2025 Big Sur Coastal Zen workshop

Instructors: Alex Noriega and William Neill

Session 1: October 27-31, 2025

SOLD OUT

Session 2: November 3-7, 2025

SOLD OUT

Physical Activity Level: Easy-Moderate

Skill Level: Intermediate-Advanced

Tuition: $2895

Limited to 10 Students Per Session

You may register by placing a deposit below under “Payment, Cancellations, and Terms”.
If your desired session is sold out, please contact me to be added to the waitlist.

OVERVIEW

I am happy to announce that I am teaming up with master photographer William Neill to teach two coastal workshops in Big Sur in the Fall of 2025. William and I have now taught nine successful one-week workshops over the past few years in Yosemite, and we are excited to expand our offerings and share Big Sur and the Monterey Peninsula with you. You will have the advantage of learning from two distinct approaches to our landscape photography. During our classroom sessions, we will explore technical approaches to expressing emotions and articulating our perspectives.

Our itinerary will be flexible to chase weather, light, and conditions as they occur. We'll use our experience to put you in the best possible position to make compelling and personal photographs. The class size will be limited to eight students with two instructors to ensure an intimate learning environment.

Our knowledge of the area will allow us to find the best locations for the light and weather conditions we will have during the week. With rugged cliffs and crashing waves, the expansive coastal views making grand landscape photographs is a thrill we won't shy away from during our class. That said, both William and I have an inclination toward intimate compositions, and much of our time will also be spent exploring the details and small scenes within this impressive landscape. You will grow as an artist while also learning advanced techniques for capturing high-quality images.

This page is a general overview of the workshop. Upon signup, participants will receive an email containing more detailed information. You can make your deposit payment towards the bottom of the page. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions! You can use the contact page to do so.

While we are committed to making sure you come away from the workshop with great photos, the true value lies in unlocking your inner artist and invigorating your creative vision, so that you may apply these skills everywhere you photograph going forward.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Expert guidance to the best photography locations in Big Sur, with an emphasis on places with many creative options rather than one-dimensional spots.
Thoughtful in-field instruction, including:
- Visual exploration of the scene to identify compelling subjects and compositions.
- Thinking beyond the obvious to create unique images that you are personally connected to.
- Creative use of light: we will explore the potential of all kinds of light and not rely solely on sunsets and sunrises.
- Capture technique: compensating for high dynamic range, focus stacking, proper exposure, reading your histogram, tricks and tips for proper focusing and flare management, full manual control of your camera, and anything else you may have questions on!
Daily image critiques/reviews coupled with processing instruction, with an emphasis on why. Learn master processing skills from Alex and discover valuable tools which help you to take complete control over the processing of your images. William has a simpler workflow, mostly using Lightroom and polishing up his master files in Photoshop. No matter your skill level, the first step is understanding what changes will best serve your photograph, and this is a focus during our reviews. You will learn our differing approaches so that you may select which ideas and techniques to integrate into your own workflow, and you will have the opportunity to delve even deeper during your one-on-one session if desired.
Guaranteed adventure with two laid back instructors who are eager to share their knowledge and help you grow as an artist.

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

Transportation
Lodging
Meals and Snacks
We highly recommend purchasing Travel Insurance and Cancellation Insurance to protect your investment in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

MORE INFORMATION

Workshop Location

This workshop is based in Pacific Grove, California, on the Monterey Penisula, just north of the prime locations in Big Sur. Field sessions take place at the nearby coastal locations and classic photography locations south along Highway One, including Garrapata, Asilomar, and Pfeiffer Beaches.

Workshop Duration and Itinerary

We will have a classroom space at the Lighthouse Lodge and Cottages in Pacific Grove. The workshop will begin with introductions and a short evening field session. Each full day of Tuesday through Thursday will roughly consist of a morning field session, break, midday classroom session, and evening field session (dependent upon weather and conditions). The workshop begins on Monday at Noon and ends at the checkout time of 11:00 AM on Friday, after the final morning field session. The aim of the workshop is to spend a great deal of our time in the field exploring the landscape, balanced with daily classroom sessions/portfolio reviews and additional talks by William & myself. The final classroom session will feature one-on-one time, wherein it is your choice what we cover with each of you, be it reviews of your images from the week, processing or printing questions, etc.

Transport

Participants are responsible for their own transport to and from Pacific Grove. The nearest airport is the Monterey Airport, which is about thirty minutes from our lodging. We will carpool during the workshop unless COVID restrictions prevent it.

Lodging

We have secured a number of rooms at the Lighthouse Lodge and Cottages in Pacific Grove for the duration of the workshop. It is recommended that you stay there for convenience. (The price of accommodation is not included in the workshop fee, but you will have access to our discounted group rate at Lighthouse Lodge.)

Meals

The Lodge includes a hot breakfast. There are many restaurant choices, but we will always be close to some eating options at midday and, of course, in the evenings. (Food is not included in the workshop fee.)

What equipment do I need?

This workshop focuses on intermediate to advanced photographers, so a mirrorless or DSLR system is recommended. A sturdy tripod is essential. We will have opportunities to use every lens from wide-angle to super telephoto, but you may be surprised just how often your telephoto stays on your camera. Temperatures can vary widely, so bring clothing for both warm and cold weather, as well as rain gear.

Activity Level

This is not a strenuous workshop, although confidence over wet, uneven ground is very helpful. While we will generally not be far from our vehicles, some locations require hiking down a stairway or trails to prime beaches.

PAYMENT, CANCELLATIONS, AND TERMS

A deposit of $500 will be required upon sign-up, payable by PayPal below. Credit cards are accepted at this link. We will send out PayPal invoices for the remaining $2,395 balance 60 days prior to the start of the workshop, due upon receipt.

Cancellations that occur 60 days or more before the start of the workshop may be fully refunded minus a $100 administrative fee.
Cancellations that occur 45 to 60 days before the start of the workshop will forfeit their $500 deposit unless the spot is filled from the waiting list, in which case only a $100 administrative fee will be charged.
Refunds are not available for cancellations less than 45 days prior to the start of the workshop unless the spot is filled from the waiting list, in which case only a $100 administrative fee will be charged. If you do need to cancel, we ask that you let us know as soon as possible so we can alert people on the waiting list.

In the rare event that we need to cancel this workshop due to unforeseen circumstances, you will receive a credit toward a future workshop. We recommend that you avoid purchasing non-refundable airline tickets and consider purchasing trip cancellation insurance.

By paying the deposit, you confirm that you have read and fully agree to these terms.

To reserve your place, please place a deposit of $500.00. After we have received your payment, we will send more details about room reservations, meeting times, and what to bring.