Join professional outdoor photographer and Sony ambassador Scott Kranz for a four-day photography workshop in North Cascades National Park—a place Scott calls his favorite on Earth. Known for his 50 PEAKS and WA100 projects, Scott has spent years exploring and documenting this rugged landscape and is eager to share its beauty and stories with you.
This immersive workshop includes moderate to strenuous day hikes into remote terrain and drive-up photography sessions. We’ll capture epic mountain landscapes, intimate natural details, wildlife encounters, and astrophotography, all while experiencing some of the park’s most stunning viewpoints.
What you’ll learn: choosing and packing essential camera gear; researching location insights and trip planning; mastering exposure settings and camera techniques; creating compelling compositions in various ecoregion within the park and range; learning Scott’s complete creative process—from concept to final edit; and much more.
Workshop details:
Dates and Start/End Times: Thursday, July 17 (morning) – Sunday, July 20, 2025 (midday)
Group Size: Limited to four (4) participants for personalized instruction
Accommodations (NEW to 2025!): Private and shared rooms area available in our home base: a top-rated riverfront mountain cabin offering resort-like luxury and convenient access to the area's best hikes, rivers, and lakes! This venue will serve as the perfect space for group discussions and learning in between outings and for blissful rest and recharge between sunset and sunrise.
Pre-Workshop Connection: Scott will connect with each participant beforehand to learn about your background, goals, and aspirations. You’ll also receive a detailed welcome packet with the full itinerary and packing list.
Important consideration: This workshop requires excellent physical fitness. Expect to hike 10 miles round trip, gaining 3,000-4,000 feet in elevation at a pace of 2 miles per hour, while carrying camera gear and a day pack. (View a typical, representative hike here.) The routes often includes steep and exposed terrain, so comfort and confidence in these conditions are essential.
DATE: July 17-20, 2025
GROUP SIZE: up to 4
COST: Starting at $1499 USD + lodging
DIFFICULTY: Moderate & Strenuous Hiking
4.9 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (13 reviews)
About your instructor:
Scott Kranz
Scott Kranz is a Minnesota-bred, Seattle-based photographer, filmmaker, and educator. When he moved from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest in 2013, he couldn’t have imagined how the mountains there would forever change his life. He just knew their natural beauty held an undeniable power, and that his life’s work would soon become visual storytelling in the outdoor spaces where we work and play. Since then, Scott has become an industry leader, partnering with the world’s leading outdoor brands while shooting on all seven continents.
What is included?
New to 2025: Accommodations at a top-rated riverfront mountain cabin in the heart of the North Cascades for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights available for purchase (please see order form for accommodation options and pricing)
All workshop photo education in the field over four workshop days.
Guided shooting for sunrise, sunset, and astrophotography in North Cascades National Park.
Trail snacks, water, coffee, and tea.
Certified NOLS Wilderness First Responder and LNT Trainer on site.
The requisite Commercial Use Authorization for North Cascades National Park.
What is NOT included?
Transportation to, from, and during the workshop.
Dinner, breakfast and lunches.
Any accommodations before or after workshop, such as the nights of Wednesday, July 16, or Sunday, July 20
All travel insurance and gear insurance.
What to expect:
Scott will keep the itinerary flexible to account for the current weather, lighting, and conditions at the workshop locations. We will let the weather and light guide our shooting plans each day to ensure you can maximize your photography, capturing both epic mountain landscapes and intimate natural features in this world-class park and mountain range.
Conditions permitting, our days will be long, as we plan to rise early for sunrise shoots and continue until sunset to take advantage of the best light, making the most of each day. For reference, during this workshop, the sun will rise by 5:15am and does not set until after 9:00pm. During the middle of the day, we’ll often take advantage of our wonderful base camp—an off-grid, riverfront cabin offering resort-like luxury (including a hot tub) and peaceful sights and sounds. At this base camp, in between outings, we’ll cover topics like composition, manual shooting, trip planning, and much more. We’ll also conduct an image critique and a post-processing lesson, covering RAW processing and conversion, stitching panoramas, and adding final touches to enhance an image.
Some shooting will be done close to the road, while other times we may hike to reach prime backcountry locations in remote areas. Expect strenuous hikes with approximately 3,000-4,000 feet of elevation gain over 10 miles each day. Participants should be physically fit for hiking with loaded packs on maintained backcountry trails for consecutive days. In advance of the workshop, we may ask about your fitness and hiking experience to confirm your ability to fully participate and ensure a successful workshop
