Nature Photography Weekend

This event is now sold out. Please email media@grandfather.com to be placed on a waiting list. In your email, please note the quantity and type of passes you are interested in.

This popular shutterbug weekend includes presentations from top nature photographers, hands-on field courses, a friendly contest and the rare opportunity to photograph the mountain’s spectacular scenery and native animals before and after regular business hours.

This revamped version of the popular weekend will include changes to better welcome all levels of photographers, making it more fun and engaging for all – while better connecting participants with the wonders and unique ecology of Grandfather Mountain. This year, more than ever, we hope to not only help participants learn about photography, but to also inspire them to preserve the natural world. Activities begin Friday evening and conclude Sunday midday.

Confirmed speakers and field course leaders for 2023: Tommy White, Ian Shive and J Smilanic.

Registration
This event is now sold out. Please email media@grandfather.com to be placed on a waiting list. In your email, please note the quantity and type of passes you are interested in.

Event Ticket Costs for 2023
Participant Pass (includes contest) – Pass includes three-day admission to the park, entry into the weekend’s contest, the opportunity to camp at Woods Walk, the Friday social, the Saturday dinner, speaker presentations and sunrise/sunset access: $140/person. Contest Rules & Requirements here. 
Attendee Pass (does not include contest) – Pass includes three-day admission to the park, the opportunity to camp at Woods Walk, the Friday social, the Saturday dinner, speaker presentations and sunrise/sunset access: $115/person

Registered NPW participants and attendees have access to purchase the following items for their guests. Guest passes are for individuals who are on the mountain the weekend of NPW with a registered participant or attendee but not attending or participating in the event themselves. These passes provide a discounted three-day admission pass, as well as the opportunity to attend the Friday social and/or Saturday dinner.
Guest Adult Pass (three-day admission to Grandfather) – $60
Guest Child (ages 4-12) Pass (three-day admission to Grandfather) – $25
Guest Pass to Friday Social – $10
Guest Pass to Saturday Dinner – $15

Field Course Tickets for 2023
Field courses offered by the NPW speakers are special add-on opportunities. These are more hands-on workshops that allow participants and attendees one-on-one instruction from a speaker. Group sizes are usually limited to 20 people. Field course spots are limited, and attendance is not included in your event registration. There will be an additional cost of $10 to attend a field course.

In the spirit of fairness, we are changing the registration process for field courses. 2023 Field Courses will be announced Thursday, May 18. (5/17/23 UPDATE: They are now included in the schedule below. An email with more details will go out to 2023 attendees and participants by end of day May 18.)  Registered 2023 participants and attendees are able to submit their field course interest (look for details on how to do this in the May 18 email) by end of day Tuesday, May 23. Field course spots will then be randomly drawn, and “winners” will be able to purchase their “spot” before the actual event. (More details to come!) An effort will be made to get all interested folks into at least one field course.

Program Itinerary (A more detailed schedule will be shared closer to the event!)
Friday, June 9, 2023
8 a.m. –  The mountain opens and event attendees given access to the park
1 – 2 p.m. – Beginner’s Guide Field Course at MacRae Meadows – Park in gravel lot across from Meadows and meet at gate that is the furthest from the park.
2 – 5 p.m. – Check-in at MacRae Meadows – Gate closest to the park.
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. – Stephen Fletcher Presentation about the Hugh Morton Collection at UNC-CH (Hodges Theater)
4:30 – 8 p.m. – Berrie Smith Camera Cleaning (Outside Classroom in the Clouds) (Additional cost)
4:45 – 5:30 p.m. – Beginner’s Guide Presentation (Classroom in the Clouds)
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. – Welcome, Overview of Weekend, Naturalist Presentation, Don Nelson Award Winner announced, Contest Overview (Classroom in the Clouds)
6:30 – 7:45 p.m. – NPW Social (light bites, music and a time to meet new and old friends) (Williams Outdoor Learning Space)
8 p.m. – Access to the Wilson Center closes
8:43 p.m. – Official Sunset Time
11 p.m. – Time to leave mountain, if not camping at Woods Walk

Saturday, June 10, 2023
5 a.m. –  Gate opens for sunrise for NPW attendees/participants
6:10 a.m. – Official Sunrise Time
8 – 9 a.m. – Late Check-in (Outside the Classroom in the Clouds)
8:30 – 10 a.m. – Optional Add-on Field Courses (Additional $10 Registration Required)
– Ian Shive Field Course: Casual Hike With Ian Shive (Learn Ian’s approach, both technically and compositionally) Location: Black Rock Trail (Meet at Black Rock Trailhead at Black Rock Parking Lot)
– Tommy White Field Course: Grandfather Exploration (How to expand your visionary skills and “see” interesting light and compositions in the field.) Location: Around the Conservation Campus (Meet at Linville Bluffs Picnic Area)
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Classroom in the Clouds open for NPW attendees’/participants’ use
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Berrie Smith Camera Cleaning (Outside Classroom in the Clouds) (Additional cost)
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Optional Add-on Field Courses (Additional $10 Registration Required)
– Ian Shive Field Course: Storytelling (How a series of images could be captured in a way that they tell a complete story of a location.) Location: Linville Bluffs Picnic Area
– Tommy White Field Course: Macro Session – Exploring the Micro World of Grandfather Mountain. Location: Grandfather Extension Trail (Meet at the Grandfather Extension Trailhead at Black Rock Parking Lot)
4 p.m. – Contest Turn-in Deadline (Outside Classroom in the Clouds)
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. – “Developing your Vision in Photography” Presentation by Tommy White (Classroom in the Clouds)
5:30 – 6:15 p.m. – Buffet Dinner (Classroom in the Clouds)
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. – “America’s Wildest Places” Presentation by Ian Shive (Classroom in the Clouds)
8 p.m. – Access to the Wilson Center closes
8:44 p.m. – Official Sunset Time
11 p.m. – Time to leave mountain, if not camping at Woods Walk

Sunday, June 11, 2023
5 a.m. –  Gate opens for sunrise for NPW attendees/participants
6:10 a.m. – Official Sunrise Time
7 – 8:30 a.m. – Optional Add-on Field Course (Additional $10 Registration Required)
– J Smilanic Field Course: Finding Balance in Your Composition – the key to pleasing images. Location: Linville Peak/Top of Bridge Trail (Meet at the Top Shop)
8 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Berrie Smith Camera Cleaning (Outside Classroom in the Clouds) (Additional cost)
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. – Optional Add-on Breakfast (Mildred’s Grill) – $10 per person
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. – “Digital Scouting: Using Software to Become a Better Explorer and Photographer” Presentation by J Smilanic (Classroom in the Clouds)
11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. – NPW Contest Awards Presentation. Contest Rules & Requirements here. 
12:30 – 2 p.m. – Optional Add-on Field Course (Additional $10 Registration Required)
– J Smilanic Field Course: Digital Navigation and Photography Scouting Using Gaia GPS and Peak Finder. Location: TBA
3 p.m. – All tents need to be out of Woods Walk area

Don Nelson Award – Image Submissions Due Tuesday, June 6 at 5 p.m. Read more!

Camping at Woods Walk
The opportunity to camp at the Woods Walk Picnic Area the Friday and Saturday nights of the event is extended to event participants, attendees and registered guests. There is no additional cost for this. Tent and vehicle camping allowed, only. A very (VERY) small bathroom is available in this area with toilets and water fountains. Other than some grills and fresh mountain air, there are no other amenities. There are wild bears on the mountain, and proper food storage protocol for camping must be practiced.

Refunds/Cancellations
The majority of Grandfather Mountain events generally sell out and have a waiting list. If you cannot attend the event that you registered for, please let us know. Full refunds will be given to individuals who reach out to us at least five days before the event. This allows time for individuals on the waiting list to make accommodations to attend the event. To cancel your registration, please call 828-733-2013, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

See winners from 2022 and read more about this popular annual event.