Olympic National Park has three distinct ecosystems – Mountains and Alpine Meadows, Temperate Rainforest, Coastal Beaches. This itinerary seeks to give the participants a chance to photograph in all these natural landscapes in six days.
July 12 -Arrive Seattle
Seattle ©stateofwatourism.com
We’ll rendezvous at our hotel in downtown Seattle at 5pm. Peter will give a presentation of his work, answer any last minute questions, and handle any last minute requests. Afterwards we’ll adjourn to a local restaurant for The Welcome Dinner before tucking in early in preparation for full week ahead!
July 13 – Seattle to Hurricane Ridge
Hurricane Ridge ©National Park Service
After breakfast at the hotel we’ll pack up and head out. Peter and Nancy will be your chauffeurs with a 15 passenger tour van to take us wherever we want to go.
Today we head to Hurricane Ridge via the Bainbridge Island Ferry. After checking in with our hotel in Port Angeles, we’ll head out to stretch our legs and shoot the rest of the day.
Hurricane Ridge is the most easily accessed mountain area within Olympic National Park. In clear weather, fantastic views can be enjoyed throughout the year. We’ll photograph at Hurricane Ridge afternoon thru sunset. Lots of great vistas and wildflowers on a paved trail. We’ll shoot through sunset at 9 pm.
July 14- Port Angeles to Sol Duc Falls, and Lake Crescent
We may decide to head back to Hurricane Ridge for sunrise… But, either way, after breakfast at the hotel we’ll again pack up and head out. This time to Forks, Washington which will be our home base for the next four days.
Sol Duc Waterfall with rainbow ©NPS
Sol Duc Valley, and Sol Duc Falls
Old-growth forest, subalpine lakes, and snowy peaks populate the Sol Duc landscape, while the Sol Duc River serves as a key highway for coho salmon, running through the valley and ascending to the lakes and headwaters in the surrounding mountains.
Lake Crescent
Nestled in the northern foothills of the Olympic Mountains, Lake Crescent lies about 18 miles west of Port Angeles. The pristine waters of this deep, glacially carved lake make it an ideal destination for those in search of natural beauty.
A massive landslide isolated Lake Crescent from Lake Sutherland approximately 7,000 years ago. There are two uniquely adapted populations, the Crescenti and Beardslee trout, that resulted from genetic isolation following this event.
July 15- Hoh Rain Forest
Hoh Rain Forest ©NPS
There’s no question as to the allure that draws visitors back to the rainforest year after year. Throughout the winter season, rain falls frequently in the Hoh Rain Forest, contributing to the yearly average of 140 inches (3.55 meters) of precipitation each year. The result is a lush, green canopy of both coniferous and deciduous species. Mosses and ferns that blanket the surfaces add another dimension to the enchantment of the rainforest.
The Hoh Rain Forest is located in the stretch of the Pacific Northwest rainforest which once spanned the Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to the central coast of California. The Hoh is one of the finest remaining examples of temperate rainforest in the United States and is one of the park’s most popular destinations.
July 16 –Second Beach
Second Beach ©NPS
The access to Second Beach is interesting thanks to the ups and downs and a set of switchbacked stairs leading down to the coastline.
On the beach, you’re greeted with a dramatic scene – sea stacks rise straight out of the water, visible far to the south, and an arch to the north features a hole through which the wind whistles and moans on stormy days.
Meander up and down the beach, remembering that the tides are a factor here. North, it’s a short jaunt to the natural arch and some rocky outcroppings. To the south, you’ll stop short at Teahwhit Head, about a mile south of where the trail drops out on the beach.
July 17 – Ruby Beach
Ruby Beach Sunset ©NPS
For thousands of marine species, these coastal waters are a safe haven. The marine environment and offshore islands are protected by three national wildlife refuges and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The refuges manage the islands visible above high tide waters for 135 miles along the coast. Large nesting colonies of birds like common murres and tufted puffins need these rocky outposts.
July 18 – Maple Glade Rainforest
A trail in the Maple Glade Rainforest©NPS
From the Quinault Rain Forest Ranger Station, enjoy this idyllic half-mile (0.8 km) loop through the big-leaf maples of the Quinault Rain Forest
From the rain forest we’ll drive to Olympia, Washington, with a stop at Olympia Coffee Roasting, before heading back to Seattle and the Farewell Dinner.
A group Zoom critique will take place once we’re all back home and have had time to edit our images. More info on that at a later date.
July 19 – Leave for Home
Peter Essick
Peter Essick is a photographer, teacher, and editor with 30 years of experience working with National Geographic Magazine. He specializes in nature and environmental themes. Named one of the forty most influential nature photographers in the world by Outdoor Photography Magazine UK, Essick has been influenced by many noted American landscape photographers from Carleton Watkins to Robert Adams. His goal is to make photographs that move beyond documentation to reveal in careful compositions the human impact of development as well as the enduring power of the land.
Essick is the author of four books of his photographs, The Ansel Adams Wilderness, Our Beautiful, Fragile World, Fernbank Forest and Work in Progress. He has photographed stories for National Geographic on many environmental issues including climate change, high-tech trash, nuclear waste and freshwater. After 30 years travelling the world as an editorial photographer, Essick decided to focus his work on a more personal documentation of the environmental and cultural changes in his hometown of Atlanta.
Essick’s photographs are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, the Booth Western Art Museum and many other private collections. He is represented by Spalding Nix Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia.
Nancy McCrary
Nancy McCrary is the Editor and Publisher of South x Southeast Photomagazine, founded in 2011. In 2015 Nancy began South x Southeast Workshops and remains the director. She is the director of South x Southeast Gallery, began in 2017 and exhibiting the work of emerging and established photographers throughout the world. She was co-director of SlowExposures Photography Festival for 8 years. Before South x Southeast Nancy had a career in niche publishing with positions are managing editor and marketing director for several magazines. She has reviewed portfolios at PhotoNOLA, LOOK3, SlowExposures, Click! Photo Festival and for private clients. She practices photography but mostly enjoys encouraging, and exhibiting the work of others.
SxSE Provides:
Meals:
Saturday’s Welcome Dinner at a Seattle restaurant
Sunday morning breakfast at the hotel
Monday morning breakfast at the hotel
Friday’s Farewell dinner at a Seattle restaurant
Bottled water in the van each day
Transportation and Fees:
15-person tour van for each day’s travels
All fees for Olympia National Park locations, and separate Hoh Rain Forest fee
Ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island
All road tolls along the way
Accommodations:
Hotel in Seattle for first Saturday and Friday nights
Hotel in Port Angeles for Sunday night
Hotel in Forks for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
NOTE: These accommodations are for double-occupancy rooms. A single supplement is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
You Provide:
Transportation to and from Seattle, Washington
Meals:
breakfast (5 mornings)
lunches (all days)
dinners (5 evenings)
Alcohol: alcohol will not be provided by SxSE Workshops.
Instruction:
Peter will provide instruction and advice throughout the workshop. He will also lead the group Zoom meeting at a later date. Nancy provides logistics and administration of the workshops.
TOTAL FEE:
$3500
Please note: This includes a double occupancy hotel room rate.
For a Single room there is a supplemental fee of : $1000
Deposit of $1000 – Click Here
Balance of $2500, double occupancy, due by May 1st – Click Here
Balance of $3500, single supplement, due by May 1st – Click Here
Pay in Full $3500 – Click Here
Pay in Full with single Supplement $4500 – Click Here
Good Information:
Weather:
With an average high of 65 and an average low of 55 July is a perfect time for the Northwest coast.
What to Bring:
Camera, batteries, tripod, hat, sunglasses, good walking shoes, layers of clothes to peel off as the day warms up, backpacks, sunscreen, bug repellent, and a good attitude!
TRAVEL INSURANCE:
We strongly suggest you purchase travel insurance to insure the cost of this workshop against last minute change of plans. I regularly use Allianz for all of our workshops and have been pleased with their service.
Please direct any questions to nancy@sxsemagazine.com
