SOUTH FLORIDA (PART 1) - BEACHES, BIRDS, GATORS & WETLANDS
LOCATIONS: SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COAST, FT. MYERS, SANIBEL ISLAND, BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE, FLORIDA EVERGLADES
South Florida is a wild and diverse place with countless photographic opportunities. From coast to coast the state offers the best beaches in the country and in between, the pine forests, swamplands, and Florida Everglades provide a beautiful habitat for wildlife to thrive. The locations for this workshop have been carefully scouted and selected to provide a showcase of the many ecosystems and landscapes of Florida. This gives our students the opportunity to improve and hone their creative skills with a variety of situations and photography subjects. There will also be time carved out in between field sessions for processing instruction with various techniques in Lightroom and Photoshop to help students bring their images to life!
Participants should be in good physical health. While there will not be any strenuous hiking during the workshop, students should be prepared to be a little uncomfortable. We will be doing some hiking in wet conditions and hot, humid days can occur year round in Florida as well as pop up thunderstorms (which are great for photography!).
DATES: February 5 - 9, 2017
INSTRUCTORS: Chris Byrne
LOCATIONS: Gulf side beaches, Sanibel Island, Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, Ten Thousand Islands
COST: $1250 total, $350 deposit to secure space, with the remainder due 60 days prior to workshop
COMBO COST: $2450 total for Both Workshops Part 1 & 2. $700 deposit to secure space
GROUP SIZE: Limited to 8 participants
ITINERARY
We'll begin on the gulf side and use Ft. Myers as our base for the first few days as we photograph scenic beaches, migrating birds and burrowing owls. From there we'll move south to Big Cypress National Preserve and immerse ourselves in "undiscovered Florida" by staying in a cottage in the swamplands and going for an early morning photo walk into the swamp itself. Then it's on to the Everglades with ample opportunities to see and photograph gators, birds, and other wildlife in the wetlands.
Day 1: We will meet in the afternoon at the Baymont Inn Ft Myers before heading out to photograph sunset on a nearby beach or migrating birds at the local rookery.
Day 2: Gather in the morning and head into JN Ding Darling Preserve to photograph birds and wildlife in the golden light. We will continue shooting into the mid morning before breaking. We will meet again in the afternoon and head over to the Ft. Myers pier for sunset.
Day 3: The day begins in search of burrowing owls which can be wonderful photographic subjects. We'll shoot these cute and famous birds until the morning light is too harsh and then head back to the hotel and break. Midday will give us the opportunity for a processing session before heading out again to explore and photograph Lovers Key
Day 4: Sunrise photography session on Ft. Myers Beach and then drive to Big Cypress National Preserve where we will explore the wetlands and its abundant wildlife. In the afternoon and evening we will go over to Ten Thousand Islands and get into this maze of mangroves by boat for sunset.
Day 5: This morning we will meet at Clyde Butcher's gallery and enjoy a guided swamp walk into Big Cypress right from there (yes we are walking in the water!) Midday gives us the opportunity to head into the top part of Everglades National Park at Shark Valley which is prime for alligators and birds before heading back into the rock pinelands for sunset and the end of the workshop.
RECOMMENDED TRAVEL & LODGING
The workshop will begin in Ft. Myers and end in Big Cypress Preserve in Ochopee. Participants are recommended to fly into Ft. Myers airport. Our base for the first three days will be the Baymont Inn & Suites near the Ft. Myers Airport (9401 Marketplace Rd, Fort Myers, FL 33912 (239) 454-0040). Once we move into Ochopee for days 4 and 5 we will meet each day at Clyde Butcher's Big Cypress Gallery (52388 Tamiami Trail Ochopee, FL). Nearest lodging can be found in Everglades City as well as some campgrounds along the Tamiami Trail.
RECOMMENDED GEAR
CLOTHING, ETC.
- Quick dry, lightweight long pants and shirts
- Closed toe shoes that can get wet (I love these SEAC Neoprene Boots to keep the dirt out),
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Rain coat
- Bug Spray
- Sun Block
- Umbrella (for help in shooting waves, not for the photographer!)
CAMERA GEAR, ETC.
- DSLR & Lenses ranging from wide angle (16mm) to telephoto (300mm). Serious bird photographers will want to bring a 400mm or longer lens.
- Camera manual
- Memory cards
- Tripod
- Cable Release Trigger
- Filters (Circular Polarizing Filter, Graduated ND Filters and Solid ND filters for long exposures)
- Lens cloths, rocket blower, etc.
- Computer with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop
- Notebook
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
Meals and snacks
Lodging
Transportation
Park entrance fees (includes $20 for 7 day Everglades pass and several small state park fees)
CANCELLATION POLICY
We reserve the right to cancel the workshop if minimum participants are not met or in the event of an emergency. If a cancellation does occur, participants may either use the fee towards a future workshop or receive a full refund. We are not responsible for travel expenses incurred and therefore strongly recommend travel insurance to cover such costs.