Bosque 2013 with Doug Brown, Greg Basco & Keith Bauer
Join BPN avian moderator Doug Brown, NSN avian moderator Greg Basco, and NPN avian moderator Keith Bauer for a 3 1/2 day workshop at the Bosque del Apache this December! The workshop experience will be broad-based, emphasizing manual exposure for long lens flight photography (either hand held or with a tripod). The other major emphasis will be on image optimization with Lightroom and Photoshop. All 3 instructors are well versed in image processing, but Keith is a true expert who teaches classes on both Lightroom and Photoshop. We'll be doing formal and informal computer sessions every day. Additional workshop highlights will include environmental avian photography (one of Greg's specialties), landscapes (including sunrises and sunsets), long exposures, and silhouettes. We'll also devote some time to captive raptor photography with a fantastic collection of birds from a local raptor education and rehabilitation center.
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Features & Info
Birds In Flight
There is no better place than Bosque del Apache to master your BIF skills. Great subjects, incredible backgrounds, and expert instruction will help you to produce an impressive portfolio of flight shots. Use a tripod or give hand holding a try.
Landscapes
Capture images of magnificent Bosque sunrises and sunsets as well as gorgeous panoramas!
Captive Raptors
Get up close and personal during a private session with a collection of educational raptors.
Full Itinerary & Tour Leaders
The Itinerary
Day 1, Monday, Dec. 2
Participants arrive to Socorro by late afternoon. Group cocktail and dinner followed by introductory slideshow by your trip leaders.
See Links at the bottom of the itinerary for the suggested hotels.
Day 2, Tuesday, Dec. 3
Meet very early this morning at the refuge to shoot birds at the pond near the flight deck or at the Crane pools. We'll photograph until around 9:30 this morning and then take time to return to our hotels to download images.
After lunch, we'll review the morning's images with an eye toward ensuring that you are obtaining optimal photos in the field. We'll focus especially on how proper exposures can help you to draw out maximum detail in your bird images with Lightroom and Photoshop. We'll also enjoy a presentation from your leaders on proper exposure.
Mid-afternoon, we'll gear up and return to the refuge, where we'll concentrate on shooting geese and cranes at the fly-in. We'll continue shooting until sunset and will head back to town. Dinner is on own this night.
Day 3, Wednesday, Dec. 4
We'll meet again early this morning at the refuge for the sunrise, blastoff, and/or Crane pools, and then we'll take the rest of the morning to hone our handheld flight skills.
Later this morning, we have a special treat for you. We've arranged a captive raptor shoot with a local raptor rehabilitation center. For the next two hours, you'll have fun getting great shots of local raptors.
After lunch, we will meet again for presentations on creative shooting and Lightroom-based digital workflow.
We reconvene mid-afternoon and spend the afternoon exploring the refuge with a special focus on creating environmental avian images. You don't always need a super telephoto; in fact, some of the most memorable bird images can be made with shorter lenses, and we'll be there to show you how.
Near sunset, we're going to try something new – shooting longer exposures with groups of birds on the water after twilight. Afterwards, we head back to town where we can relax and enjoy dinner on our own or as a group, depending on people's energy level after this busy day!
Day 4, Thursday, Dec. 5
We'll take the very early morning again to photograph the refuge's avian inhabitants at dawn, and we'll continue shooting until mid-morning. After this morning's photo session, we'll have some classroom time devoted to Photoshop-based workflow and image optimization techniques. Our goal is for you to take home a few of your favorite images ready to print and display proudly in your home or office.
Mid-afternoon we head back out to the refuge for our last afternoon of shooting.
THIS ITINERARY INCLUDES
• Full-time instruction from Doug, Keith, and Greg
• All shooting sessions as described above
• One-on-one time with instructors to answer any specific questions or to work on any particular techniques
THE ITINERARY ABOVE DOES NOT INCLUDE
• Air travel
• Rental car
• Lodging
• Meals
• Refuge entrance fees
HOTEL LINKS
Tour Leaders
Doug Brown
When not knocking people out (he's a cardiac anesthesiologist by day), Doug Brown is a BBC prizewinning photographer best known for images of birds in flight. Doug is a moderator at BirdPhotographers.net in the Avian: Image Critique forum. You can see his photos in the smartphone application iBird. His work has been published in the magazines 'Western Birds' and 'Aloft' and his photos are utilized extensively in 'A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque' and the new book 'Raptors of New Mexico.' Doug enjoys leading photo tours in the US and to Costa Rica, his favorite international destination for bird photography.
Greg Basco
Greg Basco is a resident Costa Rican professional photographer and environmentalist who enjoys a working relationship with Canon. He is a BBC/Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Nature's Best Windland Smith Rice prizewinner, and his photos have been published by National Geographic, Outdoor Photographer, Newsweek, and other magazines and have been used in many books, public exhibits, calendars, and other projects. Greg's latest work in progress is a coffee table book of artistic photos from the rainforest.
In addition to his own photography, Greg truly enjoys working with tour clients to help them improve their photography and capture great photos of their own in the challenging habitats of Costa Rica. Indeed, he liked it so much that a few years ago he founded Foto Verde Tours, Costa Rica's first and only travel company specializing in photographic tourism.
Keith Bauer
Keith Bauer is a wildlife and nature photographer based in Albuquerque, NM. He is a moderator in the Avian forum on Nature Photographers Network. He’s been published in NANPA’s expressions magazine the past 4 years, winner of the Best of 2010 Visual Wilderness competition, winner of the International Nature Photographers network, and best of show in the 2010 Annual New Mexico Photographic Art show, and many others. Keith has many images in the smartphone application iBird. He is a recognized expert in digital post processing and offers classes on Photoshop and Lightroom. When he’s not out enjoying photography, he works at a national laboratory managing a group of computer science professionals.