Full-Day Private Photography Workshop — Greater Los Angeles & California Expeditions
Immerse yourself in a comprehensive, 12-hour private photography masterclass designed to completely redefine your creative and technical boundaries. Spanning from pre-dawn scouting to post-sunset twilight, this elite one-on-one field intensive offers custom hands-on mentoring tailored entirely to your skill level.
Unlike targeted field sessions, this flagship experience covers the complete photographic lifecycle—combining advanced manual exposure mastery, dynamic composition strategies, and professional filter deployment with a dedicated 3-hour digital post-processing curriculum.
The Masterclass Investment: $1295
(Includes 12 hours of personalized field instruction across multiple curated locations, plus a private 3-hour Lightroom & Photoshop editing masterclass via screen-share.)
The Alumni Benefit: Returning clients are the heartbeat of my workshops. If you have taken a session or workshop with me before, you receive a 10% Alumni Discount on all private bookings. Just mention you're an alumnus when filling out the scheduling form, and I will manually apply the discount to your custom invoice.
The Masterclass Field Curriculum
Beginner to Intermediate Foundations
For creators establishing their technical workflow, we strip away the guesswork of manual shooting:
The Exposure Triangle: Mastering Manual Mode (Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO) in fast-changing natural light.
Precision Metering: Learning how to read histograms and meter complex scenes to preserve critical highlights.
Composition Structural Frameworks: Implementing symmetry, leading lines, and scale to anchor depth in your frames.
Optical Glass Workflows: Demystifying the step-by-step application of Neutral Density (ND), Graduated ND, and Circular Polarizers.
Advanced Creative Concepts
For seasoned shooters looking to break through creative plateaus and execute complex fine-art imagery:
Advanced Multi-Exposure Workflows: Executing precision exposure bracketing for high-dynamic-range blending in high-contrast environments.
Micro-Focus Stacking: Managing camera positioning and focal intervals in the field to achieve edge-to-edge foreground sharpness.
Kinetic Motion Tracking: Utilizing specialized shutter controls to turn cloud paths, breaking surf, and city traffic into deliberate artistic elements.
Environmental Analysis: Learning to read surf forecasts, advanced tide graphs, and atmospheric layers to predict dramatic light phenomena.
Shared Masterclass Themes
Critical artistic disciplines emphasized across all experience tiers:
Balancing high-contrast dynamic exposures in real time.
Executing flawless long-exposure landscape workflows.
Controlling kinetic fluid motion and moving water elements.
Maximizing short, rapidly transitioning golden hour and blue hour light.
Complete Digital Workflow & Post-Processing Masterclass
Great landscape photography only begins in the camera. To bridge the gap between a raw exposure and a professional masterwork, your enrollment includes up to 3 hours of private, one-on-one post-processing instruction conducted via remote screen-share. Tailored precisely to your processing experience, Chris will guide you step-by-step through Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop using the exact files you captured during your field session.
Your customized digital curriculum can include:
Advanced RAW Development: Maximizing dynamic range, clean exposure optimization, and color theory calibration.
Precision Technical Blending: Step-by-step workflows for seamless manual exposure bracketing (HDR) and focus stacking for tack-sharp depth.
Artistic Enhancement: Mastering luminosity masks, localized dodging and burning, and noise reduction stacking for immaculate fine-art prints.
Library Management: Editing and organizing file libraries for seamless print production.
Booking, Locations & Logistics
Elite California Wilderness Locations
This immersive 12-hour masterclass is designed to give you a comprehensive, deep-dive education across California's most iconic landscapes. As a backcountry specialist with over 44 years of experience exploring the West, Chris structures these full-day experiences across a vast 6-hour regional radius from Long Beach. Locations outside of this radius can be seamlessly arranged and will be billed fairly based upon extra travel time.
Standard Southern California Drive-In Zones: For sessions hosted within a 4-hour driving radius of Long Beach (including Malibu, Joshua Tree, Anza-Borrego, or the Alabama Hills), Chris can coordinate local meet-ups or drive-in logistics.
Iconic Destination Zones (Basecamp Meet-Up): For world-class destinations requiring significant travel—such as Yosemite, Death Valley, the Bay Area, or Mono Lake—sessions are structured via a "Basecamp Meet-Up." Clients meet Chris directly at a designated trailhead or park center to maximize our 12 hours of field time. Custom travel, scouting, and multi-day lodging fees will be calculated and applied based on your custom destination itinerary.
Transportation & Field Travel Logistics
Bespoke Scheduling: Workshops are structured entirely around optimal seasonal conditions, localized weather patterns, and your personal timeline.
Initial Staging Meet-Up: Participants meet directly at a designated trailhead, park center, or staging location to maximize our 12 hours of field time.
Field Transportation: Travel to, from, and between shooting locations throughout the 12-hour session is not provided unless explicitly organized and detailed in advance.
Mobility Disclosures: Please disclose any physical or mobility limitations during your intake process to ensure optimal trail and location selection.
Booking & Curation Hub
Private all-day masterclasses are strictly curated around optimal seasonal light, shifting tide cycles, and localized weather patterns to maximize your 12 hours in the field. To request a session, click the 'Inquire to Book' button to submit your photography goals and preferred dates on our main Scheduling Hub. We will extensively scout the best seasonal locations for your timeline, finalize your optimal field itinerary via email, and issue a secure digital invoice.
Preparation & Gear Checklist
What Is Included:
12 Hours of 1-on-1 Field Instruction: Undivided, personalized mentoring from a backcountry specialist with over 44 years of wilderness experience.
Custom Location Scouting & Itinerary Planning: A bespoke route planned entirely around optimal seasonal light, tide cycles, and your specific photographic goals.
3-Hour Digital Post-Processing Session: A dedicated, private Lightroom and Photoshop curriculum via remote screen-share using the exact raw files captured during your workshop.
What Is Not Included:
Field transportation, fuel, or toll expenses (unless pre-arranged).
Personal meals, snacks, water, or lodging accommodations.
Comprehensive Gear Checklist:
To maximize your 12-hour session, please ensure you bring the following core assets:
Camera System: A DSLR or mirrorless camera body with a selection of lenses (a wide-angle zoom and a telephoto lens are highly recommended).
Support System: A sturdy, reliable tripod capable of handling coastal winds or uneven terrain.
Accessories: A remote shutter release cable or electronic trigger, extra formatted memory cards, and multiple fully charged camera batteries.
Field Safety & Comfort: A reliable headlamp or flashlight for navigating dark trails during dawn/dusk transitions, rugged weather-appropriate footwear with excellent grip, and layers for changing coastal or mountain temperatures.
The Ambassador Advantage (Filters Provided):You do not need to own a filter system to book this course. As an official NiSi Filters Ambassador, I provide all private masterclass clients with exclusive access to my professional filter kits during our time in the field, including hands-on instruction on mastering long-exposure glass.
Operational Policies & Client Proof
Masterclass Outcomes
You will leave this private intensive with a definitive, repeatable blueprint for executing gallery-quality landscape imagery from start to finish. Beyond absolute confidence navigating complex manual camera settings, creative lens selections, and advanced filter systems in high-contrast environments, you will walk away with an enhanced artistic eye for structural composition. Most importantly, you will return with a set of high-resolution RAW files from our field sessions, coupled with the exact advanced post-processing workflow required to transform those frames into professional masterworks.
Weather, Terrain & Rescheduling Policy
True wilderness photography thrives on dynamic, changing conditions. Our all-day sessions proceed through overcast skies, mountain mist, shifting winds, and breaking storms, as these atmospheric changes frequently yield the most dramatic light. However, safety and exceptional image-making are always the absolute top priorities. In the event of dangerous weather, heavy non-stop downpours, or closed trail networks, we will collaboratively reschedule your session to an optimal backup date. Chris maintains a dedicated level of schedule flexibility for private clients to ensure your 12-hour field investment takes place under the best possible sky.
Extended & Custom Multi-Day Experiences
Looking for a complete deep-dive immersion? For photographers traveling to California or those wanting to master multiple vastly different ecosystems, Chris curates custom multi-day itineraries. These extended masterclasses can seamlessly bridge a rugged coastal sunset session in Malibu with an all-night astro workshop in the high desert of Joshua Tree, or a multi-day trek into the Eastern Sierras. If you would like to scale your session into a multi-day custom wilderness expedition, simply note your vision in our inquiry form.
What Past Clients Say
I called Chris because I saw his landscape and Astro photography and I wanted to learn to take photos like the ones he does. I called and he spent a lot of time explaining a few things to me just over the phone. We set a date and place to meet to do a workshop. He took me to the coolest hidden spot in the Eastern Sierras. The rock arch we shot in the beginning of the night was incredible and I'd never seen in on IG or anywhere else. Chris explained how to plan for my shoot as well as explained lighting and gave me a ton of useful information I didn't expect. I was not a beginner but I wasn't a pro either. We shot 2 places that night and both were out of this world looking, literally. He was well spoken and articulate, not only does he know his business well but he can explain and translate into easy to understand. My photography escalated a few levels in our one night of the Astro workshop. I would recommend his workshops to friends for sure. This was money well spent!!
-Jason G., Yelp Review
Ready to Build Your Custom Itinerary?
Click the "Inquire to Book" button to submit your photography goals, equipment profiles, and target dates. Chris will evaluate the local tide charts, sun angles, and weather variables to design a custom, high-yield itinerary before issuing a secure digital invoice.
Explore Other Private Experiences
Sunrise & Sunset Landscape Masterclass
SoCal Coastal, Urban & Mountain Locations // Private Field Coaching: $495
Master the art of capturing dramatic golden hour transitions. Learn tactical dynamic range management, advanced composition rules, and how to read natural light to transform standard landscapes into striking, professional-grade fine art.
Night Sky & Astrophotography Workshop
Certified Dark-Sky Locations // Milky Way & Star Tracking: $795
Unlock the secrets of the night sky. Learn how to pinpoint the Milky Way core, calculate precise long-exposure settings to prevent star trailing, and master low-light manual focusing to capture clean, breathtaking astrophotography landscapes.