military purchasers from the North and South who needed munitions to fight the Civil War.

The DPA space, restored to its original old world charm, offers photo ops in a setting of interior spaces, over-sized windows and 13 foot ceilings, bathed in natural light for still life photos and soulful portraits. And there are no guarantees, but both the historic park and DPA property are often visited by photogenic creatures such as groundhogs, fox, deer, and more.

Your DPA instructor will be there for lessons on lighting indoors and outdoors as well as capturing the waterfalls and other surroundings.

Algonquin Park and its corporate offices can be your focus of a photographic story, beautiful images to share that tell a compelling story which emanates from the beginning of this nation.

Due to weather or other circumstances beyond our control we will be happy to work with you to reschedule or provide a refund. However, if you should need to cancel or require a new class date, contact us. A $25 transfer fee will be imposed without a 3 day notice before the scheduled class.

Call at 1 877 372 2231 or a field agent at 917 597 7053. Lots of people seem to hang up if our welcome recording comes on instead of a live voice, but we promise to return your message within a day or two if you leave one with your name and number. It would be even better if you included your email address as well as the date and city of the class you are considering. If leaving a voice mail message is not your thing, please email us at [email protected] and include the date and city of the class you are considering, as well as your phone number .

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Algonquin Park, 15 Powder Mill Road, Newburgh, United States