Your deposit guarantees your spot on the workshop and is nonrefundable. If you wish to protect the expenses you have invested in the workshop, I highly recommend purchasing travel insurance. It is a very affordable and widely available way to protect your purchase in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Such insurance often provides coverage for losses suffered in the event of trip cancellation and interruption, travel delay, loss of baggage and travel documents, baggage delay, medical emergencies and accidental death.
The total cost payable to Scott Aspinall Photography for any given Photography Workshop is listed directly on the webpage for each individual Workshop as the “Investment” (Henceforth called Tuition). Tuition for all Workshops are subject to the terms of this Payment & Cancelation Policy, as well as the Terms & Conditions provide on this website.
Tuition for each Workshop will be paid in one of two methods: (1) In full upon registration; or (2) through a non-refundable deposit made at the time of registration and the remaining Tuition balance due no later than forty-five (45) days prior to your Workshop’s start time. If full Tuition is not received by the date that it is due, Scott Aspinall Photography reserves the right to cancel your reservation and retain any deposit or payments made toward your Tuition.
Should you need to cancel your registration for any reason, you must send a notice of cancellation to Scott Aspinall Photography in writing, which will become effective as of the date sent (i.e., the date postmarked for standard mail, or the date/time sent for electronic communications).
All refunds are subject to a 4% processing fee and will be processed within two weeks of the workshop’s conclusion.
If your Workshop is postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19 or Public Health Orders forty-five (45) days or more before the Workshop begins, the above cancellation policy where notice of cancellation is received forty-five (45) days or more before your Workshop begins will apply.
As a small business in the global travel industry, Scott Aspinall Photography is greatly affected by global outbreaks such as COVID-19, and we cannot provide mass refunds where Covid-19 or Public Health Orders result in the cancellation of a Workshop less than forty-five (45) days before the Workshop begins. Unfortunately, there will be no exceptions to this ‘no-refund policy’ in the case of Covid-19 and Public Health Orders. This applies if your local travel restrictions related to COVID-19 prohibit you from attending the workshop. It is your responsibility to provide written notice of such restrictions to Scott Aspinall Photography if they prohibit you from attending the Workshop at the earliest convenience.
If Covid-19 or Public Health Orders by the Government of Saskatchewan prohibit us from running the Workshop on the dates listed on the Webpage, a reasonable effort will be made to postpone the workshop until such a time as it becomes possible to host the Workshop again. In the case you are unable to attend the Workshop on the postponed date, your Tuition will be transferred to an alternate workshop run by Scott Aspinall Photography less any expenses already incurred such as insurance, licensing, promotional costs, accommodations, etc.
Ultimately weather is out of our control. When conditions aren’t favourable for a specific genre of photography (ie. 100% cloud cover during a night photography session), we will embrace them, change our thinking, and make the best of them. However, sometimes conditions can prohibit us from being outdoors (ie. thick wildfire smoke) and in these situations, we will supplement with processing instruction, image/portfolio critique, alternate nearby locations (if possible), or rest. Be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. Information regarding weather preparation specific to your workshop will be provided with workshop materials prior to the start of the workshop.
Every workshop is different so please refer to the “What’s Included” section on the Webpage.
Typically, though, my workshops include in-field instruction, location guidance, and in some cases, a recorded video of the provided processing instruction. Flights, lodging, rental cars, and meals are not included (unless otherwise specified). For most workshops, lodging during the course of the workshop is included as well as transportation to and from locations. Transportation is in my 7 seater SUV so if a workshop sells out, it means a full vehicle with participants and gear. If makes you more comfortable, you can choose to drive your own vehicle or carpool with other participants during the workshop. If this is the case, please reach out to me.
For most workshops breaks for lunchtime will be provided. It is highly advised that you eat breakfast before the daily meet-up time and carry snacks with you. We prioritize photographing these amazing locations and maximizing our shooting opportunities, and in some cases, we could be a significant distance away from amenities.
Yes, your significant other IS allowed to come! There are a few conditions though. There is a fee that varies per workshop that covers things like insurance, lodging, etc. I do have a vehicle (possible two, depending on demand) for our workshop that is set to fit only the workshop participants in, so they will need their own vehicle to follow along (the exception is during a storm chase. Due to safety concerns, I only allow drivers with Saskatchewan backroad experience on chases. If there is room inside a vehicle with an approved driver, your significant other can join us). Secondly, workshop accommodations are set up for double occupancy, so if your significant other does join, they will be responsible for the single room supplement fee (varies per workshop). I want your partner to enjoy their trip, but they must understand that they are on our time, which means we will not leave a shoot early for them. Lastly, the biggie, there is to be no use of any other camera besides a cell phone or point-and-shoot and they must understand that they will receive no personalized instruction.
Because of the flexible nature of this workshop, I cannot guarantee 5-star accommodations. While I make every effort to ensure the comfort and safety of participants, south Saskatchewan can be sparsely populated and, if we end up in a remote area of the province and need to spend the night, we might have to stay in a small-town motel, Airbnb, or local bed and breakfast. I have chosen Swift Current as our home base because it sits within a 90-minute drive of many of the locations we plan to visit so we could, potentially, return to our hotel that night. Swift Current is a small city with many hotels that include the amenities you might expect. That said, there are locations that are further away and we have no control over where we might end up on a big storm day, so an open mind to where will stay will go a long way to your enjoyment. Plus, there are many great, hospitable people living in these small, remote towns that are always welcoming to new faces.
I do my best to keep your safety as a number one priority. No shot is worth risking your life. There will be times, though, where you will be in situations where conditions need to be closely monitored. The biggest safety issue in a workshop is not knowing your limitations. Each workshop varies on the amount of physical fitness required, so please read up before you sign up!
Storm chasing is an inherently risky activity. Supercell thunderstorms on the Saskatchewan plains are as dangerous as they are beautiful. That’s why we have a specific safety plan in place that we cover in-depth during our orientation. Our safety will always come first and there is no shot worth losing your life over, but we are not in control, Mother Nature is. Although I’ve never been injured during my years of chasing, there have been some close calls. Part of storm chasing is accepting the risk that any given chase could result in serious injury or even death. Some of that risk can be negated by a clear safety plan and good forecasting but, there is always some level of risk that must be accepted while chasing supercell thunderstorms.
The short answer is “quite a bit”. This could mean sunrise, storm photography, sunset, and night photography all in the course of one day. Now, it’s unlikely that conditions will be optimal for a day like this, you are on my workshop to learn, so I want you shooting as much as possible. Even during conditions that are unfavourable for most, we will be out. Although we will shoot a lot, there will still be plenty of downtime to catch some rest and edit.
On some days a lot, on some very little. A long day of driving could result in 5 or 6 hours in the vehicle. On other days, it could be as little as an hour or two. It all depends on where we are and what the goals for our day will be.