TEXAS HILL COUNTRY | BLUEBONNETS AND NIGHT SKY
T E X A S H I L L C O U N T R Y
APRIL 4th - 9th, 2027 ( 5 Nights)
CLASS LIMIT : 4 of 7 spots left!
INVESTMENT | $3,250.00 / ($2,600.00 Alumni)
ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP
Join me for 6 days and 5 nights capturing the beauty of the Texas Hill Country during wildflower season. During this workshop we will explore many locations in the Texas Hill County search for the beautiful blooms of Bluebonnets and other wildflowers. We will also have milky way shoots with bluebonnets, the ruins at Fort Griffin, and exclusive access to a famous Texas Windmill near Fredericksburg (pictured below). This workshop mirrors the dates of my April 2024 Totality in Texas Workshop. We will be in these areas at the same time as years past, Never fix what isn't broken!
Some towns, and locations that we plan to cover are Marble Falls / The Bluebonnet House, Burnet, Llano, Willow City, Fredericksburg, Muleshoe Bend, Hamilton Pool Preserve, Enchanted Rock, Bluebonnet Railroad Bridge, Fort Griffin State Park and many other roadside stops in between.
Peak wildflower season varies from year to year depending on a few factors. Times range about 30 days between late Marchi into mid-April. Like most of my workshops, there is a night sky shoot every clear night we have. This always gives us the ability to get some amazing shots despite what the wildflowers are doing at this time or weather conditions. Night sky photos with wildflowers & bluebonnets and those famous Texas Windmills are always a fantastic combo! We will kick off the workshop at Fort Griffin State Historical Park photographing the ruins at sunset and at night with the milky way. The following day we will make our way south into the heart of the Texas Hill Country to hunt down the bluebonnets and capture some iconic Hill Country scenes. If we get lucky with storms one day, we will have the opportunity to attempt some Texas storm chasing too, weather always makes for great photos!
WORKSHOP INCLUDES / WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
- Commercial Park Permit Fees
- A FREE Dinner in the Texas Hill Country
- Multiple shooting locations
- Night Sky Sessions
- Sunset and Sunrise Photo ops
- Daily Scenic Drives searching for the ultimate bluebonnet photographs
- Post Processing tips in Adobe CS and Lightroom (online video tutorials)
- How and when to use filters for landscapes
- How to create compelling landscape compositions
- Long exposure photography at Fort Griffin State Park, and Texas Windmills and wildflowers.
- Time-lapse photography and star trail photography sessions and demonstrations
- Access to my brain 24/7, even after the workshop has ended!
- Why the turtle crossed the road!
WHATS NOT INCLUDED:
Travel to, from, and during the workshop. Overnight accommodations and meals unless otherwise stated.
FIRST STOP | FORT GRIFFIN STATE HISTORIC PARK
We will begin our adventure at Fort Griffin to capture the stunning night sky over the ruins here. We won't be here for long, just one night, but the night sky photo ops are endless! You can choose to car camp here overnight or at a nearby campground. You can also stay in a hotel not too far from the Fort.
WEATHER
Temperatures are typically comfy with highs in the 70's, or low 80s during the day, dipping down into the 40s or 50's at night. This time of year, spring storms become active, this can lead having stunning sunsets and sunrises. It can also give us some incredible opportunities to capture some dramatic storm clouds and lightning.
2023 STORM SEASON
NEXT STOP | THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY
After our night up north at Fort Griffin, we will make our way down towards Llano, and Marble Falls. We will spend the next 4 nights in the Hill Country, with two of those nights in Marble Falls, and two nights a short, drive to our southeast in Willow City / Fredericksburg, TX. On this portion of the trip, we will be searching for the best bluebonnets in the Hill Country. During this portion of the workshop, we will also visit the famous bluebonnet house and many other iconic bluebonnet hotspots. We will have exclusive access on private property to photograph one of the most iconic Texas windmills at sunset, and at night and under the milky way. You will have an option to stay at the ranch for two of the nights. Lots of long horns can be found grazing the flowing fields in all of the Hill Country.
Railroad Bridge at Sunset, near Marble Falls.
THE MARBLE FALLS REGION
Marble Falls will serve as our home base for two nights of the 4 nights in the Hill Country. There are many locations nearby like Muleshoe Bend, the Bluebonnet House, Bluebonnet Railroad Bridge, countless backroads, and other points of interest. This will enable us to capture these scenes early in the morning, late in the evening, and even at night, with a short drive back to our hotel.
DIRECTIONS
We will start the workshops to the west of Dallas at Fort Griffin State Park and then continue the workshop in the Hill Country west of Austin, TX. You can choose to fly in, and out, of Dallas or Austin. . Let us know if you have any questions at all. We are here to help!
LODGING
Lodging is not included in this workshop. For the first night at Fort Griffin, you can camp there, or stay in nearby Breckenridge, TX. The Remaining nights will be spent in Marble Falls and in Fredericksburg, TX. A full itinerary with lodging suggestions will be given to all registered photographers.
CAMERA GEAR
- DSLR's with Fully Charged batteries and Battery Charger
- Wide Angle Lenses (17mm - 35mm) and a Telephoto for the details and Wildlife ( 200mm - 400mm+)
- My main walk around lens is the 24mm - 120mm f/4. I find it so useful and a great all around lens.
- Circular polarizer for your long lens
- Cable release for long exposures
- Laptop, memory card reader, and memory cards
- Sturdy tripod
- Star tracker (optional)
- Off camera flash / lite panel (optional)
OUTDOOR GEAR AND EQUIPMENT SUGGESTIONS
- Hiking Boots
- Headlamp / Flashlight
- Multi-Tool
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DISCLAIMER
Jeff Berkes Photography reserves the right to make changes to the schedule, dates if need be. We are not responsible for bad weather, delays or cancellations. We are also not responsible for lost or stolen items, injuries, sickness, death or damages to personal equipment and lost of personal travel expense. Failure to comply to park rules, regulations and will result in you being ejected from the workshop. Once a payment has been made, there are no cash refunds, workshop credit is always available in the amount paid. If your spot can be filled, a full refund minus any transaction fees will be issued. By making your investment in this workshop, you agree to this disclaimer. To protect your trip, trip insurance is recommended.
This workshop does not include travel to, from and during the workshop, meals or overnight accommodations unless otherwise stated. Carpooling is encouraged during the workshop when we can.
See other photos from this adventure in my Gallery!
MAKE YOUR DEPOSIT OR FULL PAYMENT BELOW!
| 2027 Texas Bluebonnet / Milky Way Photography Workshop |
For more information or to register please contacts us here at [email protected]
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