In October 2022, I traveled to Bentonville city and the Ozark Mountains of northwestern Arkansas state, USA, to participate in a photography workshop organized by Arizona Highways PhotoScapes. Professional photographer David Jaffe taught the workshop and guide Ron York provided invaluable support. I knew nothing about Arkansas and I have never visited the state nor the region. That was why I signed up for this workshop.
Bentonville in Arkansas
I arrived 3 days before the workshop to spend some time in Bentonville, a city with about 55,000 people. I enjoy great restaurants such as
I stayed at the Best Western Plus Castlerock Inn & Suites in Bentonville. I visited several iconic places such as The Walmart Museum and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
Ozark
Ozark Mountains in Arkansas
Our group of 8 people in the workshop drove to the Ozark Mountains (see Google Map) to photograph the autumn landscapes. Temperatures were in the range of 45 F (7 C) to 65 F (18 C). Weather was foggy and rainy sometimes.
We spent time at the Buffalo River near Ponca, Arkansas, at an elevation of 1073 feet (327 meters). Then we visited the Blanchard Springs and the Blanchard Springs Caverns. Finally, we visited the Petit Jean State Park.
Photographic Tools
- camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II.
- lens: M.Zuiko ED 7-14mm f2.8 Pro.
- lens: M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 Pro.
- lens: M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 R.
- tripod: Slik Pro 714CF II.
- filter holder: Conklin Z-Pro.
- filter: Singh-Ray 3-stop graduated neutral density.
- filter: Nisi 5-stop graduated neutral density.
- filter: Lee 6-stop neutral density.
- filter: Sigma circular polarizer.
- memory: SanDisk SD cards.
- bag: Tamrac Stratus.
- software: Adobe Lightroom Classic.