Cowgirl on Horse by Ingrid Curry taken at the Cattle Ranch Photo Workshop
This May, Double Circle Ranch hosted a photography workshop. Tom Whetten of Wildlife Photo Tours came to the ranch and put on a four-day intensive course using the ranch wildlife, livestock, and western scenery as models. We are very pleased that Tom chose the Double Circle Ranch to be the setting for his workshop. He offers photo tours around the world – including African photo safari trips, so just to have Tom Whetten at the ranch is an accomplishment for us.
We kept the class small so students would have individual attention for maximum learning potential. Carol Wien, lifelong rancher who runs a family ranch and refers to herself as CEO of a non-profit organization, made the drive up from Wilcox, Arizona to attend the workshop. Carol is a published author and photographer who is skilled in 35 mm photography and dark room development. Now she is switching to digital and needed some instruction on the new equipment and techniques. She currently uses an Olympus E-520. Ingrid Curry, originally from South Africa, is another professional photographer. She is a world traveler and even worked several years as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. She is always learning and improving on her photography skills – and is always up to an adventure seeing new country and having new subjects to photograph. She brought a Canon 5D MkII to the workshop. Our third student was Doug Dressler – and since he is my husband, I must admit to some bias. Doug shot most of the photos for our website using a point and shoot digital camera. For FIVE years, he has been planning to buy a better camera. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard him complain about the good shot he missed because he didn’t have a camera with a zoom lens. Well, he finally bought a Canon 7D. It arrived the day before the workshop. So Doug needed Tom’s advice on using a totally new (to him) type of camera. The workshop came at exactly the right time.
Ranch Scene by Carol Wien
I am not a photographer. I could mess up a good picture with a camera set on automatic. I just don’t have the touch. So I enjoyed being the behind-the-scenes person. My neighbor and business partner Clarice Holder and I cooked and kept the classroom ready. Early mornings were coffee and homemade sweet rolls before our photographers set out to shoot the scenes in the early morning light. They would return about 10:00 for a regular breakfast and head to the classroom for critiques of their photos and tips on how to improve them. They had a little free time before lunch. I could find them wandering around, cameras in tow, shooting hummingbirds and other birds at our feeders. Supper would be fairly early so they could get back out to photograph in the evening light. In the evenings, Tom would set up his projector and instruct. Most of the information Tom was sharing was way beyond my knowledge level, but our three students learned a lot. I just enjoyed the wonderful photos.
I did get to do what I like best – ride a good horse and herd Texas Longhorn cattle. Our other business partner, Jim Holder, Chris our ranch hand, and myself brought a herd of longhorns down from high country and drove them though some beautiful rock formations and open rangeland. The photographers got to shoot big-horned Texas longhorn steers an arm’s length away. Plus Jim on Nick, his dependable mule, and Chris and I were models. It was great fun for us. We headed the steers right at the students – no one chickened out and headed for a tree – a big set of horns coming right at you can be an intimidating sight! Double Circle Ranch is one of the great American West ranches – and a big herd of Texas Longhorn steers is a scene from days gone by. It makes for great photographs.
But cowboys and longhorns weren’t the only models. The photographers took pictures of a variety of birds, a herd of over 40 elk, antelope including a new fawn, Javalina herds, white-tail and mule deer as well as blooming cactus, spring flowers, old line camps, and beautiful scenery without power lines to mar the open vistas. The photo opportunities are unlimited here at Double Circle Ranch, and Tom was able to teach about close-up and wide-angle shots.
Deer from the Ranch Photography Workshop by Doug-Dressler
Since I am one of the camera-challenged people of the world, I have asked Tom and our students to each send me a photo taken while here and a note about the workshop. Tom will be conducting photo workshops annually here at the Double Circle. We want comments and suggestions so we can make Tom Whetten’s class here a truly wonderful learning experience. Here is what they had to say.
Herding Texas Longhorn Steers by Tom Whetten
If you’re looking for a good time, peace and quiet, wildlife and fresh air, you owe it to yourself to visit the Double Circle Ranch on Upper Eagle Creek, Arizona. I just completed my four-day Photo Workshop there. My clients and I stayed in large walled tents with hot and cold running water, individual bathrooms and showers attached to each tent. Along with various species of wildlife, we photographed a Texas Longhorn Cattle Drive up close and personal. I will definitely put on another photo workshop there, hopefully as soon as this fall.
Tom Whetten
WildlifePhotoTour.com
Tom Whetten’s May 2010 Ranch Photography Workshop was a wonderful experience. I signed up for Tom Whetten’s workshop with the hopes that it would help me make the transition from 35mm to digital photography. I was not disappointed. Tom Whetten is an excellent instructor, and his workshop was very well organized. We never felt rushed during the entire four days. Fee included tent accommodations, all meals, and travel for all the outings on the historic Double Circle Ranch. Every trip out we saw something exciting to photograph (elk, antelope, mule deer, white-tail deer, javelina, wild turkey, and a wide variety of birds). We were surrounded with breath-taking scenery with not one single utility pole to mar the perfect shot. An entire morning was devoted to photographing the round-up and cattle drive of Texas Longhorns. An afternoon was divided between photographing ranch hand, Chris, training a young horse and later we photographed a variety of hummingbirds. Throughout the workshop, Tom respectfully answered every question and offered many helpful suggestions on how to improve our shots. A slide show critique was held each day. Doug and Wilma, owners of the Double Circle Ranch, went out-of-their way to make this a wonderful experience. I found the tent accommodations very comfortable. Each tent has a private deck, shower and toilet. My private deck – complete with rocking chair – overlooked a beautiful tree-lined creek. Meals were planned around our schedule. Food was delicious and plentiful. Thank you Wilma, Doug, Tom, Jim, and Clarice for a great time.