The day had a distinctive autumn quality, with the rich earthy scents of the forest and trees and water. We had a great time exploring the scenic beauty of the park. Participants captured great shots that convey the rugged loveliness of Roman Nose, the springs, waterfalls, mesas and WPA architecture.

Participant Photos

Photos By Robin 

Photos By Brandy 

Red Rock Canyon State Park is an unexpected oasis on the Oklahoma’s Great Plains.  Used as a stopover for wagon trains traveling over the California Trail, the canyon is a hidden on the fringes between the arid west and the Central Great Plains of Oklahoma.  On the California Trail nature trail in the south end of the park, you can still see the ruts the horse-drawn wagons furrowed deep into the red sandstone as they lumbered into and out of the canyon.

Saturday morning we will explore the 2 ½ mile long canyon floor with our cameras, focusing on the autumn-colored trees set against the steep 45-50-ft red sandstone walls and the rock wall crevasses where perennial natural springs seep through the sandstone creating lush oasis’s of ferns and other unique flora.

We will hike along the Rough Horsetail nature trail through stands of cane and along a winding path flanked by ancient twisted trees. We will also hike along the California Trail nature trail, through a transition zone from the lush protected canyon floor to the rim of the canyon with views of the upland prairie dotted with gnarled cedars, yucca, and mesquite.

Workshop limited to 10 participants
Cost per person $125

Nature Photography Workshop Schedule

Roman Nose State Park has so much to offer. The landscape is characteristic of western Oklahoma with gypsum-encrusted mesas, cactus, yucca, and twisted cedar trees. Roman Nose also has cool, clear running springs that make the wooded areas in the park a perfect oasis and very photogenic. Roman Nose is a old park, with delightful old WPA architecture that blends into the surrounding terrain like it was always there. The Three Springs Area has beautiful flowing waterfalls and winding trails.

We will meet in the parking lot of Roman Nose Lodge and hike to the top of a mesa over-looking Watonga Lake and the rugged surrounding terrain. We will then explore the Three Springs Area until we stop for a quick sack lunch then back to photographing the park until late afternoon.

For more information. Fall 2011 Nature Photography Workshop

Oklahoma Photography Workshops Fall 2011 Roman Nose
Workshop is $125 per person and limited to 10 participants.

 

View Roman Nose State Park Map in a larger map

Helpful Links

Roman Nose State Park information on Travel OK.com

Oklahoma State Park Reservations

Watonga Motel

Last Friday and Saturday a diverse group of Oklahoma photographers participated in 
the Keystone Nature Photography Workshop. The weather cooperated, at least there was not a rainout. However, nature and landscape photographers understand - bad weather (prior to, after, and from a distance) is actually good weather for making great dramatic and dynamic photographs.   

The Keystone Workshop group set out early and headed first to the Arkansas River near the old State Highway 51 west of Sand Springs. The headlamps and flashlights of the photographers bobbing down the steep grade to the dark and silent river reminded me of a torchlight parade down a mountainside.

The participants set up their tripods in anticipation of the first light. We all watched and recorded the scene as the night sky slowly turned from black into subtle shades of pink and orange, reflecting and lighting up the rock-studded water along the shoreline and the small pools that dot the rock strewn river bottom.

The next stop was Dawson Ridge, a rocky, driftwood-lined shoreline on Keystone Lake, a place where nature’s elements found there sums up the Oklahoma Photography Keystone Workshop’s land, wood, water theme.

Our last stop was the Keystone Ancient Preserve, a wild and untouched section along the shoreline of Keystone Lake where ancient post-oak and cedar trees are scattered among a thick forest of hardwood trees turning a myriad of shades of reds, yellows, and russets.

With beautiful early morning light and spectacular settings, photographers came back with some truly beautiful photographs. Please check out the Participant Gallery.

Intermediate Two-day Nature Photography Workshop at Keystone Lake and Keystone State Park
Workshop limited to 15 participants - Registration is closed.

Thank you for your interest. Please check back for updates about future nature photography workshops and upcoming Oklahoma Conservation Photography Surveys.

Join Oklahoma’s resident nature and conservation photographer, Kim Baker for a nature photography workshop with field trips to some of her favorite places at the edge of Keystone Lake and the Arkansas River in this two-day event sponsored by Oklahoma Photography Workshops.com.

Set along the rocky, driftwood-lined shorelines of Keystone Lake and the braided Arkansas River, this photographic workshop will introduce participants to a new way of exploring the natural world.

Kim will share her unique approach to nature photography with emphasize on techniques for photographing water and identifying visual elements in the landscape that make an image dynamic and arresting. Participants are encouraged to bring tripods, for low-light photography in the field; workshop fieldwork will include early and late shooting when the quality of light is at its best.

Adobe Acrobat file:  Keystone Nature Photography Workshop Schedule

Google Map: Case Community Center, Sand Springs, OK