Fall Foliage Photography WorkshopS: North CAROLINA Mountains

Sept. 25-27, Oct. 2-4, Oct. 9-11, Oct. 16-18

Early bird pricing $999

Book your WORKSHOP DATE(S) NOW

In this fall foliage workshop, I’ll lead you to my favorite spots along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. Most of them pullovers and a few short popular hikes.

You’ll get a custom private experience addressing your goals and challenges as a photographer — in stunning field locations at the best time of year. I offer three workshop slots each of these weekends, Multi-day workshops are discounted.

Fall foliage in the North Carolina mountains starts to peak along the Blue Ridge Parkway in late September and rolls down to lower elevation through Halloween.

Every year, the fall foliage season in southern Appalachia overlaps with hurricane season. And as a photojournalist freelancing with Getty Images, the New York Times and the Associated Press I’ve been covering the biggest hurricanes in the American South for more than a decade and each fall I block off my schedule for hurricane deployment and head to southern Appalachia.

I have a micro camper van that I’ve built specifically to cover hurricanes and I test out gear and logistics off grid while making photos and exploring this impressive landscape.

And after multiple trips each season and thousands of miles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, I’ve learned where and when fall foliage season peaks in western North Carolina — and some places to make photos.

I’m not a landscape photographer. I’ve been a photojournalist for more than 25 years and I frequently shoot mountain scenes with a 70-200mm at f/4 and f/5.6. This is not a landscape photography workshop.

But you’ll probably be making landscape photography a lot. If you are interested in a documentary photography workshop in western North Carolina I offer that in a different workshop.

That said, I’m still a working photojournalist covering hurricanes and in the event that I get deployed to cover a disaster, my contingency plan is as follows:

You’ll get a full credit for another workshop at equal or lesser value, or a full refund of workshop tuition. In either case you’ll receive 50% off your next workshop and you’ll get a self-guided itinerary with maps that I make just for you and delivered via PDF.

I also keep tabs on current road closures because of ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. The Blue Ridge Parkway is still not fully open after damage in 2024. I covered Helene from landfall in Florida and into these mountains where I hiked into Bat Cave and Chimney Rock. Through the riverbed.

What photographers say about Sean’s Instruction

“If you don't know where you want to go, you can't set your GPS. This [workshop] reeled me in and I feel like I have a trajectory. I can set my GPS now. I think it gave me chills.”

-Elisa

“Hearing directly from someone actively working at a high level shortens the learning curve and gives clear direction on how to carve out space for yourself. Sean doesn’t sugarcoat challenges, but provides guidance to make the work sustainable and approachable. I feel more prepared to focus, stay ethical, and continue producing meaningful work without getting lost in the noise.”

-Katherine Beard

“Sean has WAY more experience in the documentary photography/photojournalism and he was able to help me figure out a path to what I see as success.

-Jim Conyers

“As someone trying to break into the industry it was really helpful to finally speak with someone who has so much experience. I found Sean's ability to provide advice on a one on one basis really beneficial. Sean listened to where I was in my career, gave me realistic expectations about the industry, and encouraged me to start my own site to host photo essays.”

-Thomas Hunter

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR:

"Imagine Indiana Jones with a camera and a mini camper, half world-changing photographer and half adventurer." -The Free Times (Columbia, SC)

As a photojournalist based in Columbia, South Carolina, I’ve covered the Palmetto State since 1997. In 1983, Princess Diana read to my classmates and me when I was living in Alice Springs, Australia.

A 2001 grad from the University of South Carolina, I’ve photographed thousands of assignments and tackled more than a hundred personal projects. In 2021, one of my photos was published in Time Magazine’s “Best Photos of the Year” and my photographs have been exhibited at The Columbia Museum of Art on multiple occasions. I’ve self published three photo books and more than a dozen photo zines. During the months of January and February I snowbird in Florida. My folks live near Daytona.

Photography has been an integral part of my life and career for nearly 30 years and I love sharing these types of experiences with others.

Before becoming a full-time photographer, I tended bar at a historic indie music venue for more than a decade. Before the music club, I was an assistant manager at a record store and an on-air DJ at WUSC 90.FM. Music has played a very significant role in my life and most of my friends are probably musicians.

I like the outdoors, rivers and boats. My everyday driver is a micro camper-van.

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