Prepping for Your Adventure

We will be based out of Seaside, Oregon for the workshop. The closest airport is Portland International (about 90 miles).

We will have a Meet and Greet on Monday, April 28 at 4:00pm at the workshop hotel followed by a sunset shoot.

The workshop will be based out of The River Inn at Seaside (531 Avenue A, Seaside, Oregon) for April 28 - May 2. We have arranged a special rate for the workshop. Please call (503) 717-5744 and ask for the Four Elements Photo Adventure rate. Rooms in our block are for April 28 with a May 2 departure. If you need additional days, please let the hotel know.

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: 

• Seaside Brewery Public House,  851 Broadway Seaside OR
• Ruby's Roadside Grill, 2323 S. Roosevelt Seaside OR
• Angelina's Pizza, 1815 S. Roosevelt Seaside OR
• Finn's Fish House, 227 Broadway Seaside OR
• Pig N' Pancake, 323 Broadway Seaside OR

There are also many restaurants in nearby Cannon Beach.

Our typical day will be up early for a morning session, eventually returning to the hotel so that you can take some time to review and edit your photos. 

In the early afternoon we’ll take a lunch break and then follow that up with a designated time to provide some one on one photo editing assistance, and then head out for an afternoon/evening session. 

The photo editing assistance is optional, but it is a great way to advance your editing skills. We’ll also provide constructive feedback on your images and show you some editing techniques that you may not be aware of. These sessions are educational and non-judgemental. Remember, photography is subjective. Get creative!

We will have our cameras with us, but our priority is to assist you! We may take a few photos so that we can share our vision of the places we are photographing, and to get some photos of the group in action. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions at any time. We will wander amongst the group to assist with questions, compositions and/or suggestions. We will always be available to your needs.

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 rainforests with some easy to moderate 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 a specific location. Some sites may not be for everyone, but we’ll have some alternative options nearby. 

Important: Knee high water-proof boots with non-slip soles are strongly suggested (We will be working in low tides so your feet will be in the water).

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 mid-morning so those traveling can get a jump on heading home. 

Weather on the Oregon Coast can be unpredictable. The average temperatures in April-May range from highs in the 50’s and 60’s to the 40’s at night. From our experience, the coastline temps can be significantly colder and wetter than inland. We could end up seeing all types of weather from dry warm days to rain, fog and wind, so it is best to come fully prepared to handle all kinds of conditions. 

We highly doubt that you’ll need any winter weather clothing, but you should be prepared for cool mornings and evenings (full body rain gear is a must). Some of the areas we will be shooting in can be wet and/or muddy so once again, waterproof footwear is strongly encouraged. You should also make sure that your footwear provides for a strong grip on all types of surfaces. 

We will be out on a rainy days but will monitor the intensity to determine whether it is safe to be outside. In the event that we end up indoors, we will take some extra time to edit and review your photos or discuss and explain how and why we use some of our gear. 

Photography wouldn't be fun without a ton of gear! Here's items we recommend for the workshop:

• Camera body.
• Lenses - generally from the 16mm-400mm range.
• Camera backpack.
• Tripod. 
• Polarizer filter.
• Memory cards.
• Remote shutter release.
• L-Bracket for camera. (We recommend this model if you don't have one.)
• Batteries, battery charger, cables.
• Camera user manual.
• Camera rain sleeve.
• Laptop computer or tablet with image processing software. 
• Headlamp.
• Water bottle.
• Packable snacks.
• Bug spray.
• Sunscreen.
• Waterproof hiking boots.
• Rain jacket and pants.
• Knee-high waterproof boots with non-slip soles.
• Hiking poles.
• Bring along layers for all temperatures.

If you're in the market to purchase some of the gear, please let us know and we will be happy to provide recommendations.

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.

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.