#602 Photographing Raptors at the Canadian Raptor Conservancy Sat-Sun July 6-7, 2024

This two-day workshop will enable students to get up close and personal with birds of prey - so close, in fact, that a 200mm lens will be more than powerful enough to fill the frame.(A 70-200 f/2.8 lens would be IDEAL!) On Saturday afternoon, you learn what to do, and perhaps equally importantly, what not to do. The emphasis is upon practical information that will help you to photograph other birds in the field. The lighting for raptor and bird images is very, very different from any other genre of wildlife photography you will have ever encountered. You will quickly learn why you approach birds differently than other wildlife subjects. You will photograph peregrine falcons, red tail hawks, the most photogenic African hawks (called Auger buzzards in that part of the world), various owls, Bald Eagles, etc. up close and very personal. Shoot from less than ten feet away, and even closer. Thus, no longer than a 200mm lens can give you head shots. You will look through your viewfinder to see the raptors looking back at you eye to eye. It does not get any better than that! We have had the good fortunate of working with the same falconers with the same natural rural area for many years. The workshop will be held just north of Pointe Peele in Canada (Simcoe, Ontario) and south of London, Ontario, and can car pool to and from the Detroit, Michigan area in just a few hours. One of the objectives is that the students have fun. The other objective (more important) is that you get great images. Enjoy!  Registration is limited to twelve students. Sign up soon! Plan to stay overnight in a local motel or air B & B overnight (Simcoe, Ontario from $100.00 - $150.00).  After the Saturday late afternoon shoot and then the Sunday morning shoot, we return home. Make sure you bring your passport or at least a Michigan Enhanced Drivers License to get into Canada and back. Food and Lodging not included. Weather and skies permitting, we will also attempt to photograph the night sky on the shores of Lake Erie.  A new moon is scheduled and if possible we will photograph the Milky Way and/or an Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) on Saturday evening.