Four Elements Photo Adventures
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    • Home
    • Upcoming Photo Adventures
    • Why Us?
    • Your Instructors
    • Testimonials
    • FAQs
    • Blog
    • Contact Us
Four Elements Photo Adventures
  • Home
  • Upcoming Photo Adventures
  • Why Us?
  • Your Instructors
  • Testimonials
  • FAQs
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Prepping for Your Adventure

Group of people posing on a rocky beach near a lighthouse.

Get Ready to Have Fun!

Welcome to your Four Elements Photo adventure! We're excited to have you joining us and hope that you'll find the workshop a fun learning and shooting experience. We want to ensure that you are all prepped for your adventure and this page is set up to help you do that. Here you'll find lodging and food information, gear recommendations, downloads to bring along to the workshop and more. And, as always, feel free to reach out to us with other questions!

The workshop will be based out of The Best Western Plains Motel in Wall, South Dakota. We have arranged a special rate for the workshop for Monday, May 25 - Friday, May 29. Please call (605) 279-2145 and ask for the Four Elements Photo Adventure rate. Please note that the motel is closed during the off-season. However, please leave a message (for Debbie) and they will return your call to set up your reservation.


We will have a Meet and Greet on Monday (May 25) at 6:00pm (Mountain Time) at the workshop hotel. If you won't be there in time, just let us know and we will catch up with you!


Note: You are not required to stay at the workshop hotel. We will base shooting departures and image processing out of the hotel, however you may stay wherever you like.


Dining is on your own. We will have a workshop dinner the last evening of the workshop. Some suggested restaurants: 


Badlands Saloon and Grill - 509 Main St, Wall SD

Red Rock - 506 Glenn St, Wall SD

Salty Steer - 600 Main St, Wall SD


Our typical day will be getting up early for a morning in-field session, eventually returning to the hotel so that you can take some time to review and edit your photos. During this time, we will be available for photo editing assistance.


The photo editing sessions are optional, but they are a great way to learn and share ideas. The art of photography is about visually telling a story with your photograph. Constructive feedback is the best way to learn how to tell your story. These sessions are educational and non-judgemental. Remember, photography is subjective. Get creative!


We won't have cameras with us - Our priority is you! Please do not hesitate to ask any questions at any time. For the most part we will wander amongst the group to assist with questions, compositions and/or suggestions.


Transportation to all locations and any park entrance fees will be handled by us.


We are outdoors for most of this workshop and conditions can be unpredictable, so we want to put safety first. The locations on this workshop will vary from rocky shorelines to wooded paths with some easy to semi- difficult hiking, but there will be plenty of options for those that prefer a scaled back effort. Please let us know if at any time you are unsure about walking a specific trail. Some sites may not be for everyone, but we’ll have some alternative options nearby. Waterproof boots with non-slip soles are suggested (your feet will get wet) and hiking poles can be very useful!


So, please speak up if you don’t feel comfortable at any time. It’s much better to err on the side of safety than push yourself too far.


On the last day we will wrap up after sunrise so those traveling can get a jump on heading home.


Late May in the Badlands can bring a variety of temperatures. The average high temperature is 66° and the average low is 45°. Please be prepared for cool-morning sunrise shoots. Generally, it is fairly dry during May.


Trying to decide what to bring along on a workshop can be an adventure in itself! Certainly bring along what you feel necessary. Here's what we consider Gear Essentials. 


If you are looking for gear, we encourage you to Shop Small! Four Elements Photo Adventures are proud business partners with The Camera Company in Madison, Wisconsin. As the largest camera company in Wisconsin, they have a wide selection and competitive prices.


If you need assistance in choosing gear, please feel free to contact us and we can provide some suggestions!


We ask that all participants read and sign the liability waiver for the workshop. You can print off a copy in the Downloads section below - please bring a signed copy with you to the workshop.


Downloads to Bring Along to the Workshop

Liability Waiver (pdf)

Download

Night Sky Basics (pdf)

Download

Neutral Density Filters (pdf)

Download

Subjective Vision (pdf)

Download

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