In this annually sold out, five-day photography retreat, timed perfectly to coincide with the annual spectacle of lupine flowers you will learn a wide variety of techniques from four master photographers who specialize in macro, closeup, and abstract imagery, utilizing the picturesque environs of Madeline Island and the historic port town of Bayfield. Capture more than 50,000 blossoming florals, including a vivid mosaic of lupine flowers, Island gardens erupting in a vibrant array of color, and diverse woodland plant life offering countless opportunities for breathtaking shots.

Your retreat experience includes a combination of shooting in the field, classroom lectures, and unique post-processing training utilizing specialized software. You’ll have ample time to receive personalized, hands-on, one-on-one instruction from each instructor both in the field and classroom.

One of the highlights of this retreat is a scenic photography boat cruise through the Apostle Islands to the legendary sea caves of Devil’s Island. This excursion offers unparalleled opportunities to capture stunning landscapes and waterscapes.

The retreat begins on Sunday evening with a welcome reception and dinner, followed by a brief orientation session. On each of the following days, there will be morning field sessions, followed by classroom lectures and optional evening field sessions. Four assigned groups will rotate among each of the four instructors in various locations throughout the week, affording you the opportunity to spend one full day with each instructor. The week will culminate with supportive image evaluations and a photo showcase of the student’s accomplishments.

Workshop Details

Instructor: Mike Moats

I teach macro photographers how to easily get everything in focus. My main style is shooting with all of the subject in focus from top to bottom and side to side. I teach macro photographers how to easily get everything in focus. I will teach you how to deal with depth of field and deciding which f/stops to work with.

Instructor: Jackie Kramer

Jackie will take you on a journey through the fields and gardens of Madeline Island, as well as indoor set ups, where she will share a variety of techniques that she uses to create unique effects. She will show you how to artistically enhance natural foregrounds and backgrounds by using camera settings and Lensbabies to produce interesting bokeh and blur. And for backgrounds that are uninspiring, she will share some ideas to spice them up in both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. You will create your own beautiful and intriguing images no matter what your experience level is. There will be something for everyone.

Instructor: Andrea Gulickx

During the macro class I will show you how you can approach flowers and plants and see what perspective can bring into your image. We will look at different light situations to see how it makes your image more alive and make it dreamy and ethereal. I show you how different white balances can bring a totally different mood into your image together with over and underexposure. I love to work with a shallow dept of field and show you how you can make this work in your images. During the class we pay close attention to the -back and -foreground so you can make your image even more interesting. We are also going to explore abstracts in closeup. My goal is to make the final image straight out of camera. 

Instructor: Kathleen Clemons