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OM System Only – Mastering Manual Exposure for Landscape Photography
$2,029
Join OM System Ambassador Lee Hoy at Big Bend National Park to be immersed in mastering manual exposure for landscape photography. Mastering manual exposure for landscape photography in December involves understanding how the winter light interacts with the park’s vast and varied terrain. The lower angle of the sun in December casts long shadows and creates dramatic contrasts between light and dark, especially around sunrise and sunset. To capture the full range of tones, photographers should rely on manual exposure settings to balance highlights and shadows, often using a smaller aperture (f/8–f/16) for greater depth of field while adjusting ISO and shutter speed to match the available light. A tripod becomes essential during the golden hours when longer exposures are needed to maintain image clarity.
What's Included
What's Included
- Pre-workshop Zoom session for prep and Q&A
- In-field instruction focusing on all seven system elements
- Opening presentation to introduce the 7-step system
- Post-workshop Zoom image critique
Big Bend
Big Bend’s diverse landscapes—from the Chisos Mountains to the Chihuahuan Desert—present unique exposure challenges. Desert scenes in winter often feature a stark interplay of bright skies and dark, textured foregrounds. Using OM System’s live highlight alerts can help expose for key elements in the frame, such as a glowing ridge or a sunlit rock formation. Using the built-in Live Graduated neutral density filter on the OM-1 Mark II (or external filters) can also be helpful for balancing exposure between bright skies and shadowed valleys, but exposure bracketing is equally effective when fine-tuned through trial and error.
In December, the weather in Big Bend can shift quickly, with clouds and atmospheric haze changing light quality by the hour. Manual exposure gives photographers control in these variable conditions, allowing them to emphasize the mood—whether it’s a moody overcast canyon or a sun-drenched desert basin. Keeping an eye on the live highlights and histogram helps avoid overexposing bright skies or underexposing foreground detail. With practice, manual exposure becomes second nature, enabling photographers to capture the quiet, expansive beauty of Big Bend in its serene winter stillness.
Lee has taught countless nature photographers a much simpler approach to exposing your images to the right using the live highlight alerts of the OM System cameras in manual exposure. This results in properly exposing our images the majority of the time and means we spend less time focusing and worrying about the technical side of photography and we are then freed to concentrate on the creative elements of nature photography.
The Topics
- OM System Exposure Settings
- The Trinity of Photography (Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO)
- Exposing to the RIght: The Why and How
- Mastering Live HIghlight Alerts & Histograms
- Dealing with Extreme Tonal Differences - ExposureBracketing & HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography
- Reading Light in Landscape Scenes
Workshop Highlights
Learn from an OM System Ambassador
Lee has served as an OM System Ambassador since April 2019!
Master the Trinity of Photography
You will understand the importance of each of the three elements of the Trinity of Photography (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) as they relate to landscape photography.
Pre and Post Workshop Zoom Meetings to Facilitate the Learning Process
This workshop includes a group pre-workshop zoom meeting to help you prepare for the trip by discussing clothing, camera gear, accessories, travel suggestions, and more. It also includes a post workshop group zoom meeting for an image critique discussion for those who opt to share images for critique. Both sessions will be recorded and provided for repeated viewing.
Beautiful Winter Destination for Landscape Photography
Big Bend National Park is a great destination at this time of year. The weather is more mild (it can even be quite cold and potentially snow), the days are shorter so photographing sunrise and sunset is easier. With a wide variety of landscapes, Big Bend is sure to produce some visually compelling images regardless of your photographic experience.
Trip Video of Highlights will be Provided
The workshop will be recorded through and a trip highlight video will be provided to all participants post workshop!
Dates
The dates for the workshop is December 3 – December 7, 2025. The workshop begins at 4:00 pm on the 3rd and concludes at 10:00 am on the 7th.
Group Size
Minimum Number of Participants is 8, Maximum is 12. Trip can be run at a lower size with increased trip fee.
Pricing
The price of the workshop is $2029.00 which is paid in full upon registration.*See section below for what is included and not included.
Base Lodging
The workshop leader(s) will be staying at the Big Bend Station in Study Butte-Terlingua, Texas. This is where the opening session of the first day will be held.
Meals
The opening night’s meal (excluding alcohol) is included in the price of the event, all other meals are the responsibility of the participant.
Transportation
Participants are responsible for traveling to Study Butte-Terlingua, Texas and then around the park during the workshop. We recommend participants carpool as willing and able.
Nearest Airport
The closest major airport is in El Paso, Texas (airport code is ELP) or Midland International Air & Space Port (MAF). It is about a 3 hour drive with no stops and no traffic from either airport. El Paso is easier to access with much less traffic and construction, but you land in Mountain Standard Time and are traveling to Central Standard Time. I prefer El Paso over Midland.
Workshop Related Information
*The price of the workshop includes guide services, pre and post trip zoom meeting, post workshop highlight video, and dinner on the opening night (Thursday, December 3rd). It does not include the following: transportation to and from Big Bend National Park; transportation around the park; alcoholic beverages; snacks; trip insurance (highly recommended); meals other than the opening dinner; airfare; national park entrance fee; lodging; and any other cost not specifically stated in what is included.
Pre-Workshop Zoom Meeting
The pre-workshop Zoom Meeting will be Thursday, October 23rd, at 7:00 PM CST/8:00 PM EST. Participants will receive an email with the link within one week of the date of the meeting!
Cancellation Policy
Cancellation on or before September 3rd the participant will receive a full refund.
Cancellation after September 3rd will result in forfeiture of the entire price of the workshop.
Post Workshop Image Critique
The post workshop image critique will be held via Zoom on December 18, 2025. Participants will receive an email with the meeting link following the workshop.
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