What do you do when a 1,100 pound Great White Shark jumps into your boat? That was the situation shark researchers found themselves in while working near Seal Island in South Africa. It s a story of drama, heroics, and a very big fish. For a full account, visit the Shark Chronicles blog.
Canvas on Demand is offering a 20% discount for orders placed by Friday, July 22nd (midnight deadline). If you haven’t seen their work, Canvas on Demand creates beautiful gallery wraps. To get the discount, use promo code: FIRECRACKER at checkout.
Photoshop Classes
Sign up for Photoshop Level 1 and Photoshop Level 2 and get $30 off!
Beginning in February, I will be offering a series of one day workshops and classes at The Winston School San Antonio in San Antonio, TX. These classes are open to the public and are a great opportunity to master your photographic and digital media skills.
The first two course offerings are:
Upcoming Conference - North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA)
In March (March 9-12, 2011), the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) will hold their annual summit in McAllen, TX. The NANPA summit is a great educational experience with a focus on wildlife and nature photography. I am also happy to announce the I will be presenting one of the breakout sessions this year: Wildlife Filmmaking for Still Photographers. So join me in McAllen for a few days and don’t forget your camera, the Rio Grande Valley (south Texas for non Texans) is one of the best bird hotspots in the world.
New Photoshop Classes added to my Workshop Schedule
Beginning in February, I will be offering a series of one day workshops and classes at The Winston School San Antonio in San Antonio, TX. These classes are open to the general public and are a great opportunity to master your photographic and digital media skills.
The first two course offerings are:
Upcoming Conference - Imaging USA
This weekend (January 16-18, 2011) my home town of San Antonio, TX will be hosting Imaging USA. Imaging USA is the annual conference for theProfessional Photographers of America (PPA) and a great place to go if you are into photography. I attended this conference four years ago and the amount of stuff going on was overwhelming. The presentations are highly educational, the tradeshow is huge, and the print display is enormous (over 2,000 images will be displayed this year). Don’t be discouraged if you are not a people photographer. The quality of the presentations and the work on display is outstanding and it is always a good idea to explore various forms of photography. You never know where inspiration will come from.
Upcoming Conference - North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA)
In March (March 9-12, 2011), the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) will hold their annual summit in McAllen, TX. The NANPA summit is a great educational experience with a focus on wildlife and nature photography. I am also happy to announce the I will be presenting one of the breakout sessions this year: Wildlife Filmmaking for Still Photographers. So join me in McAllen for a few days and don’t forget your camera, the Rio Grande Valley (south Texas for non Texans) is one of the best bird hotspots in the world.
As part of my News and Notes, I share some of the different photography related websites that I have come across. In many cases these are sites that I visit regularly, often finding an abundance of information that helps to shape and develop my photography as well as provide inspiration. My hope is that this information will help you as you develop your own photographic path.
Recommended Site – McDonald Wildlife Photography
Joe and Mary Ann McDonald have been friends of mine for almost 11 years. My first introduction to Joe was reading his books. Not only is Joe a great wildlife photographer, but he is an excellent teacher who is able to pass on his knowledge in a way that actually makes sense. Meeting them was very much a surprise. In 1999 I participated in the first participant’s slideshow at the NANPA summit. During my presentation I expressed my appreciation for the different photographers who inspired me. Joe was one of those photographers and you can imaging my surprise when a few minutes later Mary Ann walked over, introduced herself, and thanked me. That marked the beginning of what has been a good friendship and a stepping stone to improving my photography (I got my foundation in both flash and Photoshop from their workshops).
As I said before, Joe and Mary Ann are both outstanding photographers and educators. They travel all over the world leading workshops and when they are home they teach instructional courses out of their home in Pennsylvania, affectionately called Hoot Hollow. In addition to photographing in the field, Joe is well known for his studio photography of wildlife, including high speed flash work.
To top it all off, Joe and Mary Ann recently redesigned their website and it contains a ton of helpful information. I particularly enjoy reading Joe’s question and tip of the month. I hope you get as much enjoyment out of their site as I do.
Upcoming Conference – Imaging USA
In just over 2 weeks (January 16-18, 2011) my home town of San Antonio, TX will be hosting Imaging USA. Imaging USA is the annual conference for the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and a great place to go if you are into photography. I attended this conference four years ago and the amount of stuff going on was overwhelming. The presentations are highly educational, the tradeshow is huge, and the print display is enormous (over 2,000 images will be displayed this year). Don’t be discouraged if you are not a people photographer. The quality of the presentations and the work on display is outstanding and it is always a good idea to explore various forms of photography. You never know where inspiration will come from.
Upcoming Conference – North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA)
In March (March 9-12, 2011), the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) will hold their annual summit in McAllen, TX. The NANPA summit is a great educational experience with a focus on wildlife and nature photography. I am also happy to announce the I will be presenting one of the breakout sessions this year: Wildlife Filmmaking for Still Photographers. So join me in McAllen for a few days and don’t forget your camera, the Rio Grande Valley (south Texas for non Texans) is one of the best bird hotspots in the world.
(click on the image to see larger version)
I recently learned that one of my images (shown above) placed in the 2010 NANPA Showcase competition. It as a tier 3 winner, meaning it was one of the top 250 images entered in the competition. 3,046 images were entered this year and I am happy to have one of my images place.
I also found out that my spotted hyena cub picture will be appearing in an upcoming issue of National Wildlife as part of their promotion for their caption contest.
As part of my weekly News and Notes, I though I would share some of the different photography related websites that I have come across. In many cases, these are sites that I visit regularly, often finding an abundance of information that helps to shape and develop my photography as well as provide inspiration. My hope is that this information will help you as you develop your own photographic path.
Recommended Site – Sean Fitzgerald Photography
For a great source of photographic inspiration, visit Sean Fitzgerald’s photography site. Sean is a former lawyer turned nature photographer. He is based in Dallas, Texas, but travels widely in pursuit of images. Well known for his successes in both the Valley Land Fund and Coastal Bend Photography Contests, Sean is currently involved in a long term project of photographing the Trinity River Audubon Center in Dallas. For a glimpse at what is possible with a camera, visit Sean’s website or join him on one of his workshops. Enjoy.
Upcoming Classes:
I will be teaching a two day course “Introduction to Photography and Photoshop” at the Austin School of Film in Austin, Texas (October 17 & 24).
As part of my weekly News and Notes, I though I would share some of the different photography related websites that I have come across. In many cases, these are sites that I visit regularly, often finding an abundance of information that helps to shape and develop my photography as well as provide inspiration. My hope is that this information will help you as you develop your own photographic path.
Recommended Site – Andy Biggs Photo Safaris
This week I would like to direct your attention on Andy Biggs’s website. Andy is a good friend of mine and is an outstanding wildlife photography. My first trip to Tanzania was on one of Andy’s photo safaris and the experience has resulted in multiple return trips. Andy is most well known for his African imagery, especially his B&W wildlife images and stunning African landscapes. In fact, Andy’s image of the skeleton coast in Namibia won in the 2006 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. In addition to his website, you can follow Andy’s adventures on his blog. So, visit Andy’s site and enjoy some of the best African imagery out there.
Upcoming Classes:
I will be teaching a two day course “Introduction to Photography and Photoshop” at the Austin School of Film in Austin, Texas (October 17 & 24).
As part of my weekly News and Notes, I though I would share some of the different photography related websites that I have come across. In many cases, these are sites that I visit regularly, often finding an abundance of information that helps to shape and develop my photography as well as provide inspiration. My hope is that this information will help you as you develop your own photographic path.
Recommended Site – NatureScapes.net
If I could only visit one site related to nature photography, NatureScapes.net would be that site. NatureScapes includes a variety of learning opportunities for visitors. First off, it is a nature photography e-zine, providing articles on a wide variety of different photography related topics. Recent articles include: infrared photography, photographing herps (reptiles and amphibians for the non-biologists out there), and bird photography off the beaten path. In addition to their articles, NatureScapes provides discussion forums where visitors can post questions. I have used the discussion forums on numerous occasions to answer specific question about destinations I intend to travel to, often getting an insider’s perspective in a matter of minutes. The site’s image forums let visitors post their image for the community to share and comment on. The feedback provided by these forums is one of the fastest ways to develop as a photographer, provided you are ready and willing to listen to the feedback. Participation on the site is free, though image hosting and portfolio support are only provided for payed members ($40 per year).
Perhaps the greatest thing about NatureScapes is the sense of community that has developed around the site. The photographers participating in the forums are some of the best in the world and constantly amaze me with their willingness to share their knowledge and expertise. Nature photography can be an isolated hobby, and NatureScapes has done a wonderful job of bringing nature photographers together to share their passion.
Upcoming Classes:
I will be teaching a two day course “Introduction to Photography and Photoshop” at the Austin School of Film in Austin, Texas (October 17 & 24).
NANPA Summit Registration is Now Open
Few events focus on wildlife and nature photography as much as The North American Nature Photography Association’s (NANPA) annual summit. Showcasing keynote speakers like Daniel Beltra, Jack Dykinga, and Michele Westmoreland as well as breakout sessions ranging from birds to Facebook (yes, it does relate to photography), the NANPA summit is an ideal place to join other nature photographers for education and inspiration. This is a great event for anyone interested in nature photography. In fact it will be my 8th time attending the summit!
This year the summit will be held in McAllen, TX one of the premier bird photography destinations in North America, so come for the summit, stay for the birds (or the other way around if you like). The summit runs March 9-12, 2011.
I am also happy to announce that I will be presenting one of the breakout sessions this year. Join me on March 10th as I discuss Wildlife Filmmaking for the Still Photographer. It is going to be a lot of fun and with a little bit of luck you might even learn something.
You might have noticed that most of my recent News and Notes have been about NANPA related events. I want to make it clear that I have no affiliation with NANPA other then being a satisfied member of the organization who believes that the organization is an asset for all nature photographers.
Upcoming Classes:
I will be teaching a two day course “Introduction to Photography and Photoshop” at the Austin School of Film in Austin, Texas (October 17 & 24).