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Hill Country Snapshots

April 11-14, 2024

Continuing Professional Education

32 Possible CPE Hours
Art / Media
Learn More

Check out photo galleries of previous retreats

  2019  | 2021

“It was a wonderful retreat! We all got along so well and I just can’t say enough about what an excellent teacher there was!”

-Participant of Hill Country Snapshots

The perfect 4-day getaway to hone your photography skills through classroom instruction and fun outdoor activities!

Spend four glorious, photography-filled days in the Texas Hill Country capturing some of wonders of all that the world around us has to offer. Learn more about the art of photography, and increase your skill level.

This retreat is PERFECT for beginner and intermediate level photographers with DSLR or Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras!

If you have been shooting in ‘Auto’ mode, you have been missing out on so many other great features in your camera. This class takes you beyond ‘automatic’ and teaches you the important fundamentals of photography.

This is a 50/50 mix of classroom instruction and fun outdoor photography activities which will help reinforce what you learn in the classroom

The classroom instruction will ensure you have a firm understanding of the fundamentals of photography and how to use your camera most effectively to create excellent images.

We will cover both the technical and artistic aspects of photography including creative techniques.

Put what you learn in class into practice around Mo-Ranch’s 500 acres:

  • In a beautiful photographer’s paradise on the North Fork of the Guadalupe River with hiking trails and habitats including aquatic, riparian areas, grasslands, oak-juniper woodlands and limestone hills.
  • Explore the fascinating architecture of the many buildings on the ranch.
  • Participants can capture wildlife, such as birds, in different feeding and travel patterns.
  • By late March, the wildflowers at Mo-Ranch and the nearby Hill Country habitat include Bluebonnets, Wine Cups, Indian Paintbrushes, Indian Blanket, Antelope Horn Milkweed, Milk Vetch, Spiderwort, Texas Lantana, Drummond’s Phlox, Texas Groundsel, Texas Vervain, White Prickly Poppies, Pink Evening Primrose and many, many more.
  • Weather permitting, we will also try to capture some beautiful sunrise photos and for those willing to stay up late, we’ll show you how to create great images of the beautiful night sky and Milky Way.
  • Attend/take the workshop with a photographer friend and you can share a room to reduce costs!

Charlie McRae

 

Charlie has over twenty years of photographic experience in close to twenty countries around the world. He loves traveling, has lived outside of the USA as an expat in China teaching English for almost a decade. His photos speak for themselves, have a look at his portfolio!

https://www.charliemcrae.com/

 

Cost and Housing

Hotel lodging is available! The conference fee listed below covers your housing, conference meals (Thursday afternoon thru Sunday breakfast) and program tuition. After receiving your registration, a member of our team will contact you within seven business days to confirm additional details such as housing requests (roommates), dietary needs, t-shirt sizes, etc. 

Single Occupancy room: $725

Double Occupancy room: $525

Commuter Rate: $315

Refer a friend and receive 10 percent off the total price of the retreat!

Promotional guidelines are as follows:

  1. Participants must be registered within two weeks of the retreat’s start date.
  2. Participants must list the person’s full name who referred them to the conference in the “additional notes” section of the online registration form. If registering by phone, the participant must register with Echo Truax and clearly state the person’s name who referred them to the conference.
  3. Referral credits are applied once the referred family has signed up and charges are processed. 

Scholarships are available! Click here to learn more.

For help with or questions about registration, contact the registrar at registrar@moranch.com or 800-460-4401 x 246.

Cancellation

Full refund minus administrative fee up to $75 per person will be made if cancellation is received more than 30 days prior to the conference. There are generally no refunds for cancellations received on or after 30 days prior to the start of the event nor any applying of the amount paid toward other charges or future conferences.

What to Bring

Bring your camera, camera battery and charge, any lenses you own, and if you have a tripod, bring that also!

Linens are provided. Bring sturdy shoes suitable for Mo-Ranch’s rocky, uneven terrain, casual clothing, a swimsuit and river shoes to enjoy the river. Bring a light jacket/sweater, flashlight, insect repellent, water bottle, large brimmed sun hat and sunscreen.

Transportation

Mo-Ranch is 90 miles one-way, or a 2-hour drive from the nearest airport (SAT), allow 3 hours travel/check-in time for departures. We recommend generally scheduling arriving flights before 3 p.m. and departing flights after 3 p.m. to be sure you do not miss any of your event. If you are in need of shuttle service to Mo-Ranch, call Kars for Hire in Kerrville at (830) 890-8200 at least 15 days in advance to arrange transportation from San Antonio International Airport. Click here for directions to Mo.

Bookstore

Make sure to stop by the Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly bookstore during your conference to pick out a souvenir!

Questions

We’re happy to help! Contact us at 1.800.460.4401 ext. 246 or registrar@moranch.org.

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