Welcome to our Workshops! Mountaineer Photo Excursions is about teaching and learning in interesting and exciting locations. We have a full schedule of events already in place for 2023... Our 12th Year! We're also firming up locations and dates for 2024, '25 and beyond! Whether you like the beach, the mountains, wildlife, waterfalls, history or just visiting somewhere different, we have a workshop that will fit your interest. We don't just take you to beautiful places...we teach you to have a better understanding of how to use your cameras, as well as new photo techniques, to preserve and share your adventures!
Please review our descriptions, and also visit our photo galleries. You will see more from these locations, along with past workshops, and some previews from our scouting trips! We currently have destinations planned into 2025!
We are also doing photography classes! Check out our new "Classes" area on the website. Contact us at [email protected].
If you like what you see on our website, email us with "NEWSLETTER" as the subject or message, and we will add you to our "Mile Markers" email newsletter, which we share 6-7 times during the year.
Our Next Workshop...
2023
We are working on some exciting destinations for 2023, 2024, & 2025!
We'll share as we firm up the details.
Maryland West Virginia Pennsylvania Alaska Ohio Florida
Virginia North Carolina
Focus On Learning - Photo Workshop - Cedar Lakes Conference Center, Ripley, WV - Sept. 4-8, 2023
See the world through your own camera lens, and improve your digital photography skills with guidance from your Instructor, Ron Gaskins, of Mountaineer Photo Excursions in cooperation with Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, WV.
Join us for our "Focus On Learning" Photo Workshop in September! Get to know your digital camera on a deeper level; get a better grasp on your camera’s controls; learn how to select the best lens and improve your technique with lessons on composition, exposure, black and white photography and much more!
Where: Cedar Lakes Conference Center, Ripley, WV
When: September 4-8, 2023
Who: Accepting 12 students for this workshop.
Register: Contact Cedar Lakes at 304-372-7860 to learn more. Lodging and meal packages are available.
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Great Alaska Grizzly Adventure – September 22 -28, 2023
This Workshop is FULL!
We Will Make a 2nd Trip in 2024!
Mountaineer Photo Excursions has traveled to many locations in the eastern United States! We’ve been North to Maine and South to Florida, as well as East to the North Carolina coast! Now, Amanda Haddox and Ron Gaskins are traveling further than ever, to our “Great Alaska Grizzly Adventure!” and we want you to join us!
This will be a special wildlife adventure, as we expect to show you grizzly bears fishing for salmon and grazing for blueberries; grizzly bears wandering through the grass; grizzly bears swimming in glacier-fed lakes; grizzly bear cubs rolling over each other. Beyond the wildlife, the environment presents dramatic landscapes like no other... the colorful tundra, accented by ponds and rivers; snow-capped mountains and rushing waterfalls!
Would you like to wake up to a stunning sunrise over the Alaskan mountains, board a bush plane and fly over the brilliantly colored autumn Alaskan tundra, or watch grizzly bears leisurely grazing for blueberries or fishing for salmon? After a full day of exploration and photography, would you like to return to the lodge for a delicious hot dinner, as you watch the sun set across the largest lake in the state?
We will be traveling to “The Last Frontier” in September 2023. Don’t delay! If you want to learn more, if you want to join us on our “Great Alaska Grizzly Adventure,” click HERE! Do you want to improve your photography? Let us take you there!
ATTENTION! Due to the overwhelming interest in our "Great Alaska Grizzly Adventure," we will offer a second trip in September 2024! Registration for this Second Alaska Adventure 2024 will open in January 2023! Due to the significant fluctuations in fuel and related travel costs, we cannot set a firm fee at this time. We hope to be able to do so soon.
We will update when we have additional information. If you have a serious interest in the 2024 Alaska workshop, please contact [email protected].
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The Bridges of Ashtabula County, OH - Oct. 20-22, 2023
Mountaineer Photo Excursions is excited to offer this new location for autumn of 2023. Ashtabula County in northern Ohio is well known for its wineries and the Lake Erie shoreline. However, what really caught our attention are the 19 historic covered bridges that call this area home! Plus, we have timed this weekend photo workshop to be at the peak of fall, where the spectacular orange, red and yellow leaves will create the perfect autumn background.
These bridges are a combination of past and present. We’ll kick off the weekend by photographing the Ashtabula Lift Bridge as it is illuminated against the twilight blue sky of the nearby waterfront. The Smolen-Gulf bridge was built in 2008 and is the longest covered bridge in the United States, at a length of 613 feet. This is not a concrete and steel structure but is constructed of wooden beams. On the other hand, the Liberty Street Bridge is America’s shortest drive-through bridge, at a span of just 18 feet! The oldest documented covered bridges in the county date back to 1867 and 1868. During our weekend photo workshop, Mountaineer Photo Excursions will visit many of these covered bridges, as well as a few other local attractions.
We mentioned the Lake Erie shore, and one of our stops will take us to a beachfront park with a view of the lake and a lighthouse at sunset. During our scouting trip, we discovered an apple orchard with a wide variety of products, such as hot & cold apple cider, apple & pumpkin pies, apple cider donuts, cookies, muffins, and more. Are you hungry yet? Another stop will be at the Old Mill Winery. The mill was built in the 1860s and retains the rustic charm of days past. It will make a great destination for a late lunch on Sunday!
Mountaineer Photo Excursions has reserved a block of rooms at a nearby hotel to provide you with a convenient location for lodging for our weekend. In addition, we will be providing local transportation in the Super Van, a 15-passenger deluxe travel van. With the Super Van, you won’t have to be concerned about navigating and parking in unfamiliar areas. Instructors Amanda Haddox and Ron Gaskins will share their photography experience and knowledge during the weekend.
WHEN: Registration is now OPEN! October 20-22, 2023; Friday evening, full day on Saturday, and finishing early afternoon on Sunday.
WHERE: Ashtabula County, OH. Home to 27 miles of shoreline, 19 covered bridges, over two dozen wineries, four scenic rivers, two state parks, and more!
Charleston, WV --- 4 hours, 20 minutes; 288 miles
Pittsburgh, PA --- 2 hours, 3 minutes; 123 miles
Cumberland, MD --- 3 hours, 46 minutes; 222 miles
Louisville, KY --- 6 hours, 2 minutes; 395 miles
Indianapolis, IN --- 5 hours, 28 minutes; 363 miles
Lansing, MI --- 4 hours, 19 minutes; 284 miles
Columbus, OH --- 2 hours, 50 minutes; 189 miles
WHO: Ron & Amanda will welcome 10 participants on this workshop. Our standard Liability Waiver must be signed to participate in this event.
LODGING: We have reserved a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Austinburg, OH. The rooms are all furnished with two beds. Lodging is included in the registration fee, and Mountaineer Photo Excursions will make your reservations. Two participants sharing a room will receive a discount. A non-participant may share a room at no additional cost, but non-participants may not accompany us during our field trips.
FEE: From now until Monday, August 21 at 11:00 pm, we are offering an “Early Bird” discount fee of just $560.00; a 15% discount. After that date, our regular fee of $660.00 will apply until September 19 at 11:00 pm, when all registration will close. Your registration fee includes lodging for two nights at our selected hotel, admission to all selected venues, local transportation, and photography instruction during the event. It does not include meals. Our preferred method of payment is your credit card via our PayPal invoice. We will accept checks from prior clients. Our cancellation policy may be viewed on our “About Us” page on our website.
CONTACT: [email protected] to register or to learn more!
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2024
Florida Keys Winter Dreams - January 2024
Looking for an escape from another long, cold, gray winter? Mountaineer Photo Excursions can arrange for your escape! Join instructors Amanda Haddox and Ron Gaskins as they guide you through the islands of the Florida Keys and offer photography instruction along the way.
Leave the snow and cold behind and come enjoy the beaches and warm waters in places with romantic and mysterious names such as Key Largo, Islamorada, Big Pine Key, Dry Tortugas, and Marathon. We will be exploring these places in search of stunning landscapes, amazing wildlife, their unique history, and their special stories as we record the memories of this trip with our cameras!
There’s no shortage of stunning locations and exciting activities to explore and photograph as we travel through the Florida Keys. Amanda Haddox and Ron Gaskins have scouted their way from Miami all the way through the Keys and have first-hand experiences to share with you! Here is a partial list…
A cruise from the coast to the furthest point in the Florida Keys to an old historic island fort with white sandy beaches, which is also one of the least visited National Parks in the nation…and that’s just one day! Come with us and we’ll take you there!
A glass bottom boat cruise, from which we can view the coral reef at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the only undersea park in the United States!
An airboat ride through the Everglades Alligator Farm. The Alligator Farm provides shows, feeding demonstrations, and viewing of many alligators! You may decide to become an alligator wrangler!
A non-profit research center that is a home to dolphins and sea lions. While some have been raised on site, additional animals needing rescue have been re-homed here. Visitors can observe staff working with the dolphins in interactive training, games, exercise, and more!
Stunning beach views with amazing settings for sunrise and sunset images! See the unique “Key Deer,” a small species of deer found only in this region, along with other wildlife and shorebirds; There’s even a butterfly and bird sanctuary!
We will be sharing more details on our Facebook page and in our “Mile Markers” newsletter, but make plans to join us for this Winter Escape now!
WHEN: We will meet in Miami on Sunday evening, January 21, 2024. On Monday morning, we'll begin our exploration of the Florida Keys from Monday (1/22) to Saturday morning (1/27). Six days and nights in the Sunshine State as we explore and photograph the Keys.
WHERE: We’ll begin on Sunday night in Miami, which will be convenient both for participants driving or flying in for this event. We’ll spend the remainder of the week visiting multiple islands of the Florida Keys as we stay in Marathon, FL.
LODGING: Our Sunday night (1/21) stay will be at the Cambria Hotel Miami Airport – Blue Lagoon. They offer an airport shuttle service and also have a pool, bar, and restaurant. On Monday (1/22), we will move to the Blackfin Resort, located on the Gulf of Mexico in the heart of Marathon Key. We will check out on Saturday morning (1/27). All lodging is included in our registration fee.
TRANSPORTATION: Mountaineer Photo Excursions will be providing local transportation during the week of this workshop. We will be utilizing a 15-passenger “Super Van,” as we have used on some of our previous workshops. Please note… for anyone driving into Miami on Sunday, you will need to drive your vehicle to Marathon (approximately 115 miles) on Monday. Once we are all there, we will use the Super Van for our transportation during the week. If you choose to fly into Miami, you can take the hotel shuttle to the Cambria on Sunday. You may ride with us in the van on Monday morning to Marathon. This local transportation is included in our registration fee. Your personal transportation to/from Miami (and Marathon) is your responsibility and is NOT included in your registration fee.
WHO: Ron and Amanda are welcoming a maximum of 10 people for this workshop. This will allow us plenty of opportunity to work with you as needed.
REGISTRATION: Registration is OPEN! Our “Early Bird” discount fee is $4990.00, a 15% discount! To receive this discount fee, you must register and pay your fee in full no later than November 16, 2023, at 11:00 pm. After that date, our regular fee of $5900.00 will be in effect. An initial $1000 deposit will confirm your spot. All registration is managed by Mountaineer Photo Excursions, including your motel reservation; Lodging, local transportation, admission to selected venues, and photography instruction are included in our fee. Meals and transportation to/from Miami (Marathon) are NOT included. All registration will close on December 18, 2023, at 11:00 pm. Please note… registrations made after our discount cutoff date “may” not be able to participate in our day trip to the Dry Tortugas National Park, due to the need to purchase tickets “by name” several weeks in advance.
Due to the expense of this workshop, we are willing to accept your personal check for your deposit and balance. Otherwise, we will provide you with a PayPal invoice, and the PayPal fees will be in addition to the stated fee.
CONTACT: [email protected] or 304-532-0070 to learn more or to register.
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Spring Into the Hills - Hocking Hills, OH - Spring 2024
In a region like no other in the state of Ohio, there is a place named Hocking Hills. There are deep gorges and high cliffs, as well as hiking trails, rock formations, waterfalls, and recess caves. The park contains seven separate hiking areas: Ash Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, Conkle's Hollow (nature preserve), Old Man's Cave, Rock House and Hemlock Bridge Trail to Whispering Cave.
Mountaineer Photo Excursions will lead a workshop this spring at Hocking Hills, with many opportunities to capture these unique views with your camera. We'll share many more details as they become available.
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Wild Chincoteague - Chincoteague Island, VA - Summer 2024
The islands of Chincoteague and Assateague are full of wildlife and wild natural views! Mountaineer Photo Excursions will be guiding you to several locations on the islands to view the natural landscapes, birdlife, and of course, the Chincoteague ponies.
Wild ponies have inhabited Assateague Island for hundreds of years. Some have suggested that the wild ponies of Assateague trace their origin to horses released to forage on the Island by early settlers. However, the evidence strongly sugests that they are the descendants of the survivors of a Spanish galleon which wrecked off the coast of Assateague.
These small but sturdy, shaggy horses have adapted to their environment over the years by eating dune and marsh grasses and drinking fresh water from ponds. While they appear tame, they are wild, and Park Rangers urge visitors not to feed or pet them.
Two herds of wild horses make their home on Assateague Island, separated by a fence at the Maryland-Virginia line. The Maryland herd is managed by the National Park Service. The Virginia herd is owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Each year the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company purchases a grazing permit from the National Fish & Wildlife Service. This permit allows the Fire Company to maintain a herd of approximately 150 adult ponies on Assateague Island.
In addition to the wildlife and their environment, Amanda Haddox and Ron Gaskins will also accompany you to some local fishing villages, where many of the local residents have made their living, and some continue to do so.
We will have more details and will share them here.
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Great Alaska Grizzly Adventure II - Sept. 8-14, 2024
Mountaineer Photo Excursions has been to the “Last Frontier,” and you can go, too! Ron and Amanda have scouted and led a workshop in Alaska, and will return in September 2024.
From all the places we’ve visited and all the states in which we have led photography workshops, one location has been mentioned again and again…Alaska! We are excited to offer this opportunity once again to photograph this amazing destination and the grizzly bears that make it their home!
How do we put you in front of all this wildlife and wild country? We have engaged an experienced Alaskan outfitter to provide not only direction, but also transportation. Our guides have identified well over 100 specific locations where the various wildlife can be found. To take us where the “wild things” are, we can take advantage of multiple aircraft and watercraft. With their four aircraft and 14 boats staged in different locations, we can go wherever the wildlife may be.
Our workshops dates are September 8-14, 2024. During our workshop, your registration fee will cover your local transportation, lodging, meals, and photography instruction. You will be responsible for your own travel arrangements and expenses to/from Anchorage and Iliamna, AK.
If you are seriously interested in this amazing photography workshop and want to know all the details, please click HERE.
Don’t delay. Our first Alaska workshop sold out in just days!
Do you want to improve your photography? Let us take you there!
www.MountaineerPhotoExcursions.com [email protected]
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