Photography Workshop and Field Excursion

Part One: Saturday January 14th 2pm-5pm
Location: California Academy of Sciences

Part Two: Sunday January 15th 8am-6pm
Location: Mount Tamalpais to Tomales Bay

What's Included:
Full day admission to the Academy on January 14th for Tis the Season celebrations and a 3 hour afternoon photography workshop held at the Academy. The second day includes roundtrip transportation between the Academy and the field site, lunch will be provided, and we will also be joined by an interpretive guide while making stops in the field. This workshop is intended for DSLR users and the instruction and framework will be based on the assumption that participants will be using a DSLR camera. Others who are interested in learning more about DSLR photography are welcome to attend.

The Big Picture

Dive into the art of conservation photography during this hands-on, two-day workshop. On Saturday, workshop participants will be introduced to the field’s methodology and techniques among the Academy's live animals. On Sunday, the group will put its skills into practice on an all-day excursion to some of California's most dramatic protected spaces from the watershed of Mt. Tamalpais to Tomales Bay in Point Reyes National Seashore. Conservation photography is a field rich with history, which has only recently been recognized as a discipline and powerful medium for conservation of wild areas. Throughout the experience, Academy staff and guest experts will offer photographic guidance and insight into the subjects' natural history.

Defining Conservation Photography

Conservation photography is a vision of photography that has a long history with a new purpose. Typically, pressing the shutter defines the photographer with planning and execution culminating in the photograph. A conservation photographer’s work begins once they click the shutter. It’s what you do with these images that matters as it takes you into the active roll of effecting conservation for the natural world.

Overview ~ January 14th Details ~ January 15th Details ~ More Information

Reservations: Academy Members: $170, Adults: $195
Ages 18 and over only with limited space available.
Reserve online or call 415-379-8000.

The Workshop

Enjoy a day at the Academy to explore our exhibits and building through your photographic lens. Then, join us for a 3 part workshop that will include fundamentals of exposure, an introduction to digital asset management and the digital darkroom and a segment dedicated to defining conservation photography. This component is to be held at the California Academy of Sciences with the workshop to start at 2pm after you have explored the Academy on your own.

Fundamentals of Exposure

In the first hour, we will touch on basic features of the DSLR camera. Topics will include choosing lenses and filters, ISO, white balance, shutter, aperture and program modes, EV, exposure, bracketing, focusing, resolution, histograms and more.

Digital Asset Management & The Digital Darkroom

In this hour we explore how to manage all of your digital assets. We will talk about organizing your files and using software such as Adobe Lightroom, and Nik Software plugins for the digital darkroom. Topics will include managing the digital workflow, post production, color management, and simple web publishing.

Defining Conservation Photography

In the last hour of the workshop we will talk about what it means to be a conservation photographer and watch a short video that defines conservation photography. We will conclude with a trailer for an active conservation project by the iLCP in British Columbia telling the story of the Great Bear Rainforest. The images tell the story.

Overview ~ January 14th Details ~ January 15th Details ~ More Information

Reservations: Academy Members: $170, Adults: $195
Ages 18 and over only with limited space available.
Reserve online or call 415-379-8000.

The Big Picture

On Sunday, we will meet at the Academy in the morning and hop a bus for an 8:30am departure to Mt. Tamalpais. From there we will explore a variety of the Bay Area's most dramatic and iconic landscapes, and will put into practice the techniques and concepts we explored in the workshop. From waterfalls to salmon streams, redwoods to coastal wetlands, the open space in and around Mt. Tamalpais and Point Reyes National Seashore will offer an ideal setting to begin exploring conservation photography.

Mt. Tamalpais Watershed

The Mt. Tamalpais Watershed is one of Marin's most valuable natural resources. It serves as a major source of domestic water for Marin county residents. Besides this practical purpose, the watershed is held in trust as a natural wildland of great biological diversity, and is a beloved, scenic open space, used by many Bay Area nature lovers for hiking, photography and other recreation.

Samuel P. Taylor State Park

Nestled among the steep, sloping foothills of Mt Tamalpais, Samuel P. Taylor State Park is home to some of the best preserved redwood groves in the Bay Area. The park features a unique diversity of flora, including coast redwoods, open grassland, abundant flowers, and a variety of trees, including live oak, tan oak, madrone, laurel and Douglas fir. On our journey we may encounter black-tailed deer, striped skunks or even gray foxes. But the major focus of this portion of the trip will be our visit to a gorgeous stretch of Lagunitas Creek near SPT Park, where silver salmon and steelhead trout are regularly found, with hopes of capturing their astounding winter spawning activity on camera.

Tomales Bay at Point Reyes Station

After the dramatic falls of the upper watershed and the turbulent salmon creek near SPT Park, we will make our way to the coastal estuary where Lagunitas creek lazily empties into the ocean. Just outside of Pt Reyes Station, the creek flows through the rich wetlands at the head of Tomales Bay, where elegant shorebirds hunt and lively fish jump. Our day's celebration of water will conclude with this opportunity to relax, reflect, and carefully capture our images of the late-afternoon light above the Bay.

Overview ~ January 14th Details ~ January 15th Details ~ More Information

Reservations: Academy Members: $170, Adults: $195
Ages 18 and over only with limited space available.
Reserve online or call 415-379-8000.

The Players Involved

Fundamentals of Exposure, Managing Your Digital Assets & The Digital Darkroom
Gary Sharlow, photographer for EcoSee Photography, owns a web hosting and design company specifically tailored to photographers. He sits on the environment committee for the North American Nature Photography Association, has previously worked for the NPS in the area of population biology and has an educational background in conservation biology. He is a manager in the education division at the California Academy of Sciences and can frequently be found hiking and photographing on the trails of the various parks in the bay area.

Workshop Tools

If you do not already have the following software, you can download free trials that will allow you to test the software and follow along during the workshop. Please wait until January 13th to download the software so the trial period is still valid during the workshop. Please install and test the software prior to the workshop so you are ready to follow along if you chose.

• Adobe Lightroom 3
• Nik Software Color eFex Pro 4.0

Suggested Field Gear

The word of choice in the bay area is "layers". You should be prepared for all kinds of weather and expect conditions to change rapidly while you are in the field. Among the things you should have in your pack: water, layered clothing, comfortable trail shoes, sunscreen, a hat, extra socks sunglasses, a rain jacket (rain is possible and we go with the conditions), your camera and a tripod. This is not an all inclusive list and it is up to you to be prepared to go into the field where we may hike as many as five miles over the course of the day. Please  check the weather the night before and plan accordingly. We will travel rain or shine!

Things To Know

Due to the field component of this program, your ticket is nonrefundable and not transferable. This program is being offered as a two day program and we will not be offering any discounted rates for attending one of the two days. We will have one day programs in the future so check back for more opportunities. This particular program is limited to participants that are 18 and over in age. Space is limited for a better experience.

Overview ~ January 14th Details ~ January 15th Details ~ More Information

Reservations: Academy Members: $170, Adults: $195
Ages 18 and over only with limited space available.
Reserve online or call 415-379-8000.