Autumn Elm and Sunbeams, Cook’s Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California 2014

 

Rock and Water, Cascade Falls, Yosemite National Park, California 2011 / Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III__EF70-200mm f/2.8L USM__1/2 sec at f / 27__ISO 320

Rock and Water, Cascade Falls, Yosemite National Park, California 2011

I have been running my Yosemite Private Workshops for ten years now. Although I taught group workshops around the world starting in the early 1980s, I have greatly enjoyed the one-on-one sessions and personal connections I’ve had while showing my approach to landscape photography in my beloved Yosemite Valley.

The best times to come photograph YV are the last two weeks of April and the first two weeks of May, or the end of October or the first two weeks of November.

Here are a few endorsements from past students:

Bill Henderson:      My William Neill workshop experience was exceptional! The most significant outcome was the change in perspective. Bill finds images everywhere, his ability to see photographically is something you can’t learn from reading, it’s a gift from many years of hard work and study. This is what I found so interesting and helpful.

Now I didn’t walk away with his skill, but I learned something significant that has stayed with me. I still find that workshop useful today.”

Rick Hardt:      “I have always been drawn to Bill’s work, because I think he leads the pack in the arena of “Less is More”.  His images define the idea of “Clean and Simple”.  Through that perspective, he communicates powerful feeling that I don’t often see in other areas.

He is extremely present and open during the process.  What I felt from him was kindness and patience.  I never felt judged for my lack of experience or ability.   Seeing through his eyes for subject matter and lighting really opened my eyes to things that I’d completely missed before.

In the end, I walked away with a pocket full of images that I cherish to this day, AND a much better understanding of how to get more on my own.

Lastly and most importantly, the conversations that we had during those times, often come to mind when I’m in the field looking for new images. 

I continue to get benefit from a class that I took some time ago.  Amazing.

 

Bob Cole:    “I greatly appreciated the personal attention Bill provided in our two-student, two-day Private Workshop. The limit to one or two students is a significant advantage. There were many other photography workshops happening in Yosemite Valley at the same time, with van loads of students for one or two instructors. Bill’s Private Workshops are simply superior in the personal attention he provides.

                The Private Workshop provided a great opportunity to explore Yosemite beyond the obvious icons. Bill provides a wealth of information about the Yosemite environment and history. Understanding the place is important to helping one see the what is really there beyond the often photographed icons. This leads to more photographic possibilities. Bill helps the student “see” nature in new ways that translate into stronger, more creative photographs.

                I created better images during the two-day Private Workshop, and that improvement continued after it was over. When I consider the many ways photographers spend their resources on cameras, lenses, other gear, software, and travel, I can think of no more effective way to improve one’s photography than the William Neill Private Workshop.

 

Antoinette Addison:      “I have done a couple of private workshops with Bill in Yosemite. It was incredible. First, his knowledge of the Yosemite area allowed him to put us in the right place at the right time throughout the day.  We moved through the valley with the light, not just to the well-known photo spots, but all over the place. I thought I knew the area quite well, but I discovered many new, hidden spots. We would find ourselves at the perfect spot over and over throughout the day. It was incredible. 
         We took different kinds of photos in different areas, from classic landscape shots to black ice photos, close-ups, impressions. It was magical. Bill helped me make subtle technical and positioning adjustments that made a big difference and brought my photography to a new level.
        The portfolio review was also useful, educational, and inspirational. I could not recommend these workshops more strongly.
Brad Rank:     “My personal workshop with William was a surprise birthday gift from my Wife.  At the time I was just starting with a DSLR, only a short time from upgrading from simply using an iPhone for my photography.   I learned from the internet, and there is so much advice as to equipment, settings, composition, etc.  It was overwhelming and I was concerned about having the “right” thing and being such a novice working with such a professional as William.    We started our day shooting at Tunnel View and he says to me to change my camera settings for “bracketing”, and I pulled out my manual.  I think he knew then what he was in store for in the day as there was no hiding my lack of experience, and I was bracing for his response.   In that moment, he had the ability to negatively or positively impact my relationship to photography.  He could have said I had the wrong equipment or that I’m unprepared, or many many things, but he choose patience,  he choose kindness, he taught.  As I got to know him better through the day, I realized that this wasn’t a choice, it’s just who he is; a great photographer, but also a great teacher.  I learned so much about photography that day and my confidence rose dramatically to not worry about the rules and the prescribed “noise” of what should be done.  However, the most impressive thing I learned was about the man, his vision, relationship to the natural world around him, and his joy to pay it forward from his experiences as well.  Whether a beginner or a professional you will learn something.

 

See this link to see details, instructional content options discounts for small groups or multiple day sessions:

Private Yosemite Sessions

Instructional Content Options

William teaches simple ways to capture quality images in order to focus more on your expressive vision. These methods are what he uses for his own photography. Potential topics to be covered include:

Improve your Creative Vision

Learn to see deeply, to convey your emotional connection with the subject

Exposure Techniques
Using Histograms, HDR, Long Exposures

Composition
How to create clean, well-balanced designs without distractions

Planning Your Photographic Sessions
When to photograph and where, weather and seasonal considerations

Photo Critiques of New and Previous Images
Learn about your strengths and areas for improvement in your prints and downloaded digital files from field sessions.

Digital Camera Workflow
Basic and Advanced Techniques in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop

Photograph with William in Yosemite
Guidance while you photograph with in-field suggestions
Explore alternate perceptions and locations

Watch and ask questions as he selects and photographs Yosemite subjects.

Techniques in Impressionistic Photography
Learn how to create “light paintings” with intentional camera movement. William will demonstrate how he creates his Impressions of Light” photographs, and guide you with your efforts in the field.