Get Snap Happy With Ranch Rider In Oregon – And Take Along A Few Tips From The Experts

Aug. 20, 2008 - PRLog -- There are all sorts of travel photography clinics on offer, but according to Ranch Rider, if you combine a horse drive with some snap happy expertise, there will undoubtedly be plenty of atmospheric shots to catch on camera.

The Rock Springs Guest Ranch in Bend, Oregon can attest to this fact, as they have produced award-winning photography from their Annual Autumn Horse Drive Round Up Photographer’s Clinic. Imagine it, the sun begins to set and the cowboys stir up the dust – the horses charging by as the cameras click and burr.

The photo event at Rock Springs offers photographers unusual access to some amazing horse action.  Skilled riders help to control the setting, bringing the horses right to the participants for unparalleled opportunities.  The shoot and locations are also scouted in advance, taking into consideration optimal lighting conditions with early light and late afternoon sun.

Guests can get in on the action from the rocky cliffs or snap close ups of the resident cowboys and cowgirls back at their home on the range. In addition, the Rock Springs ranch offers a session with horses and riders for stills and panning, and an expert angler will wade in the pond for water based casting shots. 7-nights with Ranch Rider from £1,697pp, departing 02 September. (Inclusive of 3-night Annual Autumn Horse Drive Round Up Photographer’s Clinic and 7-night self-drive including accommodation and car hire).

Mark Alberhasky, a professional photographer whose career spans over 40 years, shares his top five tips on successful action/sports shooting:

1. Know your equipment and make sure it's ready to rock. There's nothing worse than having a great shot run by while you try and figure out settings on unfamiliar equipment, or find that a battery is dead or a lens is hopelessly dirty.

2. Think through the basics of photography, so you understand ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.  Each of these can profoundly influence your results. Know what to expect as you make changes, and how modifying one will affect the others. If unsure, there are wonderful resources online. A little homework will reap huge dividends.

3.  Plan a strategy about the kind of photos you really want to take. Are you looking for wide general shots that show more than one horse, or tight compositions featuring a single horse or rider? Make sure you have focal lengths to cover the gamut of images you plan to try.  

4.  Go on the Internet and look at action horse photos. Study them carefully. Note the composition. Try and figure out what focal length lens you think the photographer used.  Where and how is the subject placed in the frame? As you objectively analyze all these images, you will subconsciously be creating an inventory from which you may recognise opportunities as the shoot unfolds.

5.  If you really want to make the most of your trip, practice first!  Find action subjects that are somewhat similar and shoot before you head for Oregon.  It needn't be horses.  I heard about a motocross event, so shot motorcycle racers.  It helped me understand how fast a shutter speed I needed at a given focal length to really freeze action and give sharp results. The flip side is important too, as using a slow shutter speed to do panning (where you move the camera, shooting with a somewhat slower shutter speed to let the stationery background blur and emphasize the movement and action) is critical in achieving the best result.  Everyone has different ideas about what constitutes the right amount of sharpness or blur for these effects.  The only way you can know in advance is to practice and experiment.  You'll get accustomed to following your action subject in the viewfinder and comfortable with tracking them.  This helps you pay attention to good composition at the same time.

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The above price includes International flight, full-board accommodation (based on two adults sharing), transfers, gratuities, all ranch based riding and activities listed above. Excludes fuel surcharges. Ranch Rider offers flights from the following departure airports, Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Additional departure airports including Aberdeen, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds/Bradford, Humberside, Teeside, Newcastle and Norwich are available at a £50pp supplement. Telephone Ranch Rider on 01509 618811 or visit Ranch Rider at www.ranchrider.com for further information.  ATOL PROTECTED No 4660 ABTA 96395/V9150. Find us on Facebook: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Ranch-Rider/16696634189...

For press enquiries and images please contact tion London, telephone: 020 8180 1585 (VoIP) email: media@tionlondon.co.uk

Editor’s notes
Mark Alberhasky is a professional Photographer, author, inventor and physician.  His photographic experience spans over 40 years.

In 2004 he became a contributing photographer for Nikon, was featured in Nikon World Magazine, and regularly shoots for Nikon advertising.  In 2005 his work was among those selected from worldwide entries in the 2nd annual competition by Smithsonian Magazine.  His medical images were awarded 2nd place in the 2005 International Photography Awards competition.  His placements are as diverse as commercial ads, magazine covers, textbooks, action sports publications, and corporate installations.  He is sponsored by Lowepro, and is among the world-class photographers chosen to appear in their 2006, 2007, and 2008 corporate calendars.  An international public speaker for clients including Hewlett-Packard and X-rite, his inspirational presentations touch audiences worldwide. Whether hanging backwards out of a racecar at speed, hovering inches from a surgical field in the operating room, or chest deep in water chasing a windsurfer, he finds unique combinations of subject and light. Mark also teaches photography and digital technique, as a Nikon Mentor for national clients.  If all this sounds like something you'd read in a "how to" book, you'd be right.  Author Tony Luna was so impressed by Mark's passion and evolving photo career that Mark is subject matter in his recently published book on re-inventing yourself in the arts.

Mark's love for travel and unique eye combine to produce stunning graphic photos with bold rich color.  Always ready to pack his camera bag, travels to the four corners of the compass provide ever-changing backdrops in which he finds inspiration.  Visit his website at www.imagema.com and his photo blog at www.imagema.us

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Ranch Rider offers ranching holidays in the US and Canada. Horse drives, cattle drives, pack trips, optional adventures, white water rafting and self-drive holidays are also available from the UK tour operator.