A beautiful bird photography workshop, especially as a compliment to the Northern Warblers and More Workshop, adding the possibility of 10 more species of eastern warblers and many other species, in different forests and understory, with different vegetation.
If you sign up for this workshop and the Northern Warblers and More Workshop in northern Michigan you will receive a $400 discount, applied to the combined total for both of them.
Scroll down to the images further below from my past experiences at these forests to get an idea of the type of images possible on this workshop.
April 20-25
5 and 1/2 days in the field
$3,000; $600 deposit
Cost does not include lodging or meals. It does include a full camo outfit for each participant, which will be worn during shooting. The suits really help.
We have options for lodging and you will be notified.
Closest airport is in Columbus, Ohio.
I always want to communicate with potential attendees before registering. Send me an e-mail with any inquiries to: pwaynerossi@gmail.com or call 906 379-4950
Once you have decided to attend, please make a check or money order out to: Paul Rossi / 1181 South Palmerlee Road / Cedarville, Michigan 49719
Once I have received your deposit your spot will be secured and I will send your complete registration package by mail.
Maximum of 4 participants; 3 minimum, otherwise the workshop will be cancelled and your full deposit will be refunded.
We will start in Zaleski State Forest for 2 and 1/2 days, travel down to Shawnee State Forest on the 3rd day, and spend the next 3 days in Shawnee. In doing so, we take advantage of the early arriving species and the later arriving species. I have found that this is the best way to get the most out of what the area offers, at the right time, in one trip.
I have visited Zaleski State Forest and Shawnee State Forest on many years in the past, and I am very familiar with all of their habitats and all of the birds that occupy those habitats, and I know all of the songs of all of their birds. I apply the same techniques to find birds as I do with the birds of northern Michigan, and maximize our time with cooperative birds.
Participants will need to follow Paul in their own vehicle to the shooting locations. Carpooling is optional, but recommended. We will get in and out of our cars often: each time I find a cooperative bird with good potential for excellent images. I will motion to participants to get out of their vehicles and quickly set-up their gear. A high clearance vehicle is not necessary, but a low clearance vehicle should not be used.
You will photograph mainly from a standing position, behind your tripods, but sometimes from a camping stool. There will be a lot of standing. Most of our photography will be less than 150 yards from our vehicles. We will sometimes walk to the most photogenic locations with the best light – usually not more than 300 yards.
My goal is to make you as comfortable as possible during our outings so you can concentrate well on the task at hand. Let me know when you need a bathroom break.
Our day will start by being on location at 7 am. We will usually end around 7:45 pm
Bring
– clothing that is not white or brilliant in color: dull green, brown, black, beige, dark blue – all work well. Long pants, long shirts, and sweatshirts that mosquitoes cannot penetrate. Make sure that any jacket you use while doing bird photography does not make noise as you move your arms – the noise scares some birds. There will be some mosquitoes and/or black flies at times. The Coleman Mosquito Head net (available at Walmart) works well to keep them away and your vision is still clear, and you can look through the camera viewfinder well – make sure you have this item or something similar.
- clothing to be prepared for weather from the 40s to the 80s
– hat with small brim – it helps to keep the sky out of your vision – to limit eye strain on this trip. Too wide a brim can bump your camera when you put your eye behind it.
– waterproof boots (rubber 12″ boots recommended)
– gloves to protect you from mosquitoes and/or black flies while you shoot. Test them to make sure you can manipulate camera controls while using them. In case black flies are present bring some rubber bands to make sure they cannot crawl into your wrist area. Long pants should be tucked into your boots.
– good-sized water bottle for hydration during outings. Appropriate snacks to eat quickly.
This workshop is for photographers with knowledge of how to use their equipment, but Paul will offer tips to make sure you maximize your success.
EQUIPMENT:
Mirrorless SLR (using silent mode) with matching lens. You should have an effective focal length of 600mm or greater when combining the digital crop factor of your camera with your tele-extenders (1.4x or 2x). Autofocus must be maintained when the tele-extender is used.
Tripod sufficient for your equipment.
A gimbal-type head – for smooth mobility, stability, and balance.
Extra memory cards
Laptop computer to download and view images
Memory card reader for laptop (plus an extra back-up one)
Hard drive(s) to back up images daily
Extra camera batteries and charger
Rain gear in case it rains.
Likely Species: those in bold are highly likely
Cerulean Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Prairie Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Prothonotary Warbler
Ovenbird
Pine Warbler
American Redstart
Black-and-white Warbler
Northern Parula
Black-throated Green Warbler
Yellow-throated Vireo
White-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Indigo bunting
Scarlet Tanager
Summer Tanager
Brown Thrasher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Eastern Towhee
Tufted Titmouse
