Birds of Prey Workshop 2012

At a Glance

• Location: Boise, ID
• Arrive by: 6 PM October 12, 2012
• Depart: October 17, 2012
• Cost: $1895 – Pay before August 15 and save $300!
• Participants: 12 max, 6 min
• Contact: Email Jeff
• Download: Birds of Prey PDF

• Register…HERE.

About the Workshop

Birds of Prey – that’s what this workshop is all about, those magnificent avian predators that we all love to photograph. In conjunction with The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey, Wildlife Workshops will provide you a unique opportunity to not only see, but photograph these incredible animals. On this workshop you will be able to photograph eagles, falcons, hawks, and even an owl in natural settings. You would have to travel the world and spend countless hours and tens of thousands of dollars just to see some of these birds, and on this workshop you’ll get intimate portraits as well as opportunities for dynamic flight shots! Did I mention the Harpy Eagle? Oh, yes my friends– one of the largest and most magnificent birds in the world will be posing for your camera!

The Peregrine Fund’s mission is the conservation of these great birds. Through their efforts many species including their namesake, the Peregrine Falcon, have been saved from extinction. The birds that we will photograph are ambassadors for the good work that is being conducted to save the birds as well as protect their habitat for their future well being. By attending the workshop you are helping save birds of prey around the world because I donate a portion of the proceeds to The Peregrine Fund. Sign up for the workshop and you’ll be helping! It’s a win win…

During the three days of our workshop the falconers will display their birds for us to photograph. We will use a combination of natural and man-made perches and backdrops so that you will get full body images as well as more intimate head shots. In addition, they will also free fly some of the birds so that we can get images of these birds doing what they do best! Did I mention that we’ll photograph a Harpy Eagle?

The complete list of species will not be determined until closer to the dates of the workshop. The birds’ health and safety is our first priority. If an individual bird is not capable of performing for us, it won’t be available. I am pretty comfortable in saying that the Peregrine Falcon, American Kestrel, and a Swainson’s Hawk will be on the agenda…oops did I mention the Harpy Eagle?

Included in the Workshop

The workshop fee includes 3-1/2 days of workshop instruction, and access to the World Center for Birds of Prey. We will be treated to tours of the facility including their incredible Archive of Falconry art and artifacts.

A portion of your fee does go directly to The Peregrine Fund as well, so you are not only improving your photography skills, you are helping to save birds of prey around the world.

Between morning and afternoon photography sessions, we will have classroom style discussions about wildlife photography, digital work flow and one-on-one help with your photography.

We will also be taking advantage of the educational side of the center and you’ll learn a lot about these birds and their environment.

The workshop fee does not include meals, lodging or your personal transportation while on the workshop or getting to and from the workshop.

This workshop will allow a maximum of 12 participants. A minimum of 6 participants are required for this workshop.

Transportation and Lodging

Airport
Boise, Idaho (BOI) is the nearest airport. It is 4 miles to the recommended hotel.

Our workshop will based at the Oxford Suites. This is where most non-photographing meetings will be held. We recommend that you also stay at this hotel as we will car pool from this location to our photography locations. Our departure times are firm and we will not be able to wait for those that may choose an alternate hotel.

Hotel

Oxford Suites Boise Idaho Hotel

1426 S. Entertainment Avenue • Boise, Idaho 83709

Phone: 208.322.8000 • Fax: 208.322.8002

Toll Free: 888.322.8001

We do have a group rate $95 secured at the hotel, under my name, Jeff Wendorff or The Peregrine Fund.

Itinerary

Day 1 (October 13, 2012)

6:00PM ~ Oxfords Suites

Arrive in time for an informal get together at the hotel. We’ll have some time to meet each other and we’ll go over what you can expect for the next few days including just how early you’ll be getting up each day!

Days 2-4 (Oct 14-16, 2012)

These will be our primary workshop days. Plan to rise and shine well before sunrise so we can be in position for the morning blastoff! The light will dictate our days activities and we’ll shoot as long as we can with good light. We’ll return to base in the middle of the day. You’ll have time to forage for lunch, download your images, re-charge your batteries and then meet for that days classroom activities. This is the format we’ll follow all 3 days.

Day 5 (October 17, 2012)

This day is a wild card. It will be used to make up any sessions that had to be canceled for some unplanned occurrence as well as for you to add a couple of more sessions. These extra sessions are $150 per person per species and some species will have a minimum number of participants for them to be available.

The workshop is officially over on the 15th assuming the make up sessions are not required. I will of course be there to assist with your optional sessions if you decide to add some more sessions. I’d be quite surprised if you didn’t book at least one!

It is most likely that we will be done before noon on this day. If you’d like to book an afternoon or evening flight that should not be a problem.

Day 6 (October 18, 2012)

Departure day.

Equipment and Gear

We will be setting up the shoot so that a 300mm lens will get you great images. A 70-200mm or equivalent that you can hand hold is also recommended. If you are bring a long lens we highly recommend that you have a sturdy tripod and a gimbal head such as a Wimberley.

Bring extra memory cards, you are going to take way way more images than you might expect. Did you know that they have a Harpy Eagle? We will not have time to download between birds, so be prepared!

It is always good to bring your camera users manual. Don’t forget batteries, charging cords, sense of humor and treats for the instructor. This is a test to see if you are paying attention to the details…

Conditions

We will have some walking to do for various locations although none of it is too strenuous. If you have any disabilities or conditions, please get in touch with me to make sure you won’t have any difficulties.

It is typically in the 50s during the day and the 30s at night. There is a small chance of some precipitation and we will normally shoot regardless of the weather. High wind is our nemesis as we cannot risk injury in whirling gusty winds.

The Leader

I am an avid outdoor and wildlife photographer whose work has been published widely — from calendars and magazines to cans of cat food in China! I’ve co-led workshops with David Middleton as well as leading my own workshops for the past 7 years. I’ve got a great deal of enthusiasm for these birds and I’ve been told it is quite contagious.

My goal is to ensure everyone gets the attention they want, makes some images they love, leaves knowing more than when they arrived and finally, has fun achieving those goals. I’ve photographed at all of my workshop locations many times and know the best spots and the special tricks that you’ll need to know to get the most out of the workshop.

Final Thoughts

This is a rare opportunity to photograph some very special raptors in an up close and personal way. Having the expert falconers on hand to actually place animals in perfect perches in perfect light makes it possible for you to create stunning images. This is another fantastic workshop that you should not miss!

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