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Dates: May 30 - June 4, 2008

Cost: $850.00 pp

Abstract: The Green Mountain Nature Photography Workshop provides a thorough overview of the use of single lens reflex (SLR) equipment (digital or film) to produce top quality natural history images for illustration, publication, education, and exhibition. Aspiring nature photographers, educators, interpretive naturalists, and anyone interested in learning the professional field techniques of nature photography will find this course invaluable. While the course employs natural history as its primary subject, the instruction also serves as a basic introduction to the use of SLR equipment for most any application.

This affordable workshop provides four full days of instruction and fieldwork in the heart of Vermont’s Great Northern Forest. You’ll have a delightful experience in the company of fellow nature photography enthusiasts learning and applying the techniques that will enable you to photograph wildlife, close-ups, and landscapes like the pros. The Green Mountain Nature Photography Workshop now also includes a primer in digital photography and the digital workflow. We’ll show you how to get your image files out of your camera and into a computer and how to use image editing software to produce gallery-quality prints from your digital images.

We will be based at the Lakeview Campground on the shore of picturesque Lake Eden in Eden Mills, Vermont. This area is also my home ground and is teeming with subjects from moose to carnivorous plants. Accommodations are comfortable, heated RVs with bathrooms. (Double occupancy.)

Deborah Godin and her daughters will be our hosts. Deb provides excellent home-cooked meals, hot showers, and the warmest hospitality you’ll find outside of your own family.

Itinerary

Friday, May 30: Arrival

Arrive at the Lakeview Campground and check in by 3:00 p.m. Become acquainted over wine and cheese. Evening field trip to Belvidere Pond for moose and sunset photos. Dinner.

D⁽¹⁾

Saturday, May 31

Breakfast. Morning field trip. Lunch. Classroom session: SLR fundamentals. Download images. Afternoon field trip. Dinner

B, L, D

Sunday, June 1

Breakfast. Morning field trip. Lunch. Classroom session: Overview of the digital workflow. Download images. Afternoon field trip. Dinner.

B, L, D

Monday, June 2

Breakfast. Morning field trip. Lunch. Classroom session: Lenses & strobe techniques. Download images. Afternoon field trip. Dinner.

B, L, D

Tuesday, June 3

Breakfast. Morning field trip. Lunch. Classroom session: Image processing. Download images. Afternoon field trip. Dinner.

B, L, D

Wednesday, June 4

Depart after breakfast or join the Falling Waters Tour.

B

Important Notes

⁽¹⁾ B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner

Price includes: accommodations (double occupancy), meals as indicated in the itinerary, instruction, and use of all Lake Eden facilities.

Price excludes: film, items of a personal nature such as snacks, souvenirs, telephone, and alcohol.

PARTICIPANTS MUST PROVIDE THEIR OWN LOCAL TRANSPORTATION.
ACCOMMODATIONS ARE RV’S WITH SHOWERS, KITCHENS, HEAT, AND ELECTRICAL HOOK-UPS . IF YOU WOULD PREFER MOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS, THESE ARE AVAILABLE 15 MILES FROM THE WORKSHOP SITE. CONTACT THE SUNSET MOTEL IN MORRISVILLE, VT AT (802) 888-4956.

PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN LAPTOP COMPUTER FOR PROCESSING IMAGES AND TO BE FAMILIAR WITH BASIC COMPUTER OPERATIONS. AN INTRODUCTORY VERSION OF BREEZE SYSTEMS DOWNLOADER PRO AND BREEEZEBROWSER WILL BE PROVIDED FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT ALREADY HAVE IMAGE CONVERSION SOFTWARE ON THEIR COMPUTERS. (NOTE: BREEZEBROWSER CAN ONLY CONVERT RAW FILES FROM CANON CAMERAS.)

Interested? Please contact me for more information.

Participant's Comments

"I can’t believe how much I learned during the week and how much I still remember! I’ve been using the techniques that I learned and am having much better results with my workflow and final pictures. I truly enjoyed learning about Vermont’s many plants and animals. The workshop has inspired me to learn more about the natural history of the northeast.
...
What I loved most about this program was that it took my photography to a new level in so many ways. I evidently gained more knowledge and confidence, but I also gained a lot of respect for the patience required to get absolutely superb shots. This respect is so deep in me now that I actually feel calmer when photographing this way.”

Kelly Schulze
Milk-Tester-Soon-To-Be-Photographer
Monkton, VT
Green Mountain Workshop Participant (June 2007)

"The workshop was a fabulous experience for me. The hands-on approach to each area of photography we learned helped to reinforce techniques because we were able to practice them over and over. To be able to spend as much time as we needed to get the shot just the way we wanted it, without being rushed was also great. The workshop was well organized, packed with so much information and yet was relaxed and fun at the same time. The experience fulfilled my expectations and then some.
...
You guys were the best. You were both professional, yet relaxed in your approach. You never appeared to be better than any one of us and were very generous with your time and experience. Your knowledge, work ethic and attention to detail made the workshop a pleasure to take. I learned so much from you. Your photographs weren’t bad either!!!
… this was truly the best workshop I have ever attended.”

Sue DeMaio
Photojournalist
Newington, CT
Green Mountain Workshop Participant (June 2007)