Bird Photography Experiential Workshop

An immersive 1-day workshop comprising tutorials and walkabouts for bird photography, to enhance your knowledge and skills for photographing birds in their natural habitat.

Who for?

This Bird Photography Experiential Workshop is ideal for bird and photo enthusiasts looking to enhance their skills in bird photography. You will be introduced to tips and techniques for photographing birds in their natural habitat, with a focus on the birds commonly seen in the Wetlands habitat of the Tamar River.

An Experiential Workshop/Experience

This workshop is presented in a relaxed style with plenty of opportunity to experiment with what you are learning as you learn it. In a small group of participants, having fun along the way, you will build on each layer of understanding for photographing birds in their natural habitat. Additionally, there will be plenty of opportunities for your questions to be answered individually.

This Experience is for:

• Nature photographers who wish to enhance prior learnings to support growth in their skills and knowledge and are interested in exploring the genre of bird photography.
• Nature enthusiasts who aspire to capture photographs of birds in their natural habitat and have some familiarity with photography jargon and their camera – i.e. location of buttons, dials and menu options.

NB: You do not need to know what settings are needed for bird photography (that’s what this Experience is
about).

If you are new to photography or have a new camera that you need to learn how to drive, we encourage you to consider a Private Photography Tuition Session or Master Your Camera Tutorial booked for a mutually convenient day and location ahead of this Bird Photography Tutorial and Walkabout, to provide you foundations to help you along your photography journey. Doing so will help you learn more about your camera and the fundamentals of nature photography giving you more confidence to advance your skills and knowledge for bird photography.

What you will discover during this Bird Photography Experiential Workshop

• An introduction to the interrelationship between ISO, Aperture and Shutter speed (Exposure Triangle)

• Shooting modes – why choose one over the other and which one you may choose for bird photography – and ultimately decide on which mode YOU will shoot with.

• An overview of metering modes in different scenarios

• Practical shooting hints and tips for more consistency in focus and sharpness of the birds you photograph.

• Advanced settings and techniques – when you may consider using them and why
  (using a monopod, Back button focusing, using the histogram, exposure blinkies, sidelight/backlight/silhouette, spot metering, lighting contrasts etc)

• The importance of choosing the appropriate focus mode, area, and point to achieve sharpness of your subject bird.

• Framing and composition

• When to consider adjusting white balance, especially when it matters.

• How and why do the same settings end up with different results?

• Bird Photography Walkabout at the Tamar Wetlands for an enjoyable and interactive way to experiment with
  newfound knowledge and understanding.

What's included

• Photography instruction in a small group setting
• Arrival refreshments, morning tea, picnic lunch, light afternoon snack, drinking water (please bring a
  refillable drink bottle)
• Bird photography hints and tips booklet to take home
• Entry donation into Tamar Wetlands

What camera do I need?

The content of this workshop is most suited to DSLRs, Mirrorless, superzoom, and compact/bridge cameras. If you are unsure if this includes your camera, give Coreena a call on 0417 599 283 to learn more.

Which lens should I bring?

We recommend you use a telephoto lens with a minimum focal length of 200mm (zoom or prime). However, if you do not
have a telephoto lens that gives you this reach, and you want to learn how to photograph birds with your current gear, you are very welcome to participate in this workshop. You can use this experience to learn more about bird photography and at the same time, better understand the equipment you may invest in in the future. However, on this occasion, it does mean that due to the distance/proximity of the birds from your position, you may struggle to get the photos you most desire on this occasion. But then again, if the birds are closer, a ‘shorter’ lens can be an advantage.

I don’t own a ‘fancy’ camera or lens… can I use my smartphone?

Well, that depends! While you are welcome to participate with a smartphone camera if you wish, smartphones are not superbly suitable for creative wildlife photography. For this reason, it’s important for you to know that the content of this workshop will not delve into the features of smartphone cameras or the wide array of brands, models, or apps available for smartphones. However, if you are exploring if wildlife photography is for you or contemplating the purchase of an appropriate camera and lens for wildlife photography, joining this workshop will help you to better understand the features and functionality to look for when deciding which camera/lens to purchase.

Will I need a monopod or a tripod?

A tripod is not advantageous for this experience. If you own a monopod, then bring it along. If you don’t own a monopod, there is no need to go out and buy one for this workshop. We will have available a couple of loan monopods to share amongst participants if you would like to explore how it feels to you. In the majority, you will benefit learning techniques for handheld bird photography allowing you more flexibility of motion.

Availability

There are currently no dates scheduled for this workshop. Please get in touch if you'd like to know when this workshop will run in the future.