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• KLAMATH COMMENTS
• THE BLOG IS THE BOMB!
• POSSE NEWS: JIM NEIGER/JAMES SHADLE
• IPT UPDATES

KLAMATH COMMENTS

It is rare to get e-mails from folks attending out of town programs. I was thrilled to receive the two below when I (finally) got home from Oregon. (BTW, I did not land in Orlando until 12:30 am on what was actually Wednesday morning after waking before 3 am and driving the six hours to Portland early on Tuesday. Amazingly, Budget did not charge me a cent for changing the drop-off location at the last second!)

From Denis Westphal:

Art, I wanted to thank you for the wonderful time Carlla and I had with you. I will never be a great photographer but I still love it. Being in the outdoors, doing something my wife and I enjoy together, and digital photography technology are all amazing. In a few short hours you taught me several things that will make my experiences more rewarding. Not all of it has to do with photography. Art, do you realize in my profession as a Vascular Surgeon the number of patients I see that have been able to make the lifestyle changes you have managed? It almost never happens. That part of your life as much as your photography should be an inspiration to us all. Thanks again for a great time, Denis with one n

And from Bill Griffiths:

Art, I was totally blown away. I never moved a muscle as I listened to you tell your story and watched as you illustrated it with the most beautiful photographs I have ever seen. I love to photograph birds and nature, but your program was absolutely spellbinding. I couldn’t believe that an hour passed so quickly. I hope I have the chance again sometime to see and hear you. And I hope to have my wife there with me to experience what I did. I simply do not have the words to convey the experience to her. A million thanks for your story and your photos. Bill

THE BLOG IS THE BOMB!

Finally… It took about a dozen years, and then it happened!

Check out a gallery of Denise Ippolito’s best creative images here.

POSSE NEWS: JIM NEIGER/JAMES SHADLE

BEST OF FLORIDA WORKSHOPS

Capt. Jim Neiger of “Flight School Photography” and Capt. James Shadle of “In the Field Workshops” are proud to present the “Best of Florida” workshop series – the best time of year, the best weather, the best species, the best colors, the best group size, and great instruction.

Afternoons can be great on the Alafia Banks!

Jim Neiger has amassed the finest collection of Snail Kite images on the planet….

Look familiar? See here. Guess who was kneeling next to whom….

BEST OF FLORIDA WORKSHOPS (Orlando & Tampa, Florida Area) $2600

These eight day workshops will feature the unsurpassed avian opportunities of both central and west central Florida during peak season. Four days of learning and photography in central Florida with Jim Neiger and four days of learning and photography in west central Florida with James Shadle. This unique arrangement allows you to be exposed to widest range of subjects and habitats imaginable. The subjects and habitats are not the only thing that has a wide range. You will also be exposed to very qualified yet different instructional styles.

Come experience Florida at its very best! The main focus of these distinctive workshops will be solely on you. Class size is drastically reduced for maximum comfort and the individual attention provided will be without equal. Your needs will take center stage during this unique experience. Weather permitting, all sessions except for one afternoon Great Horned Owl foray on the central Florida segment will be pontoon boat trips.

In keeping with our main focus (you), each workshop segment will be limited to only four (4) participants. This insures that everyone may photograph in comfort and receive as much personalized instruction as they need. While our workshops could easily accommodate more than 4 participants per segment, we keep the group size very small to ensure that you will have unparalleled access to the workshop leader and to make sure that you will not miss a photographic opportunity because somebody is in your way.

BOF-1: March 20-27, 2010.

BOF-2: April 3-10, 2010.

The cost of the Best of Florida 8-DAY workshop is $2600 per person. A $1000 non-refundable deposit is required for the workshops. The remaining $1600 is due 15 days before the start date of the workshop. If you are unable to attend the workshop after paying the balance your balance will be refunded only if your spot can be filled–on short notice–from the waiting list. All workshop payments must be made by check or money order. Credit cards are not accepted.

For more info or questions about the Central Florida segment please contact Jim Neiger of Flight School Photography by phone at 407-247-5200 or by e-mail. Jim will be happy to provide you with any additional information.

Flight School website.

For questions about the West Central Florida segment: please contact James Shadle of In The Field Workshops by phone at 813-363-2854 or by e-mail. James will be happy to provide you with any additional information.

Visit www.wildflorida.net and www.inthefieldworkshops.com.

Note from artie: As you can see by the images here, both Jim and James are not only highly skilled photographers, but each of them is able to adeptly position their pontoon boat right down sun angle and in the very best position for photography. Images like the ones that you see here do not happen by luck or accident. Kissimmee Jimmy lives on Lake Toho and knows the birds there better than anyone alive or dead. Captain James Shadle (aka “Froggie”) know the birds of the Alafia Banks better than anyone living or dead. Both Jims have an intimate knowledge of how wind and light (and the tides in Tampa Bay) affect bird photography and will not only share that knowledge with you but will use it to put the group in the right spot at the right time every day.

FLIGHT SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY IN OSPREY HEAVEN, LAKE BLUE CYPRESS (Vero Beach, Florida) $1500

Jim has spent the past several years perfecting his techniques for photographing birds in flight using large telephoto lenses hand held. The focus of these workshops will be learning Jim’s hand held, long lens techniques for photographing birds in flight and in other action. The workshops will be held in some of the most beautiful, wild, and unspoiled wilderness areas of central Florida.

Each workshop will include a four hour classroom session, welcome dinner, four morning photography sessions, and three afternoon photography sessions. Each photography session will be of three to four hours in duration. Five of the photography sessions will (weather permitting) be conducted via a specially configured pontoon boat that has been customized for photography. The remaining photography sessions will be in-the-field land-based sessions. The workshops will be limited to five participants so that everyone may photograph in comfort and receive personalized instruction.

The photography sessions by boat will be held on the unspoiled and unparalleled Lake Blue Cypress. This spectacularly beautiful lake is virtually free of civilization and manmade elements. The lake is surrounded by ancient cypress swamp and marshy wetlands. Here, the gorgeous cypress trees grow from the lake bottom surrounded on all sides by water. Osprey nest by the hundreds are in these trees; participants will be able to photograph the birds as the fly to and fro, dive for fish, gather nesting materials, and feed their young chicks. Some of the nests are actually at or below eye level when standing in the boat. The only distractions in this pristine, wilderness environment are the constant cries of the Osprey as they court in midair and defend their nests from other birds. Lake Blue Cypress is also a landscape photographers dream. The horizons contain nothing of man’s influence and only the beauty of the real Florida wilderness. Perches and backgrounds are spectacular beyond belief. April and May are the best months to be at Lake Blue Cypress. Wildflowers cover the stumps and trees like blankets of radiant color. The skies glow with spectacular, multi-hued sunrises and sunsets. Seeing more than a hundred different species of birds is possible on this trip. Large American Alligators are commonly seen sunning themselves on top of the fallen trees and stumps. The biggest problem for a photographer here is deciding which subject to photograph. Even the weather cooperates this time of year. It is the dry season and clear, sunny days are the most common weather condition.

The photography sessions on land will be held in remote areas of southern Osceola County. Here, participants are likely to have opportunities to photograph birds that are endangered and rarely seen. Possible species include: Swallow-tailed Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Barred Owls, Whooping Cranes, and Great Horned Owls, among others. Sand hill Cranes, a common bird in Central Florida, are tame enough to approach as closely as you like. Participants will also learn how to safely use bird song recordings to attract birds. Jim has developed his own, innovative techniques for using recordings to attract birds, in such a way, that amazing photographic opportunities are common when they would be almost impossible otherwise. This includes special techniques that encourage birds to fly and land in desired ways; this provides spectacular opportunities for flight images and for creating images on beautiful perches.

To see more great Blue Cypress images, click here. To learn more about Jim and Flight School Photography, click here.

LBC-1: May 1-5, 2011.

LBC-2: May 8-12, 2011.

The cost of the workshop is $1500. Each workshop includes a four hour formal classroom instructional session, a welcome dinner, 4 morning photography sessions, and 3 afternoon photography sessions. The photography sessions include personalized instruction in the field. Discounted lodging is available but is not included in the workshop fee. A $750 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve a spot in a workshop. The remaining $750 is due 60 days before the start date of the workshop. If you are unable to attend the workshop after paying the balance, the balance payment will be refunded ONLY if your spot can be filled on short notice from the waiting list. All workshop payments must be made by check or money order. Credit cards are not accepted.

For additional info, check out Osprey Heaven Lake Blue Cypress Workshops.

Contact Information: Jim Neiger, Flight School Photography, Inc. 550 Basin Drive, Kissimmee, FL 34744-4804
Cell phone: (407) 247-5200. e-mail.

Flight School website.