Dates: Friday through Sunday, February 6-8.

Cost: $575.00

Trip Leaders

Ken Rockwell is internationally known internationally. He is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about photography. He is particularly well versed in the use of Nikon, Canon, Sony and Leica equipment. His loyal readers - who number in the many thousands each day - enjoy his often iconoclastic and sometimes controversial essays on understanding art, on dealing with the technology of photography, etc, as well as his detailed reviews of camera gear. A Southern California resident much of his life, Ken has explored much of the Golden State and the Southwest with his camera, including explorations of Death Valley,  New Mexico, and stretches of historic Route 66, where he's shared his knowledge and love of photography with fellow photographers. Visit Ken at kenrockwell.com.

Dave Wyman - his photographs have appeared in national publications, including Outdoor Photographer, Outside, Cross-Country Skier, and in his three pictorial guidebooks and book about nature photography. Dave has conducted photography outings for the San Diego Natural History Museum, the Sierra Club, the University of Southern California, the Yosemite Association, and the Los Angeles Zoo. His unbridled passion for travel and photography has led him and the groups he conducts to locations throughout the western United States. Dave takes his camera up onto high mountains summits, down to rugged coastlines, and along remote roads in the western U.S, both by car and on a bicycle. 

The Basic Plan: Our base of operations will in Barstow, California, which is a major junction for points east and west out of California. We'll gather Friday afternoon, February 6, at the motel where Ken and Dave will be for group introductions (see below for information about accommodations); we’ll explore a collection of junked cars nonpareil, have a group meal and turn our lenses on some good old fashioned neon lights. On Saturday, after a morning session near the train yards, we’ll travel the old road to remote Amboy, where we’ll photograph a classic motel straight out of the middle of the last century. Along the way we’ll photograph the famous Bagdad Cafe, a pioneer cemetery, desert water, probably some locals, and more. We'll finish up on Sunday, traveling west from Barstow along Route 66, to end the trip at Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch (with an option to continue into the city of Victorville for one more stop).

Trip difficulty: None; conducted at a photographer's pace. There will be some walking. Participants should be able to walk at least three miles a day (although we probably will not walk that far).

Transportation: Via private vehicle.

Carpooling: We encourage everyone to carpool when and where possible. We'll send around, with your permission, a list of participants as the trip date nears, for those who want to carpool, as passengers or drivers. We also want to carpool once we're in our accommodations in Barstow. 

Weather: Expect cool to cold morning and evening temperatures, and mild to warm days. (While rain is unlikely to fall in the desert, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.)

Where to stay: Ken and Dave will stay at the Baymont by Wyndham, at 1861 West Main Street (Route 66), Barstow. Phone: 760 256-1300. The motel is clean, the rooms are pleasant, breakfast is included and there’s a gym. Rates are low. Feel free to join us there or stay wherever, as there are innumerable motels, rental homes, etc. in Barstow.

Meals: We’re going to be near places to eat at reasonably appropriate times. Breakfast is included where Ken and Dave are staying. A group meal is included as part of the trip on Friday night. However, sometimes we might make stops along the way not on the itinerary, delaying when we’ll be near a place to purchase food; be sure to have some snacks for the trip, as well as water.

Who is This Trip for, What is it About?

If you enjoy photography and have a desire to make photographs throughout the course of a few days, at a leisurely pace from dawn to sunset, in some amazing locations – mostly off the beaten path – this trip is for you. Our purpose will be to visually explore the world around us. In the process we might explore who we as individuals are, too, in relation to what what and who we photograph.

Your trip leaders have conducted this outing over the course of many years. At each location we visit, we will balance our need to spend enough time tp enjoy photographing a location.

Although Ken and Dave have developed a set number of locations, the itinerary may be changed on the fly, depending on weather, group dynamics, new locations, or people we meet.

Our group, from participants to instructors, will act as force multipliers. That is, we’ll learn from each other, looking through our viewfinders and at our LCDs, sharing photos, and talking to one another about what we're looking at. 

What the Trip Isn't: This isn't an outing where the instructors will give lectures during the hours we can be out making photographs; it isn't a trip that will see us spend indoor-time on computers. This is a hands-on tour, not a classroom tutorial. Nonetheless, we’ll all learn to sharpen our photography skills. And Ken and Dave will be available the entire time for any one-on-one participants may want some help or advice. At any of our locations, you can wander where you will or follow Ken or Dave.

What you need to Bring:
- A sense of adventure
- Clothes for cool and warm conditionsfor chilly mornings and evenings (expect good weather).
- Mittens (or gloves - an extra pair of socks will work, too)
- Shoes (tennis shoes or boots or any comfortable walking shoes.      
- Money for for meals not provided (there are places to purchase meals we’ll be near during meal times).
- Camera gear (see below)

- Optional: If you would like to share some of your images with the group, we’ll have time when we break for meals, and possibly in the evening. If you make prints, feel free to bring some.

What is Provided by Image Quest:
- Trip leaders
- A dinner for the group
- A variety of field sessions
- Serious fun
- Photographic inspiration and instruction

Camera Equipment: a basic digital or 35mm camera will work well. So will a smartphone. Don't feel the need to purchase special equipment. However, for those with more gear, bring it along - this is the time to use it. A good accessory: a tripod (along with a remote or wired shutter release) will allow photography early and late in the day and for a potential night photography session. Good filters: a polarizer and a graduated neutral density filter (the latter can be somewhat duplicated with software). 

Medium format photographers are welcome, too. The instructors will probably bring along both film and digital cameras. Ken and Dave are also fond of cameras contained within their smartphones.

Memory and power: Bring enough memory cards. Cameras will be working all day, so sufficient battery power is important. Don't forget a battery charger and cable.

Film: There are many choices; the instructors like Fujichrome films for slides. Both Fuji and Kodak make excellent print films.

After you register, we’ll send additional information as the trip comes near.

Cancellations: There is a $100 cancellation fee. No refunds for cancellations made two weeks or less before the trip runs; however, if another person signs onto the trip after you’ve canceled, you’ll receive a full refund, minus the $100 cancellation fee.