Take advantage of this unique opportunity to autonomously photograph these internationally renowned decaying Presidential sculptures in low light and IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ORGANIZED WORKSHOP. You will register on the property, sign a waiver form, then have 90 minutes of leisurely twilight shooting time before sunset - amongst only 7 other photographers. You will then have up to 3 1/2 hours to photograph the Heads in the dark.
NOTE: THIS PASS IS DESIGNED FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO PHOTOGRAPH THE HEADS INDEPENDENT OF ANY ORGANIZED WORKSHOP. THERE WILL BE NO TUTOR NOR ANY HIRED LIGHT PAINTER PRESENT, ONLY A CHAPERONE THAT WILL FACILITATE THE COORDINATION OF MULTIPLE PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOOTING THE HEADS IN THE DARK.
THIS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE REGARDLESS OF THE CLOUD CONDITIONS DURING THE EVENING. IT IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE ORGANIZER TO CANCEL THE EVENT DUE TO THE FORECAST. FULL REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED IN THE EVENT OF A CANCELLATION DUE TO WEATHER.
Be certain of your availabilty to attend this event prior to registration in that the only situations in which full refunds will be offered are due to a cancellation due to inclement weather.
You are responsible for bringing all of your own photography gear and are welcome to bring your own light painting equipment in that it will NOT be provided by the organizer.
FAQs
Is this a workshop? Will I be receiving any outside guidance/advice? This is not a workshop, rather a pass for photographers to do their own thing. There will be no instructor present. Only access to the Heads at night so you can create your own art.
I consider myself an amateur photographer. Is this event for me? No it is not. Guests at this event should be proficient with shooting in the dark, in order to get the most out of their time there. Specifically, they should be comfortable achieving manual focus at night and shooting long exposures in BULB mode. Most will be shooting with full frame cameras, f/2.8 wide angle lenses and use high quality tripods.
What is a "Buddy Pass"? A few passes have been made available for guests that might be traveling with the photographers. "Buddy Pass" holders can shoot during the twilight hours but are required to only spectate during the night shoot. This ensures that our paying photographers have minimal distractions and foot traffic during the dark hours.
Do you offer a similar event with accompanying instruction? Yes we do. It is called "The Presidents Heads Evening Photo Shoot & Light Painting Workshop".
Where do I go? Please arrive at Hampton Roads Materials at 8212 Croaker Road in Williamsburg, Va. in time for our 6PM orientation. Drive to the end of the long driveway and enter throught the gate on the left. Someone will be there to meet you.
What should I bring? Apart from all of your own photo gear, I would recommend a folding chair, footwear that can get ruined, plenty of batteries, lens cloths and a backup rig if you have one. I will be providing a cooler full of waters.
I am traveling from afar. Is there a place to stay nearby for the night? Williamsburg is 10 minutes away and has plenty of overnight accommodations that fit all budgets.
How can I contact the organizer with any questions? Please contact John Plashal at "thepresidentsheads@gmail.com" with any questions.
What's the refund policy? Be certain of your availability to attend prior to registering. Refunds will ONLY be issued if the shoot is cancelled due to inclement weather or poor attendance/registration. We do have a very low threshold for cancellation should precipitation or high winds be forecasted. An e-mail will be sent out to all registered guests 48 hours prior to the event with an update on the weather. In the event of a cancellation, you will be fully refunded and will have the ability to register for a future workshop.