The Crested Butte Nordic Center is happy to announce that we’re partnering with the Center for the Arts to host two sets of winter photography workshops during 2011-12. Join photographers Xavier Fane and Raynor Czerwinski for workshops on Nordic skis or snowshoes. Each workshop is $55, and the CBNC is offering 20% off rental equipment for participants that need skis or snowshoes. Register online for Xavi’s class, for Raynor’s class, or by calling (970) 349-7487 ext. 6 or emailing classes@crestedbuttearts.org.
Nordic Photo Workshops with Xavier Fane:
All the workshops are intended to teach the basics and not-so-basics of winter photography in different capacities to photographers that possess a minimum of knowledge about photography and use of their camera. More often than not, winter conditions are not the right setting for learning how to change batteries or how to switch the different modes of the camera.
Sunday, January 22 – Let the Right Light In – Winter Sunset Workshop – 3-6 pm
Grab your Nordic gear* and equipment listed below and take advantage of Crested Butte’s stellar landscape and Xavi’s expert knowledge on catching the action! Workshop topics include camera settings and manipulation, composition, choosing the right spot and winter photography basics and tips.
Equipment: DSLR camera, tripod, shutter cable (or remote), spare battery(s), warm clothing, Nordic skis, Nordic trail pass (included in the workshop fee)
Sunday, February 19 – Catching the Action -Winter Sports Workshop – 3-5:30 pm
Grab your Nordic gear* and equipment listed below and take advantage of Crested Butte’s stellar landscape and Xavi’s expert knowledge on catching the action! Workshop topics include camera settings and manipulation, composition, choosing the right spot and winter photography basics and tips.
Equipment: DSLR camera, shutter cable (or remote), spare battery(s), warm clothing, Nordic skis, Nordic trail pass (included in the workshop fee)
Sunday, March 18 – Playing with the Stars – Winter Night Workshop – 7-9:30 pm
Grab your Nordic gear* and equipment listed below and take advantage of Crested Butte’s stellar landscape and Xavi’s expert knowledge on catching the action! Workshop topics include camera settings and manipulation, composition, choosing the right spot and winter photography basics and tips.
Equipment: DSLR camera, tripod (not necessary for the action workshop), shutter cable (or remote), spare battery(s), warm clothing, Nordic skis, nordic trail pass (included in workshop fee)
All the workshops are intended to teach the basics and not-so-basics of winter photography in different capacities to photographers that possess a minimum of knowledge about photography and use of their camera. More often than not, winter conditions are not the right setting for learning how to change batteries or how to switch the different modes of the camera.
About Xavi
A native of Barcelona, Spain, Xavier Fané found his home in the mountains of Crested Butte over twenty-five years ago. In 1990, through his dedication to and love of mountain sports he landed his first job as a photojournalist and writer for Solo Bici, a mountain bike magazine based in Spain. That opened the door to many travels around the globe in search of adventure, as well as more opportunities to write and shoot for other publications. As time went by, his passion for photography grew to become a full-time profession. He is
currently on the staff of several Spanish outdoor magazines, as well as a regular contributor to other national and international publications, both online and in print.
“After a lifetime of running, biking and skiing swiftly in the mountains I have found in photography a way in which to develop my more contemplative side. I like to go deep in the mountains; sleep on summit tops; get lonely, stinky, and sometimes scared and from this angle look at the world through my lenses. With my images I hope to inspire everybody to get out there and see the beauty and endless inspiration that there is to be found in the mountains, and with that, promote a path of respect and preservation towards the future. On the other side of things, I’ve really come to enjoy the bond that is created when working with individuals, whether documenting a special day like a wedding, or a family photoshoot in a flowery meadow or teaching one of my workshops.”
Snowshoe Photo Workshops with Raynor Czerwinski:
Sunday, January 22 – New Moon Milky Way - 7:30-10:30pm
Capturing the stars. Raynor will take you off the beaten path on snowshoes* to learn how to capture amazing night shots. Meet at the Nordic Center.
Camera Equipment: Digital or film camera (slr preferred), Tripod, Cable release (recommended)
Recommended gear: Good backpack, Warm clothes, Liter of water, Snack, Hand warmers
Sunday, February 19 – Photographing the Earth Shadow – 4 – 7 pm
Soft pastel colors in the east at sunset. Raynor will take you off the beaten path on snowshoes* to learn how to capture amazing night shots. Meet at the Nordic Center.
Camera Equipment: Digital or film camera (slr preferred), Tripod, Cable release (recommended), Graduated neutral density filters (highly recommended), Neutral density filters (optional)
Recommended gear: Good backpack, Warm clothes, Liter of water, Snack, Hand warmers
Sunday, March 18, Winter Landscape Photography – 5:30 – 8:30 pm
Capturing the winter wonderland. Raynor will take you off the beaten path on snowshoes* to learn how to capture amazing night shots. Meet at the Nordic Center.
Camera Equipment: Digital or film camera (slr preferred), Tripod, Cable release (recommended), Graduated neutral density filters (highly recommended)
Recommended gear: Good backpack, Warm clothes, Liter of water, Snack, Hand warmers
About Raynor
Raynor Czerwinski‘s workshops focus not only on technique on but on developing a personal vision as well — delving into his student‘s desires of why and what they want to shoot. In a workshop with Raynor you‘ll explore your own creative philosophy as well as how to maintain the longevity of a creative life and staying inspired. Raynor has been photographing professionally for 15 years, recently moving into conducting workshops and private lessons. His work is widely used locally in venues such as the Crested Butte Magazine, where he has been a cover artist, by Crested Butte Mountain Resort, and in adorning the walls of many a private home. You can find Raynor‘s work in the John Ingham Gallery, the Brick Oven Pizzeria and Le Bosquet.
A note from Xavi: Some tips and considerations on camera gear and staying warm
Winter nights in Crested Butte can be bitterly cold and night photography involves standing in one spot for long periods of time. The resulting situation is that you can freeze your butt off! It is a must to bring with you and wear the warmest winter clothing you own. Camera gear will also suffer the effects of these temperatures. The batteries will drain much quicker, and any condensation in your lenses (which usually happens when you go from a cold environment to a warm one), will fog up to an extremely resilient film that will persevere until the camera temperature equalizes with the ambient temperature. I always carry extra batteries with me (kept in a warm spot inside my jacket). To stay warm I use overboots for my Nordic shoes, some thick long underwear under my ski pants, a couple of layers on my body topped with a down jacket, a hat with ear flaps and a pair of thin gloves (to work the camera controls) that I layer under a warmer pair for skiing.
I personally use a full-frame sensor Nikon D3 camera. One of the main challenges in nocturnal and low-light photography is keeping the image noise down, and the newer and higher-end the camera the better the chances are that it will cope with it. A full-frame sensor will inherently produce images with less noise than a DX type sensor. That said, even if you don’t own a full-frame sensor camera, by blending proper in camera and post-processing techniques we’ll be able to manage that noise to acceptable levels. For night photography, a camera with a bulb setting (allows you to take exposures of unlimited duration) and the capability to shoot at high ISO is a must. As for lenses, a wide-angle (anywhere roughly from 17 to 50mm) lens with a low F-stop (usually 2.8) is ideal. A full length tripod and a cable shutter release are necessary to work at the low speeds of night photography.
