2027 Magic in the Smokies

April 20-24, 2027


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*Kristen Ryan Photography is an authorized permittee of the National Park Service

Included in the workshop: 

*Welcome pdf with all the info you need!

* 4 days of photographic adventures in an amazing national park! 

  • 4 nights of lodging in a charming cabin in the woods - single occupancy

  • Small group limited to 6 attendees for lots of 1:1 attention

    * Welcome reception & dinner

  • Pre-retreat 15 minute photo chat with Kristen to prepare for the adventure

  • Private online group for community and sharing

Not included: Airfare, Transportation, meals, travel insurance (highly recommended)


DATES: April 20-24 - Retreat begins late in the day on the 20th and will wrap up on April 23rd after sunset so travel arrangements can be made anytime on April 24th

Skill Level: All skill levels welcome though a solid understanding of shooting in manual is recommended.

Activity Level:  Activity level is fairly mild to moderate as we will not be hiking long distances but our exploration may have us walking several miles a day. Many locations will have us quite close to the cars.

Investment: Investment: $3850 - Investment includes the 4 nights of lodging in a single occupancy room at a charming lodge in Townsend, TN, the peaceful side of the Smokies!

Not included: Airfare, Transportation, meals, travel insurance (highly recommended)

Deposit: A *deposit of $1000 will hold your place in the workshop. The remaining balance is due 90 days prior to the workshop*. Deposit is non refundable unless your spot is filled, in which case it will be refunded minus an administration fee. This same policy applies to the full tuition after it is paid. No exceptions.

Group Size: Limited to 6 to provide an intimate atmosphere and lots of 1:1 attention

Accomodations & Travel: 

Our home for the retreat provides the perfect resting place for us between all our photographic adventures. Townsend is approximately a 30-35 minute drive from Knoxville Airport. Our shooting locations vary from 20 minutes to 90 minutes from Townsend. The Smokies is a geographically large area so we do cover a lot of ground.

The lodge in which we are staying allows us to immerse ourselves in nature and enjoy the quiet atmosphere of Townsend.

During the retreat, we will carpool to locations so you may need to rent a car and/or contribute some cash to another attendee who volunteers to drive. We need 2 additional drivers to myself so that additional drivers can switch off!

View through the fog at Clingman’s Dome

Itinerary: Participants should be prepared to be flexible in the schedule. Weather and photographic conditions will dictate our schedule for shooting, discussion, meals and even sleep. We will take advantage of getting out in the field as much as possible while still providing time for meaningful connection, discussion and meals together.

The workshop time will be solely focused in the field but I am available for questions and post processing discussion after the retreat.

Photographic Opportunities: The Smokies are filled with photographic opportunities from landscape, intimate scenes, details and wildlife. Layers of mountains, cascading waters in the forests, enchanting trees, and black bears to name just a few. A sampling of locations on the itinerary include but are not limited to Cade’s Cove, Morton Overlook, Newfound Gap. Oconoluftee Overlook, Clingman’s Dome, and the Foothills Parkways.

** Kristen Ryan Photography is an authorized CUA permit holder of the National Park Service and will conduct my workshop based on the permit's guidelines.

*** Terms and Conditions