Sixth Annual Photography & Fine Art Printing Summit
Organized by Alain Briot & Uwe Steinmueller

November 7th to 10th, 2008, in Bryce Canyon, Utah

Guest presenter: Tony Sweet



Sponsored in part by:











 The Summit is followed by a three day Photographic Vision Field Workshop
to the Escalante-Grand Staircase area on November 11th, 12th and 13th

Details of the Photographic Field Vision Workshop are available below


Bryce Canyon at Sunrise
Alain Briot


Announcing an exciting, photographic-instruction oriented Southern Utah workshop with professional photographer and instructors Alain Briot and Uwe Steinmueller, Guest instructor Tony Sweet, joined by art instructor Natalie Briot and photographic artist Bettina Steinmueller.

We are pleased to announce some extremely exciting news: Alain Briot and Uwe Steinmueller are offering a feature packed, one of a kind event during which we will not only take you to some of the most photogenic locations in the world but also teach you how to best process and print your photographs to create fine art prints that you will be proud to display. You will return from this workshop with photographs ready to mat and frame, many photographs to process, and great memories of this unique experience.

Equipment demonstrations will be conducted by the Summit Sponsors. HP will have a Z 3100 printer and two HP 9180 printers available to print Summit Participant photographs.

Summit Book
We will be creating a Summit Blurb Book featuring the work of all the summit participants. You will be asked to summit your photographs for the book after the Summit.

Free Raffle for 2 HP Printers
The two HP 9180 Printers will be raffled at the end of the Summit
(subject to availability) .

Free
Raffle for Lightroom 2.0.
We will raffle several copies of Adobe Lightroom 2.0 for Mac and Windows

Other raffled items
Other items donated by our sponsors will also be raffled.
There is no charge to participate in the raffle. Your name is automatically entered when you register. All raffle items will be given away during the Summit. You must be present to claim your prize.









Alain Briot

Originally from France, Alain has been photographing the American Southwest since 1983. Alain and his wife Natalie have lived in Canyon de Chelly, Navajoland, for 7 years. Their intimate knowledge of this beautiful area inpires them to photograph and to share their knowledge with others. Alain works with a Linhof 4x5 and a Canon 1DsMk2. His work is influenced by his training as an Artist at the Academie des Beaux Arts in Paris. Alain also writes numerous essays and reviews on photography that are published worldwide.

2008 Summit Presentations:
Alain will give the following presentations during the Summit:

The Elements of Composition: The 7 most important elements of a strong composition

My favorite tools: a presentation of the tools, software and techniques that are my favorites.

Defining Fine Art Photography: Learn what a photograph needs to have to be considered fine art.

Personal Work
You can see a collection of photographs by Alain in his Online Galleries










Uwe Steinmueller

Uwe Steinmueller and his wife Bettina are fine art nature photographer and the publisher of Digital Outback Photo. Uwe is focused on the digital photography workflow (e.g. raw conversion), color management and fine art printing. Bettina and Uwe published in 2006 their first photo book "California Earthframes".

2008 Summit Presentations:
Uwe will give the following presentations during the Summit:

High Speed Bracketing (Capture more Light) - How to make use of HDR while photographing freehand and in full daylight

The Art of Stitching - Using panoramic tools and techniques for technical and artistic purposes

Optimize your Workflow - Useful Lightroom, Photoshop and Nik Software Viveza techniques for a better creative workflow.

Personal Work
You can see a collection of photographs by Uwe on his web site at www.outbackphoto.com and at www.california-earthframes.com


















Tony Sweet

Tony Sweet is a professional nature/fine art photographer, lecturer, workshop instructor, author of 3 books (Fine Art Nature Photography, Fine Art Flower Photography, and Water, Ice, and Fog), and Nikon “Legend Behind the Lens.” He is a columnist for Nikon World magazine and frequent contributor to Shutterbug and Rangefinder magazines. Tony teaches online classes at betterphoto.com and Visual Artistry workshops with Susan Milestone. His work is represented by the Getty picture agency.

2008 Summit Presentations:
Tony will give the following presentations during the Summit:

• Image Design – Keep it clean, simple, and elegant: A presentation illustrating various bankable compositional techniques, including pre-visualization and in camera editing.

• Creative Technques I – Lensbaby, nikColor Efex 3.0, HDR: A presentation illustrating the use of the Lensbaby, software techniques using nikSoftware’s Color Efex 3.0, and High Dynamic Range Photography using Photomatix software

• Creative Techniques II – Special in-camera effects: Multiple exposures, Image Overlay, panning, creative movement, selective focus, and very long exposures will be illustrated in this final presentation

Personal Work
You can see a collection of Tony's photographs on his web site at www.tonysweet.com

Interview:
You can read Alain Briot's interview of Tony Sweet at this link.

Tony Sweet

Summit Schedule

The Summit will take place November 7th to 10th, 2008 in Bryce Canyon , Utah. The schedule for the Summit was designed by Alain Briot and Uwe Steinmueller with three goals in mind: convenient travel arrangements, exciting photographic opportunities and a convenient place to conduct tutorial sessions on image processing and fine art printing. Below is the 2008 Summit schedule:

Friday, November 7th, 2008
Registration, Opening remarks and Keynote address

Registration
We will meet you on Friday afternoon, at 4pm, at the Bryce Canyon Ruby's Inn Best Western which is the Summit hotel. The exact meeting time will be emailed to you approximately two weeks before the Summit.

Opening remarks and Keynote Address
After registration is completed, the Summit will start with opening remarks, the keynote address and presentations by Alain Briot,Tony Sweet and Uwe Steinmueller. The presentations will include a selection of work by Alain, Tony and Uwe.

Saturday, November 8th
Field photography & tutorial sessions

Sunrise: field photography session
You will begin your day with a photography shoot. You will have the choice of photographing Bryce Canyon from different overlooks. We will discuss some of the best locations for sunrise on Friday evening.

Morning and afternoon: Color Management and Raw Conversion tutorial
After breakfast we will meet in the conference room at the Bryce Canyon Best Western for a day of tutorials taught by Uwe, Alain and Tony .

Sunset: field photography session
The tutorial sessions will stop about two hours before sunset. You will then have the opportunity to photograph Bryce Canyon at Sunset. Again, we will discuss which locations are best ahead of time.

Evening
The conference room will be open in the evening for a supervised image processing session during which you will have the opportunity to work on your own images with Alain, Uwe and Tony present for 1 on 1 work with each participant.

Bryce Canyon
Uwe Steinmueller

Sunday, November 9th
Field photography & tutorial sessions

Sunrise: field photography session
On Sunday you will have another opportunity to photograph Bryce Canyon at Sunrise. Red Canyon will also be available as an alternative location for this morning's shoot.

Morning : Photoshop Processing tutorial
After breakfast we will meet in the conference room at the Bryce Canyon Best Western for a second day of tutorials taught by Uwe, Alain and Tony . On Sunday morning we will focus on image processing using Photoshop and HDR software such as Lightzone, Photomatix and more.

Afternoon: Preparing images for printing tutorial
After lunch, we will reconvene in the conference room to continue the tutorial sessions, this time focusing on preparing your image files for printing.

Sunset: field photography session
The tutorial sessions will stop before sunset. You will then have the opportunity to photograph sunset in Bryce Canyon National Park or in Red Canyon.

Evening
The conference room will be open in the evening for a supervised image processing session during which you will have the opportunity to work on your own images with Alain, Uwe and Tony present for 1 on 1 work with each participant.

Monday, November 10th
Field photography, tutorial sessions, fine art printing & print review

Morning : Printing tutorial
Again, you will have the opportunity to photograph Bryce Canyon, Red Canyon or other locations at sunrise. After breakfast we will meet in the conference room at the Bryce Canyon Ruby's Inn Best Western for a third day of tutorials taught by Uwe, Alain and Tony . This time we will focus on fine art printing. This time we will discuss what to look for in a Fine Art Print, which qualities are important, and how you can develop the ability to create your own fine art prints.

Afternoon: fine art printing
After lunch, we will reconvene in the conference room where we will spend the afternoon printing your work. We will use the HP Z3100 and HP 9180 or other latest models from HP. Paper, ink and printers are provided. All you need to bring are your image files ready to print on a USB flash drive. You will have worked on these files the day before under the guidance of the instructors.

Evening: group print review
After dinner we will reconvene in the conference room for the print review. Each participant will present his or her work to the class. Participants and instructors will have the opportunity to offer critiques, compliments, comments and suggestions. This print review is a great opportunity to receive feedback on your work. It will be by choice. We strongly encourage you to participate but you are free to decide not to.

Uwe, Alain and Tony will offer closing remarks after the print review.

Bryce Canyon Detail
Uwe Steinmueller

Photographic Vision Field Workshop


Immediately after the Summit, Alain and Natalie Briot offer a three-day Photographic Field Vision Workshop to the Escalante-Grand Staircase area on Tuesday, November 11th, Wednesday Nov. 12th and Thursday Nov. 13th 

This field workshop is designed to build and expand upon the concepts taught during the Summit by exploring the concepts of Creativity on Tuesday and then studying what it means to “be an Artist” and how to get started on a personal project on Wednesday and Thursday.  

This workshop is also designed to provide you with a unique opportunity to visit and photograph several of the most beautiful landscapes in the Southwest, including the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument, Capitol Reef National Park and many other locations under the guidance of Natalie and Alain who have lived in the Southwest for over 20 years.  You will practice Photographic Skill Enhancement Exercises both day under the guidance of Natalie and Alain.

We will depart from Bryce Canyon on Tuesday morning for this extended workshop experience.  Below is the schedule and teaching details of this exciting Photographic Vision Field Workshop. Note that you can attend this field workshop on Tuesday or Wednesday only or on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, depending on your schedule.

Tuesday, November 11th

Travel: 
We will meet you at the Ruby's Inn, in Bryce Canyon, then travel with you to the Escalante-Grand Staircase area with stops along the way for photography. Afternoon and sunset photography will take place in the Escalante Grand Staircase area. The Escalante-Grand Staircase area features some of the most photogenic places in the Southwest. Alain and Natalie have been photographing this area since 1983 and know precisely where to go and at what time of the day to be there.

Presentations and discussions on Composition and Personal Style will take place during the day. We will stay in Escalante, Utah that evening.

Photographic Instruction:
- How to develop your creativity
- How to find and nurture inspiration

Wednesday, November 12th

Travel:
We will continue to explore the Escalante area with stops along the way for photography.  Mid day, afternoon and sunset shoots are scheduled at several choice locations in the Escalante Grand Staircase area. Alain has photographed the Escalanted-Grand Staircase area for over 20 years, far before it became a National Monument. The remoteness of this area means it is a visual paradise that is still relatively little known and photographed. You are guaranteed to return with images that few people have. 


Presentations and discussions on developing a personal project will take place during the day.  We will stay in Torrey Utah, that evening.

Thursday, November 13th

Travel:
We will continue to explore the Escalante area by exploring Capitol Reef National Park.  Morning and Mid day shoots are scheduled in Capitol Reef. In the afternoon we will drive to Hanksville and photograph beautiful and unique rock formations near Hanksville. We will also photograph sunset near Hanksville. We will stay in Hanksville that night or you can start driving back after Sunset. 


Detailed information about travel arrangements for the Field Vision Workshops will be emailed to you when you register 

Escalante-Grand Staircase
Alain Briot


Moonrise, Escalante-Grand Staircase
Alain Briot



Additional Information
About Photographic Instruction
The instruction during the Summit and the Field Vision Workshops will consist of tutorials, presentations, question-answer sessions, print reviews and photographic skill exercises . You will receive a syllabus and several handouts covering the subjects that we will study at the start of the Summit and of the Field Vision Workshops.

During the Summit, all photographic instruction will be done at the Summit Hotel, in the conference room. We will cover how to photograph Bryce Canyon National Park during the Summit, we will go over the specific challenges offered by each location, and will teach you how to overcome these challenges so you create professional photographs. You will then have the opportunity to visit these locations on your own, and you will have the freedom to select the location(s) of your choice. Once back at the Summit Hotel we will help you convert, optimize and print your photographs. The last day of the Summit we will review your work. The print review is optional and is always a highlight of this event.

Alain, Tony , Uwe, Bettina and Natalie will also be photographing during the Summit so you may find yourself photographing with them depending on your choice of locations.

Don't let this unique opportunity pass you by!
Seats in this unique workshop are in high demand. To be fair reservations are taken on a first come first served basis.

If you have been thinking about building up your portfolio, if you have been thinking about becoming more serious about your photography, if you want to photograph some of the most beautiful photographic locations while receiving photographic instruction, if you want to learn how to best convert your photographs RAW, prepare them in Photoshop and other programs and create Fine Art Prints don't hesitate another second: sign up now. This event is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Location:
We will meet you at the Bryce Canyon Ruby's Inn Best Western.  A special room rate is available to participants. Ruby's Inn is located at the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park All tutorial and printing sessions are conducted at the Ruby's Inn Best Western.

Number of participants:
The number of participants for the 2008 Summit is strictly limited  to 45.  This limit is set to insure a low participant to instructor ratio as well as a pleasant experience.  Keep in mind that the Summit is a seminar-style event, and not a field workshop. The field workshop after the summit are limited to fewer participants and are guided by Alain & Natalie Briot.

What you will need
- A digital camera or a film camera and a digital camera. Photographers using any format cameras, from 35mm to medium format, 4x5 and other are welcome. If you only shoot film, you can bring scans of your photographs to work on during the Summit.
- A laptop with Adobe Photoshop CS3 and other imaging software you currently use.
- A USB Flash drive to transfer files for printing
- A vehicle as you are responsible for your own transportation to Bryce Canyon and to the locations we will be photographing.

Cost and Contact information
Summit alone: $975 includes ink and fine art paper for making your prints during the Summit.
Photographic Vision Field Workshops on Tuesday, Wednesday and thursday: $365 for one day, $649 for 2 days and $875 for all 3 days.

If you attended the summit in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 or 2007 you receive $100 off the Summit registration fee. Be sure to mention that you are a Summit Alumni when you register.

You are responsible for your own travel arrangements to Bryce Canyon and back and for your lodging arrangements. We will email you a list of accommodations in Bryce Canyon when you register. The closest large airport is Las Vegas, Nevada. Bryce Canyon is located approximately 4 hours East of Las Vegas.


Tony Sweet


How to Register

To reserve your seat in this workshop download the Summit Registration Form, in PDF format, by clicking here.

You can also email Alain Briot at alain@beautiful-landscape.com Or, for the fastest service, simply call Alain or Natalie at 800-949-7983, or 928-252-2466 outside of the United States.

We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. A receipt will be mailed to you after your registration is processed and you will receive confirmation over email. We offer a payment plan in several installments for your convenience. Contact us if you want us to divide your payment in several instalments.

Registrations are allocated on a first come, first served basis. We recommend you act now because the Summit and the Photographic Field Vision Workshops sell out quickly.

If you have any questions before registering, click here to send us an email inquiry at alain@beautiful-landscape.com. We are pleased to assist you with any questions. You can also call us at 800-949-7983 or 928-252-2466 . We are located in Arizona.

How to make your hotel reservations in Bryce Canyon

Summit participants benefit from a special rate at the Ruby's Inn Best Western, the Summit Hotel, at the entrance of Bryce Canyon National Park. You will be emailed the hotel contact information (Phone/ email/address) as well as the code to get your discounted rate, after you register. There is of course no obligation for you to stay at the Summit hotel. You are free to stay at any other hotel you like. Camping and RV facilities are also available inside and outside of Bryce Canyon National Park.

The Ruby's Inn Lodge is the Summit Hotel

Things to keep in mind:
Food, lodging, transportation and park entrance fees are not included. While most participants stay at a hotel, some occasionally decide to camp. Similarly, some participants may want to eat with the group while others may prefer to be on their own. Finally, some participants may want to return several times to one location, while others may not want to visit this location. This arrangement provides for maximum flexibility while keeping the cost of this workshop to a minimum. It will gives you maximum freedom in planning your meals and give you time by yourself if you choose.

- We will email you directions to Bryce Canyon as well as a list of hotels in the Bryce Canyon area when you register for the Summit. You will receive an email indicating our Friday evening meeting time as well as additional information approximately 2 weeks before the Summit.

- A passenger car is suitable for this workshop since we will not drive on 4 wheel drive roads during the workshop. However, if you rent a car, we recommend you rent an SUV as it is more suited to this kind of activity.

-We have a no tag-along policy. Spouses, friends, significant others and non-photographers need to be registered as full-time participants to join any aspect of this workshop. This includes meetings, print reviews, lectures, meals and all other aspects of this workshop. For further details read our Workshop FAQ.

- We do not carry cell phones because coverage is unreliable or unavailable in the remote locations where we will be photographing. Instead, we use walkie-talkies to communicate with each other during field workshops, when we are on location and when we are driving. If you become separated from the group we will call you on your walkie-talkie to find out where you are. For these reasons we ask that you bring a walkie-talkie, such as a Motorola Talkabout or equivalent, to the Summit. Please set your walkie-talkie to channel 4-5.

Cancellation policy:
All monies are non-refundable. In case you need to cancel attendance at the 2008 Summit we can refund your fees if you can find a replacement attendee and your friend pays his full fees. If this workshop is cancelled by us you will receive a full refund.

Liability Limitation
Beaux Arts Photography, Beautiful-Landscape.com, Alain Briot, Natalie Briot, OutbackPhoto.com, Uwe and Bettina Steinmueller, guides, guest presentators and cooperating agents aim to provide every participant a safe, educational, and enjoyable experience. We act solely as agents for you regarding accommodations, special activities, and travel, by any means, and assume no liability for any act, error, omission, injury, loss, delay, mishap, or damage to persons or property arising from any cause during the course of the workshop or in transit thereto. We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in the services to be provided. We reserve the right to change our arrangements should conditions necessitate, or to cancel any aspect of the workshop due to exceptional circumstances. In the event that we deem it necessary to cancel the workshop we will provide a full refund which the participant(s) acknowledges as full and final settlement. In the event of a workshop cancellation airline tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations associated with participation in this workshop will not be refunded. We recommend you purchase refundable airline tickets and make refundable car and hotel reservations. We also recommend you carry travel and camera equipment insurance.

As there is always an element of risk in any adventure associated with the outdoors, participants must read this form carefully. This liability release will certify that the participant is physically fit and capable of participating in outdoor photography exercises in field locations, and is fully and completely aware of any associated risks created by field locations and weather.

Meeting times, meeting places and itinerary are subject to changes dictated by the weather, the road conditions and other imponderable variables that are part of doing landscape photography. We do not carry cell phones. You are responsible for being at the meeting place at the designated time and have your photographic equipment with you.

By joining this workshop you acknowledge that you have read the above information concerning responsibility and release Beaux Arts Photography, Alain Briot, Natalie Briot, OutbackPhoto.com, Uwe and Bettina Steinmueller, their guides, instructors and any cooperating agent from any liability. Beaux Arts Photography, Alain Briot, and Natalie Briot, OutbackPhoto.com, Uwe and Bettina Steinmueller will assume no liability for injury, illness, or loss of personal property or expenses thereof associated with workshop participation. You also acknowledge that your participation in this workshop is subject to acceptance by the organizers and that Alain and Natalie Briot have the right to refuse service to anyone at anytime.


Photographs copyright © 2008 Alain Briot, Tony Sweet, Ruby's Inn and Bettina & Uwe Steinmueller


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