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Best experience, best value, small group Caddo Lake Workshop

Well, almost all inclusive. You have to pay for your own alcoholic beverages and any special dietary items that don't match up with Southern cooking.

Here is what is included:

• Airport pickup and drop off if your arrival and departure times fall within a prescribed window.  You don't need your own transportation unless you are staying over extra time or arriving after our window for arrival.
• All lodging with wifi. This year we are staying at the nicest property in the on the bayou or lake. It has reliable high speed Starlink internet. Staying by the lake to maximize photography time and avoid the drives from Jefferson, Marshall or Shreveport.
• Canoe or kayak rentals for up to three sessions (one sunrise, two afternoon, evening). There are advantages to each.
• Four (!!) piloted boat trips including tips. 
• Park fees.
• All meals. We usually eat a late breakfast or early lunch after our morning session. Ample refreshments first thing in the morning and between meals will be provided. Our late breakfasts will generally be down home Southern breakfasts from nearby "cafes". Evening meals will be Southern fried foods (or burgers) for one meal, one steak barbecue (a huge hit in 2023) and a couple of excellent meals in the nearby town of Jefferson.
• I do not accept monetary tips but happily learn from you when you have any photography tips to give.

Note that adverse weather conditions may affect our schedule. If this happens, we will try to complete the same activities in the best weather. If some piloted boat trips are impossible, you will receive a refund for the captain's fees and tip.

PRICING: $3495

Inclusive of transportation to locations, lodging, all meals and snacks, guides and boats, rentals, park fees and license. Deposit required $1000. Fully refundable within 60 days of start of workshop. Balance due: 60 days prior to workshop. 

SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT $200

(pay in addition to deposit to reserve). Note that that are accommodations are at the lake, which means we will be staying in a rustic but well maintained and comfortable cabin.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

SCHEDULE

Wednesday, November 12. Plan to arrive at Shreveport by noon. If you are flying from the West Coast, you may wish to fly in the night before or to a layover location so you may arrive this early. We will then lunch together in the Shreveport area. If you arrive after our lunch but by 2 pm we will pick you up at the airport. Then we drive to Uncertain, Texas. If you are driving, you may meet us in Shreveport for lunch or we will meet you in Uncertain at 3 pm. After a quick check-in we head to our first photo locatioin.

Thursday, November 13. We hit the lake a runnin' before first light for a thrilling introduction to Caddo Lake. If we are lucky, we will find patches of fog this first morning. Our boat captain knows where to look. After the morning shoot we will experience one of several down home breakfasts. We will be out again in the evening for another ride in the mud boat, the quickest way to any desirable location. Sunsets on the lake can be awesome as we find and photograph isolated trees against the dropping sun. Tonight we have a barbecue at our cabin.

Friday,, November 14. Again, we take advantage of the mud boats and the as we venture into the darkness, not to find the time warp featured in Caddo Lake, the movie, but to find original compositions. As the sun rises, we will capture waterfowl against the blowing Spanish moss that hangs from the bald cypress trees. In the afternoon we discover compelling compositions around our little island. Those who wish can kayak in the nearby waters until dusk. Then we will head to town for a delicious dinner and lively conversation.

Saturday, November 15. We will get up early again so we are in our kayaks well before sunrise. Expect about a half an hour of easy paddling to our destination, where you will be finding and recording composition after composition while employing the techniques we have reviewed in our instructional sessions. We will have our choice of locations for the evening shoot.

Sunday, November 16. We go out one last time in the mud boat in search of fog and new compositions. It should be chilly by this time of year, so you will want your gloves and beanie! The last day always seems to result in some of the best captures! We will return to our cabin for a light breakfast before checking out and heading back to Shreveport where you can catch your flight home. Schedule that flight after 1 pm.

This workshop is recommended for photographers who have a moderate or better understanding of their camera operations. You should be able to adjust your own camera settings. Participants should have a level of fitness and balance which will make canoeing easier, although paddling around is not particularly difficult. You are likely to paddle less than one mile over a two hour period. While a great deal of freedom can be given to advanced photographers, my preference is to have a group with fairly equal skills so one individual is not demanding of all my time.

Post processing sessions will be given using Lightroom, Photoshop and Adobe Camera Raw. If you use a different post processing system you will need to interpret our methods to work with your system.

Participants should not have back issues which can be exacerbated from canoeing and boat rides. One of our boat rides has a maximum weight allowance of 250 pounds, so if you weigh more than this, diet hard so you don't miss this amazing experience.

Equipment Recommendations - Film or digital format camera and tripod; a minimum length of telephoto of 200 mm is recommended, but you can take great photos with something a bit shorter. Wildlife photo opportunities will improve if you have a lens that is 300 mm or more. A full list of recommended equipment and gear will be sent out after receipt of your deposit.

Non-photographer participants. Non-photographer partners may be allowed to share rooms and meals. Your bed size may be limited to a double bed, however. A meals supplement of $500 will be charged. If our vehicle is not large enough to carry all participants and partners, you may have to arrange your own transportation. If a larger vehicle is possible, I will notify you of the additional cost you would need to cover. If you bring a guest, that guest may need to be prepared to read a book or two while we photograph if there is not room for them in our vehicle.

If you look on a map of Caddo Lake, it looks fairly straightforward. It is not! Areas that look accessible are not and areas that don’t look accessible are. You would waste many days and lots of opportunities without our guides and my own knowledge of the area. 

The giant Salvinia grows throughout much of the lake. Our boats can go through the beast and get to locations others can’t. And it’s a blast doing it! Our captains are true giant slayers and you will be too on the sessions when you are paddling your own watercraft, reaching into nooks and crannies as you discover for unique light and and forms...maybe even Bigfoot!

Instructional sessions will include basic techniques for the less experienced in post processing and very advanced techniques for the highly experienced. In other words, the sessions will be planned around the talents of the group and the special applications that are especially useful in swamp image processing.

With the short days and long nights, you will have adequate opportunity for sleep, but we intend to make this so much fun that you will be a bit blissfully tired on your flight home, dreaming of many outstanding images you will be processing in the days to follow.

INCLUDED:

• Workshop fee including all boat fees, captain fees, rentals and any tips.
• State park entrance fees and phtoography workshop fee
• All meals from dinner on first day to breakfast on last day
• Water & snacks
• Lodging Transportation to and from SHV if within prescribed arrival and departure window (will be coordinated with participants). Recommendations will be made.

NOT INCLUDED: 

• Airfare
• Trip insurance
• Transportation to and from Caddo Lake area outside the prescribed times
• Alcoholic beverages
• Specialty food requirements

I do not accept tips.

A non-refundable $1000 fee (unless your spot is filled) holds your spot. If you cancel 60 days or more prior to the start of the event, your deposit is fully refundable. If you cancel 30 days or more, but less than 60 days, from the start of the event, your deposit is 50% refundable unless your spot is filled, in which case your deposit is 100% refundable. If the workshop is canceled for "acts of God" payments are fully refundable, but trip insurance is recommended.

The fee is $3495 per person for a shared bedroom (up to four in the loft bedroom) and an additional $200 per person for a private bedroom (up to 3 available. Bathrooms are shared. Non-photographers are welcome to share bedrooms and can go on some, but not all activities and are included in all meals for a reduced rate of $2400. The balance is due 60 days prior to our start date. You will be billed the balance to be paid in advance of sixty days prior to the workshop based on the total in the workshop. There are several events that could cause cancellation of the trip. These include severe illness, severe weather such as flooding or tornadoes, death in your family, and other unpleasant things. 

You will be expected to sign a liability release. Yes, you could suffer serious injury or death while on this trip. This is most likely to happen if you do something foolish like stand up just as the boat is going under a low hanging branch. But you could also do foolish things at home, so let's not miss a day of this workshop! In the highly unlikely event you lose an arm to an alligator, we will recover expenses by selling video footage to media outlets. But don't worry, alligators seem to disappear at this time of year.

You may ask why the small group size. Several reasons. The learning and results are more balanced for all the participants. There are boat trips we can take that larger groups can't do. It's easier on the transportation and dinner seating. And adequate housing AT THE LAKE is much more doable with a small group.

If you have questions, please call me at 714/ 292/5238 or use the contact form on this site.

"Every detail seemed to be carefully thought out, ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience for all participants. The boat excursions were a brilliant touch, adding an extra layer of excitement and uniqueness to the workshop. Cruising along picturesque waters not only allowed for breathtaking views but also created a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere that fueled creativity...Rob's ability to adapt to different skill levels and preferences ensured that each participant left with a deeper understanding of photography and a portfolio of stunning images." B. Villadiego

"Thanks again for leading a great workshop at Caddo Lake last week...very memorable for myself and friends. BTW, I got a couple of awards at the ACCC 'Spring Roundup' last month.  First place in the "Nature" category for the Caddo Egret print, and the "Excellence in Landscape Photography" award for one of the Caddo Lake images."
R Shea

"Priceless experience for me. Thanks." J Eighmy

"Thank you for an amazing experience.   I truly enjoyed my time in Uncertain Tx. (population 85 ).  I thought the photographic opportunities were "otherworldly"  and the opportunity to experience that part of the world was something I can't really describe." M Wright

"Thanks for the great tour in Caddo Lake...look forward to heading back next year!" D Sandquist

"Rob Strain is as educated and dedicated that I have seen in my photography network. Being on location with him, I recognized his passion, yet also his patience with the environment and myself." L Zwak

If you prefer to mail a check, please notify me so I hold your spot. 

Rob Strain
Wanderlux Photography
75240 Inverness Drive
Indian Wells, CA 92210