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Capturing The Spirit With Captive Wildlife Photo Workshop 2019
Wildlife photography is one of the most popular specializations in the realm of nature photography. Today’s documentary style wildlife images have become common, creating compelling, dramatic images requires a different approach which Nathaniel will cover in this workshop spanning three days! Regrettably the nocturnal patterns and elusive behavior of many species in Arizona make capturing successful shots of wild animals in their natural habitat even harder here. When one does get the chance to see a subject in the wild it often will have run off or flown away before we’ve even had a chance to determine proper exposure and focus our camera. One way to correct this is to work photographing animals in a controlled environment, this practice refines our photographic reflexes. Phoenix Zoo is one of only three accredited organization with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Arizona. This world renowned facility offers us the perfect venue to work in where the animals are treated ethically with dignity and respect. The animals housed in the zoo are certainly not wild, but this workshop will help you to begin to see light in a scene, recognize an animal’s routines and react to behavior. During this workshop Nathaniel will offer expert photographic instruction and teach you the settings needed to achieve optimum results. He will share his personal techniques for creating sharp, powerful photographs of captive subjects. The goal of this workshop is to make you a more proficient photographer and sharpen your skills for shooting wild subjects when you are presented with future opportunities, it’s also a great photographic training exercise to prepare for an international wildlife photo safari!
ITINERARY
Capturing The Spirit With Captive Wildlife Photo Workshop 2019
* In order to provide participants with the best photographic opportunities the itinerary is subject to change based on weather, lighting and other variables.
DAY 1: March 7th, 2019 – WORKSHOP MAIN PRESENTATION ~ Dinner Provided
During this in depth classroom presentation Nathaniel will discuss what you need in order to be prepared for the workshop. We will cover all aspects of the photographic process including equipment selection, camera settings and modes you’ll need to know, calculating depth of field, techniques for photographing wildlife in captive settings, and ethical considerations. Nathaniel will also share a selection of his own images with captive subjects and discuss how he approached each scene. Finally Nathaniel will answer any questions you might have. Plan to bring your camera gear to this presentation so we can ensure all your settings are dialed and prepared for shooting on Saturday.
DAY 2: March 8th, 2019 – PHOENIX, ARIZONA
We will meet for early admission to the Phoenix Zoo, allowing us to get into the park and start shooting in the soft morning light. Some of the animals are more active at the beginning of the day so we’ll focus our attention on those subjects first. Not unlike photographing animals in the wild, perhaps the most critical skill for capturing compelling images is patience. Equally important is knowing when to move on to another subject. Nathaniel will use his vast firsthand knowledge of wildlife and animal behavior cues to make determinations as to the best opportunities. During this workshop we’ll be focused on creating quality images, as opposed to trying to amass a vast quantity of shots. Nathaniel will provide direction with composing our subjects considering the backgrounds and lighting on our subjects. Throughout the day Nathaniel will advised as to the best camera settings and points of focus on our subjects to ensure optimum results. We’ll take a break for lunch in the zoo at mid-day before continuing on with our afternoon session. We’ll shoot until the zoo closes at 5pm, often the best activity can be photographed at this facility when the rest of the visitors are headed to the exits!
DAY 3: March 9th, 2019 – PHOENIX, ARIZONA
We will meet for early admission to the Phoenix Zoo, allowing us to get into the park and start shooting in the soft morning light. Some of the animals are more active at the beginning of the day so we’ll focus our attention on those subjects first. Not unlike photographing animals in the wild, perhaps the most critical skill for capturing compelling images is patience. Equally important is knowing when to move on to another subject. Nathaniel will use his vast firsthand knowledge of wildlife and animal behavior cues to make determinations as to the best opportunities. During this workshop we’ll be focused on creating quality images, as opposed to trying to amass a vast quantity of shots. Nathaniel will provide direction with composing our subjects considering the backgrounds and lighting on our subjects. Throughout the day Nathaniel will advised as to the best camera settings and points of focus on our subjects to ensure optimum results. We’ll take a break for lunch in the zoo at mid-day before continuing on with our afternoon session. We’ll shoot until the zoo closes at 5pm, often the best activity can be photographed at this facility when the rest of the visitors are headed to the exits!
DAY 4: March 10th, 2019 – PHOENIX, ARIZONA
The final day we’ll be working in the digital darkroom on in depth processing from 10am to 5pm. During this session Nathaniel will teach you how to take the files captured the previous day and create dynamic images using Lightroom and Photoshop. We will cover a complete workflow, starting with the transfer of our files, Lightroom RAW conversion, metadata tagging, global adjustments, local adjustments, dodging and burning, resizing, sharpening for web and so much more! The workshop will conclude at 5pm on Sunday afternoon.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Capturing The Spirit With Captive Wildlife Photo Workshop 2019
This cancellation policy protects our business losses and as such is strictly adhered to. Exceptions will not be made. We strongly encourage participants to purchase travelers insurance through an agency like Global Rescue so that you’ll have coverage should you unexpectedly need to cancel your trip. At his discretion, Nathaniel may lead the tour even if it does not meet the minimum number of participants required.
1). Cancel more than one year prior to the original tour start date:
Full refund, minus any initial deposit and all PayPal transaction fees. Refunds will be paid via PayPal and processed within 72 hours of the request being approved.
2). Cancel less than one year prior to the original tour start date:
A refund will only be issued if the tour is sold out and your vacated spot filled by another participant signing up. This refund would exclude your initial deposit, single supplement payments and any PayPal transaction fees.
* Should you fail to complete the payments as scheduled for this tour you will forfeit your deposit, all payments and your spot on this tour.
** You’ll be promptly notified and provided a full refund (including your deposit) should the tour be canceled by Nature Odyssey Worldwide Tours.
TRAVEL PLANNING
Capturing The Spirit With Captive Wildlife Photo Workshop 2019
• Participants must arrive in Phoenix, Arizona prior to 9am on March, 7th, 2019!
• We strongly encourage participants to purchase travelers insurance through an agency like Global Rescue so that you’ll have coverage should you unexpectedly need to cancel your trip.
• Traveling in remote locations can present challenges that may require slight changes to the itinerary. We will always try to run the tour as the initial itinerary. In the event, beyond our control, such as political unrest, natural disasters, over bookings by the lodge, where a change is required, we will do our best to keep you close to the original shooting location. It is our intention for you to have the best possible experience. We will try to notify you of any changes as soon as we are made aware of them. If, however these changes cause an increase to the price, the increase will be passed on to the participant.
PAYMENTS & REGISTRATION
Capturing The Spirit With Captive Wildlife Photo Workshop 2019
March 7th, 2019 – March 10th, 2019
Only 8 Spots! (Maximum 8 Participants)
1,000 USD – Based On Double Occupancy- Full payment is required to secure your spot
* A late fee of $250 may be added to the balance for any payments not received by the due date.
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INCLUDED
1. Main Presentation on Thursday evening ( Dinner included! )
2. 2 Full days of shooting with Nathaniel at Phoenix Zoo on Friday and Saturday with early admission
3. Full day of processing and critique on Sunday
4. Follow up email with edited files after workshop
5. Pro Photographer Mentoring by Nathaniel Smalley
6. In depth processing session in both Lightroom & Photoshop
7. Image critique with Nathaniel Smalley
8. Beautiful image portfolio from our workshop
9. New friends to shoot with locally!
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EXCLUDED
1. Airline Flights or Transportation to Meet Points
2. Accommodations
3. Meals not listed as included above, beverages or Alcohol
4. Travel, Equipment or Health Insurance
5. Visas and passport fees (where applicable in preparation for your travel)
6. Items of a personal nature
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WHAT TO BRING
1. Camera with manual mode capability
2. Cable release or remote control for your camera (Mirror Up and Exposure Delay will also work)
3. Lens filters of your choice (Circular Poloarizer, etc.)
4. Extra batteries for your camera & charger
5. Sturdy tripod
6. Knee Pads (Lowes & Home Depot sell them for Tile Setters)
7. A telephoto lens if you own one (Example: 70-200mm Zoom Lens | 200-400mm Zoom Lens etc.)
8. Sunhat and Sunscreen and lots of fluids!
9. Computer with Lightroom and Photoshop installed (Only needed Sunday for last day of workshop!)
10. Sturdy, closed toe shoes
11. Owners Manual for your camera
12. A Positive Attitude!
DIFFICULTY
This is an outdoor nature photography workshop, so being fit and in good health will allow you to enjoy the trip more comfortably. However, our planned activities should be within the ability of most people in moderate to good shape. Conditions can be cold in the mornings and hot during mid-day, so please pack appropriate clothing for the conditions.
Participants are required to sign a standard medical and waiver of liability form. Every effort is made to keep participants safe during all stages of the workshop, but each person is solely responsible for avoiding personal injury or damaging their equipment during the trip.
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TESTIMONIALS
“Thank you, Nathaniel, for creating another awesome photography workshop. This is the third photography workshop I have attended with Nathaniel. All of them have been extraordinary learning experiences. Oftentimes, someone may be an excellent photographer, but does not know how to teach, encourage, and support their photography students; however, this is NOT Nathaniel. Nathaniel is an outstanding photographer AND an exceptional photography teacher. He clearly wants all of students to learn everything he knows about photography. Did I mention it is also fun to learn photography with Nathaniel? I highly recommend any of his photography workshops!”
~ Paulette C. | Arizona, USA
“I traveled from Bismarck, ND to attend the March, 2018, Captive Wildlife Workshop. I’ve attended a few “photography classes and walks” in Bismarck with some very nice people, but I learned so much from Nathaniel during his workshop and photo processing the next day. Nathaniel is very patient, kind, and knowledgeable! I sincerely appreciated Nathaniel’s patience and assistance with my camera settings during the day (as I was the only person shooting Pentax) and also trying to assist with my software issue during the photo processing session. Nathaniel assisted all 6 participants throughout the entire weekend workshop; whatever we asked he patiently and intently answered. He truly has a passion for teaching others to enjoy and become successful at photography. I look forward to attending more of Nathaniel’s workshops in the future!”
~ Vicki W. | North Dakota, USA Paulette C
“I learned so much from Nathaniel Smalley on his Captive Wildlife Workshop at the Phoenix Zoo over the weekend. It was a nice, small group of people and not only did he pay attention to every detail and help us on an individual basis, but he also taught us as a group. I learned more in 3 days then I have on three other workshops combined. I look forward to attending another one hopefully in the not-too-distant future.
He is also very personable. Thank you Nathaniel!”
~ Neva C. | Arizona, USA
“I have admired Nathaniel’s work for years, and finally was able to attend his Captive Wildlife Wildlife workshop here in Arizona. His talent behind the camera is equally matched by his teaching. Nathaniel is patient, fun, and a wealth of photographic knowledge. I learned an incredible amount and I have put pictures up from the workshop that have people asking me, “how did you do that?!” Nathaniel did a lot of research of the location and constantly had us in the right place at the right times. I guess the simple way to put it is, it doesn’t get any better than this!”
~ Jeremy D. | Arizona, USA
“I was fortunate to be able to attend Nathaniel’s Captive Wildlife Workshop this spring. Nathaniel is a very talented photographer who is able to help you see situations in a different light to help you create more powerful images. He is extremely patient and makes sure each attendee in his workshop gets the attention they need in order to be successful. I definitely plan on attending more of his workshops in the future!”
~ Jackie C. | Arizona, USA
“I have taken many workshops over the years and have found that maybe one third of the instructors to be excellent teachers. Nathaniel is in that category. He is very patient, has an artist’s eye for composition, and an in depth knowledge of photographic technique. He spares no effort to make his trips as memorable as they could possibly be. Nathaniel’s workshop exceeded my expectations. He is very thorough covering photography concepts, composition, and post processing technique. It truly elevated the impact of my images. I would take another workshop from him in a heartbeat. Thank you Nathaniel!”
~ Aurora O. | Arizona, USA
“I was very impressed with Nathaniel’s Captive Wildlife Workshop at the Phoenix Zoo. I gained invaluable knowledge to improve my photography. I would highly recommend his workshops to anyone looking to expand their skills.”
~ Dianne B. | Arizona, USA
“Nathaniel Smalley thanks again for an excellent captive wildlife workshop. I hope to be a part of one of your international workshops in the future.”
~ Carla M. | California, USA
“Thanks for a fabulous wildlife workshop Nathaniel! I had a great time & learned a ton, both for capturing the image and processing them afterwards!”
~ Jennifer G. | Arizona, USA
