The ‘Masters Program’ and ‘Wandering Around Outdoors’ Field Photography Workshops

During the past decade, the ‘Masters Program’ and ‘Wandering Around Outdoors’ Field Photography Workshops have grown in attendance and popularity in many western locations including: Death Valley NP, The Santa Monica Mountains NRA, The Santa Ynez Valley, Sequoia NP and Mesa Verde NP. Two professional instructors, Tom Gamache of Wandering Around Outdoors and Van Webster of Webster Communications, bring a vast combined wealth of experience to every workshop and tour program.

What is a ‘Masters Program’ workshop?
Tom and Van have created a very different and specialized workshop program called ‘The Masters Program’ for photographic artists who want to make more compelling landscape images.

‘The Masters Program’ is a concise, easy to follow curriculum that will show you how to use your talent, knowledge and camera to capture the beauty and complexity of the landscape. Workshop days are divided between classroom presentations, in-the-field instruction and lively group discussions. Through the study of the masters of both painted and photographed landscape art, the well-organized ‘Masters Program’ investigates and explains the consequences of many of the Master’s theories and discoveries as translated into today’s photography language. 

During the workshop you will be presented with challenging field assignments derived directly from the classroom demonstrations. We also decipher and demystify the master’s understanding and use of their creative tools and devices. You will leave with a better understanding of both the technical and the creative elements of outdoor photographic art as we demonstrate and explain, in easy to understand terms, the three central concerns of Landscape Art Photography.

1. How light falls
2. How space is organized
3. The Recognition Factor - the many different ways of looking at nature

Joe Forman - Agoura Hills, CA  "I got so much out of the first weekend, I had to come back. I have to say that I'm really starting to "get it. I am seeing much more than I ever imagined, and I'm shooting a wider variety of subjects with vastly improved results. Exactly what I was hoping for! It is evident that these guys really love to teach."

Ron Williams, Santa Barbara, CA  Many thanks for your most inspiring and professional presentations in the "Masters Program” last weekend. Your presentations were informative, inspirational, very well integrated, and complemented the field sessions. Your enthusiasm and dedication to the art of landscape photography was contagious. I highly recommend the ‘Masters Program’. The quality of the artistic and technical presentations was superb. And the entire experience was very inspiring. The workshop is also reasonably priced.

I have been shooting for more than twenty years. I have never taken an art course. Can the Masters Program help me make better photographic art? 
Even with many years of shooting ”experience”, you may sometimes find yourself, as we did many years back, gambling that “Lady Luck” would be on your side each time you release the shutter. Back then we knew our equipment well enough to get technically perfect exposures every time but we didn’t really grasp what made an artful image of nature. What could it be that the great landscape painters and photographers understood that we had yet to uncover? We discovered that there is no reason why anyone with the desire can’t make artistically balanced, attention getting, classically composed and professionally informed landscape images. After more than a decade of our own research and testing and experimentation we are now able to offer a reliable and proven means by which your image making can improve dramatically, even after your first ‘Masters Program’ workshop.

Susie Morey – Lompoc, CA
“Everything is different for me now thanks to you guys.  I now see it all the shapes, the lines, the angles of light, contrast and colors. I really want to thank you for a wonderful experience.  I enjoyed your instruction and attentiveness and enthusiasm.. I know my camera so much better and I feel like I am really progressing in a hobby I have always loved.  I look at art and real life with a much different eye.  I look forward to coming back to more classes.  Love You, Susie”

‘Masters Program’ workshops include detailed observation and analysis of the ever-changing environment, image visualization theory & guided field work. You will explore how to select a scene to work on, and how to capture it using a range of disciplines and techniques including: light quality, shadow, contrast, color and color temperature, point of view, subject matter, shapes, focus, sharpness and  many art & technical how-to’s with scheduled intervals for assisted practice and experimentation.

Working closely with the instructors both independently and in groups, you are guaranteed an enjoyable and stimulating hands-on photographic learning experience. You will leave with new insights, including many disciplines that will help you more fully realize your photographic ideas and goals.

Lillian Darling Holt - Hidden Hills, CA - "I wish I knew the words to express the wonderful, incredible, fantastic, amazing time I had. Getting to meet Tom and Van was an experience that will stay with me for a very long time. I have never been with such an amazing group, who are willing to share their photo knowledge."