Birding, Wildlife and Nature Photo Workshop at Bombay Hook
This workshop starts on Nov 14 at 1pm and ends on Nov 15 at 11am.
Join Naturalist Matt Felperin for an exciting bird, wildlife and nature photo workshop! Learn how to photograph shorebirds, raptors, and other wildlife in a variety of light conditions and compositions.
If that weren’t enough, we’ll take in and photograph the beautiful scenic wetlands at sunrise and sunset.
You will also learn about the behavior and migration of these species to help you find and photograph them in the future.
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is noted for attracting an incredible array of migratory birds, especially shorebirds. In the summer and fall, many of these shorebirds utilize Bombay Hook for their migration south while in the spring, they stop here on their migration to their breeding grounds in the North.
Some of these species include Semipalmated Sandpiper, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Marbled Godwit, American Avocet, and even rare birds such as the Hudsonian Godwit and European vagrants. There are also large numbers of ducks, including the Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and American Black Duck. Raptors such as the Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, and even the Peregrine Falcon can be observed this time of year.
We'll be photographing through the afternoon of the 14th and will most likely catch a sunset over the wetlands. The following morning, we'll most likely catch a sunrise and then spend the morning seeking out bird and wildlife opportunities.
We will hold an evening Zoom session a week prior and Matt will review how to photograph birds and wildlife with ethical best practices, he’ll also cover settings and answer questions. This will be recorded if you can't make it.
There will be a follow up image review session two weeks after.
Skill level: Participants should be familiar with their cameras and somewhat familiar with exposure settings of ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed. We will not be able to introduce you this material at the class and you don’t want to miss any of the amazing shots before you. If not familiar, consider taking the Photo Basics-Getting off Auto class first.
In addition to Matt Felperin, Marie Joabar will join as second instructor so participants will get plenty of instruction and guidance.
We hope you’ll join us for this very special workshop.
Recommended Gear; DSLR, Mirrorless or Superzoom camera. Lenses with the range of at least 250mm, 400+mm is ideal. Tripod, Circular Polarizing filter and ND filters are optional and could be used for the sunrise/set opportunities.
Consider renting a lens, we recommend Aperturent in DC, use CPC10 for a 10% discount on your rental.
Recommended hotel info will be included in your confirmation email. Hotel is not included in the price of this workshop.
Questions can be directed to Marie Joabar at info@capitalphotographycenter.com.
Class limit:10-12
WORKSHOP CANCELLATION POLICY:
- A refund or a credit towards another class (less a $30 processing fee) can be given if cancellation notice is given more than 5 business days from the scheduled class.
- If there is no cancellation notice, or it is given 5 business days or less, no refund or credit will be given.
- Please check the name and date of the class carefully. Requests to reschedule a class will incur a $30 processing fee provided notice is given more than 5 business days prior to the class. If request to reschedule is given less than business 5 days prior to the class, no refund or credit will be given.
- If Capital Photography Center cancels or postpones a class due to weather or low enrollment, you can choose a full refund or a credit towards a future class.
What People are saying about Matt
“I attended the Wildlife workshop that Matt taught and it was so much more than I expected. Keep up the good work!”
“Matt is an incredible instructor and, even more importantly, very approachable with any questions that came up along the way.”
“This was such a great workshop, I learned so much and had a lot fun too!”
"Matt did a great job in guiding us to learn about different wildlife and adjust our camera settings accordingly in a challenging environment. I learned a few tips that improved my photography significantly. Photos that I've taken after that class are a lot better."
"Amazing class! I loved the early morning boat ride on the marsh and Matt was great offering so many tips on the species we were seeing. It was so enjoyable and it offered tremendous opportunities to practice my photography."
Instructor: Matt Felperin
Matt is the Roving Naturalist with NOVA Parks, the regional park system of Northern Virginia. In this role, he leads environmental education and recreation programs such as bird walks and kayak tours for the public.
He views his wildlife photography work as one of the most useful tools to connect people with nature.