The programs at James Neihouse Photography Workshops are educational, challenging and most of all fun! We are always hard at work ensuring you have an amazing learning experience. In order to make the most out of your workshop experience you need to make sure that YOU are ready to go! Do you feel comfortable with your camera? Do you have the necessary camera accessories, and clothing for the workshop? Are you up to the physical demands of the terrain and schedule? Please feel free to reach out to us anytime after going through this page if you have any questions at all!

Know Yourself

Our primary goal at James Neihouse Photography Workshops is to ensure that you have an outstanding learning experience. With that in mind we take your safety and comfort very seriously. Embarking on outdoor activities like those you will encounter in our workshops that involve diverse terrains and altitudes demands a keen awareness of one's fitness level. Before you commit to one or our programs a thorough self-assessment can help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. You will find a brief explanation of the physical requirements in every workshop description, if you would like more information regarding a specific workshop, please feel free to contact us.

Know Your Camera!

If you are struggling with camera settings you’re not going to get the most out of your workshop day. You need to have a thorough grasp of basic controls on your camera in order to spend more time working on the creative aspects of photography. During the course of the workshop we will help employ these skills so you can create amazing images.

In the months and weeks before the workshop take time to practice operating your, learning where the buttons are and what they do. This will be basic stuff for some of you, but for others, you need to know how to do the following actions:

Change the camera battery.

Change lenses.

Properly remove, install and format the cameras memory card(s).

Set the camera to manual mode and select white balance, ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

Be able to select different metering modes, i.e. Spot, Center Weighted, Evaluative, Matrix, etc. Be able to adjust exposure compensation.

Access histogram displays in both shooting and playback modes. Activate exposure meter display.

Display an RGB Histogram on a playback image.

Set the camera to Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes.

Set Auto ISO and change options.

Set the camera for Auto-Bracketing at 3, 5, & 7 exposures, adjust stop bracketing to 1, 2 & 3 stops.

Set a the self- timer for 2, 5, or 10-seconds. If you don’t have a remote release you can use the timer to reduce shutter release vibration.

Switch between auto focus and manual focus.

Change between single shot focus and continuous focus.

Set the number of focus points.

Be able to move focus points around the viewfinder/live view.

Activate virtual horizon (level) if camera is so equipped, activate gridlines.

Activate and adjust focus peaking on mirrorless cameras.

Set a the self- timer for 2, 5, or 10-seconds. If you don’t have a remote release you can use the timer to reduce shutter release vibration.

If you use a DSLR:

be able to activate live view and zoom in using live view for critical focus.

If you only use live view, then also make sure you’re comfortable with using the viewfinder.

You should become familiar enough with these items that you can do them in the dark.

Soon after you register for your workshop you will receive a PDF file with updates and specific equipment and clothing requirements for your particular adventure, there will also be suggestions of nice things to have, but not required. You should refer to that list in addition to the things listed below when preparing for you trip.

Equipment Required For Every Workshop

Two Camera Bodies
We suggest you bring more than one camera body just in case something happens, you don’t want to be left without something to shoot with.

Camera Manual
Bring the printed manual or download a PDF version to your phone or laptop!

Tripod, a sturdy one!
If you don’t have a tripod or you are not happy with your current tripod let us know, we’ll be happy to get you pointed in the right direction. We really like the ones made by Really Right Stuff and Gitzo. Your tripod should have a Ball Head. Really Right Stuff BH-40 or Arca-Swiss p0 Monoball are both great choices.

Camera and Lens Plates
You will need camera and lens plates, for your telephotos with lens collars, compatible with your ball head. You don’t want to waist time changing plates between the camera and the lens. I really like my Really Right Stuff L-Brackets and plates. Don’t forget the tools you might need for the plates.

Lenses
For the most part you should only need three lenses for the majority of our workshops, a wide-angle zoom (16-35, 17-35, 17-40), a mid-range zoom (like 24-70 or 24-105), and a medium telephoto zoom (like 70-200 or 100-400) will be all you will need. There are some situations where longer telephotos are necessary, such as birds and some of the more aggressive large mammals. In those situations you will want something like a 400mm or longer. Telephoto super-zooms have be come quite popular and all the usual camera makers have them available. Lens makers like Sigma and Tamron also have some very acceptable long zooms. If you’re not ready to jump into that end of the pool Lens Pro To Go offers some great rental prices on cameras and lenses, as well as many other photo related bits and bobs.

Batteries
Nothing more frustrating than running out of battery power, so be sure to have some spares. Don’t forget the chargers. You might want to bring along a power bank if the workshop is in a “power challenged” location.

Camera Strap(s)
What comes with your camera will work just fine, if you want something a bit more comfortable try one from Peak Design or Black Rapid. A good strap might save you from needing that extra body! ;)

Backpack Style Camera Bag
A comfortable backpack style camera bag is a must for our workshops. We will be doing a lot of walking so comfort is king. I personally love the bags from MindShift and Think Tank.

Memory Cards
Bring plenty of memory cards, you don’t want to run out of space and have to re-format. I don’t ever format a card until I’ve made at least two backups of the data.

Lens Cleaning Supplies
Microfiber clothes, Rocket Air Blaster (bulb blower), Lens Pens all come in handy.

Camera Rain Cover
Something to keep your camera and lens dry in the rain or around a waterfall or the surf. I carry plastic trash bags for the purpose, but you can buy proper covers at many photo supply outlets. Think Tank/Mindshift and Lens Coat make some really nice ones.

Laptop
Don’t for get update your software well before the workshop. You may use any post processing software you choose during the class, we use and exclusively teach Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom Classic for post-processing. Be sure to check that your software will work without internet access as some spots we go to don’t have the internet or it is sporadic. Don’t forget card readers, external hard drives and extra cables.

Plug Adapters
If you are attending an international workshop remember to bring along plug adapters for your electronics. Here is one of my FAVORITES!

Boots/Shoes
A good pair of hiking boots or shoes is a must. Be sure to break them in before hand, a workshop is not the place for new footwear.

Water Bottle
We will have a large container of drinking water available to refill you water bottle or Camel Back. Let’s not add any more plastics to the environment than necessary.

Recommended, but not required:

Camera Filters
I don’t use a lot of different filters, but there are a few that I don’t leave home without. Check out my blog post on filters for more information about what filters I use and how I use them. Here is what I always have with me: a circular polarizer (reflection control, and color saturation), 3, 6, and 10 stop neutral density filters (long exposures). For landscape shooting I will add a variety of graduated neutral density filters for sky control. You can read about how I use these filters in this blog post. Tiffen, Singh-Ray, Schneider, NiSi and many other make excellent filters.

Wired Remote Trigger
I use these all time for long exposures, and when shooting with long telephoto lenses. I prefer the ones with built-in timer/intervalometer in case I decide I want to shoot a time-lapse sequence. Here’s the one I use.

Headlamp
These are indispensable to free up your hands when shooting at night. Any one will do, just be sure it is dimmable and has a white & red light options. Both Black Diamond and Petzl make great headlamps.

External Computer Storage
While not absolutely necessary if you have plenty of room on your laptop hard drive, an external drive is a good backup, especially if it’s a long trip or you don’t have a ton of cards for your camera. I recommend something like the SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD.

Travel Power Strip
Chargers don’t do much good if you can’t plug them in and hotels can be power outlet challenged. Look for one that has USB ports as well. I like the Mifaso Flat Plug Power Strip.

Wide Brim Hat
Great for sun protection, shading the camera LCD and even as an impromptu lens shade. Something like the Tilley Hat.

Basic Weather Gear
Things like a rain jacket, beanie, and gloves can make those colder days and nights much more enjoyable. Gloves that have flip over thumb & forefinger tips are great for photography in cold climates.

Waterproof Boots or Overshoes
Gotta be ready to jump into your photography with both feet! Check out this option.

Ice Cleats
If you’re not going to cold regions then don’t bother, however if the workshop is in winter in northern Canada then boot cleats are highly recommended. These just slip on over your boots for that extra bit of traction - compact and lightweight.

Swimsuit
Just in case you want to go for a dip.

Backup ID
When traveling internationally this can be a real life-saver. Take photos of your passport and drivers license to keep on your phone, hard copies are also handy. Alternate IDs like certified copies of your birth certificate may come in handy. It’s always good to bring several passport style photos. It’s good practice to photograph any credit cards, health insurance cards, etc that you bring with you. Keep a copy on your phone and email a copy to a trusted relative/friend or drop them in the Cloud.

Optional Nice to Haves

Specialty Lenses
While not required for the workshop you may want to bring along a speciality lens or two. Tilt-Shift lenses can be useful in landscape photography, Lensbaby for some cool depth-of-field shots, a fast prime wide angle for night photography or an extreme wide angle/fish-eye. Action cameras can also be fun to document the excitement behind the scenes!

Sensor Cleaning Supplies
I don’t recommend sensor cleaning be done by anyone other than a professional, but just in case it’s good to have the option.

Pocket Knife/Multi-tool
Swiss Army style knives or Leatherman tools can prove very useful in the field as well as a small basic tool kit (think of all those tiny screws that can come loose). Be sure you pack these in your CHECKED LUGGAGE.

Trekking Poles
A little extra added stability can be useful, also good for an impromptu monopod.

Miscellaneous Bits and Bobs
Here is a random list of things I have found useful over the decades: Bongo ties, two sided Velcro strips, carabiners, climbing slings, laser pointer, USB adapters, small power bank, knee pads (saving the knees on low angle shots), bluetooth speaker, my favorite travel mug, lens wraps, universal power adapter, light duty tie downs.

Final Thoughts On Prep and Packing

The document you receive after registration will contain a recommended gear and clothing list for the specific workshop, but it is just a guideline. Bring what you need, but don’t over pack! It is always best to plan for the worst when it comes to weather, it can easily be colder, wetter or windier than expected and the weather can change rapidly so plan for layering you clothes, rather than one heavy coat opt for two or three lighter layers that will give you more options. Here is a great page on the subject.

Space for luggage can be at a premium, so be thoughtful when packing. Use soft-sided luggage, it’s squishes into the back of the SUV better than hard-side bags.

Remember, to comply with federal regulations you must carry any batteries carry on luggage when flying, not in your checked luggage.

Double check that you have all the cables, plugs, chargers, card readers, etc that you will need. Spare cables are good to have since it’s usually cables that fail first.

Check your camera sensors and have them cleaned if needed. If you are going to shoot film, carry the film on board the plane, don’t put it in your checked luggage. The x-ray they use on checked luggage is much more dangerous to your film than going through security checks, and you can always ask for a hand inspection!

Consider updating your computer software and operating system several weeks prior to departure just in case the update goes off the rails (as if that ever happens, lol). If you use Adobe products or other software that checks your subscription status be sure to follow their suggestions for working off-line for extended periods before you leave home.

Before you pack your camera(s) get ahead of the game by setting the time and date to the workshop location time and date. That’s one thing that I always forget about. Another is to set the camera so that it will only fire if there is a card in the slot, it’s really embarrassing if you forget to “load the film”. Pack you bag so you favorite lens is easily accessible or even on your camera, ready to start shooting.

If you wear glasses or contacts, consider bringing a spare pair, you need to be able to see! Don’t forget any medications you take and it’s always good to have an assortment of over-the-counter meds especially if traveling internationally.

Finally, get plenty of rest before your workshop because we are going to hit the ground running!