Bulletins and Notes Archive

Washington D.C. Seminar And In-The-Field Workshops

In late April 2001, an exhibit entitled "On a Wing and a Prayer: The Migratory Birds of North America" will open at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. The exhibit, which will feature 62 BIRDS AS ART images, will run for one year and then become part of the Smithsonian's Traveling Exhibit Program. In conjunction with the exhibit and with a program that I will be doing for Migratory Bird Day, I will be conducting a BIRDS AS ART Photography weekend at the Zoo. The details and a registration form for the Saturday Seminar and the Sunday In-the-Field Workshop are cut and pasted below and are also attached as an MS Word file. This information may of course be reproduced elsewhere in any form by those wishing to help publicize the events. The In-The-Field Workshop will surely sell out almost immediately, so please register early if you wish to attend; we will maintain a waiting list.

The Art Of Nature Photography
Full Day How-To Seminar: Saturday, April: 28, 2001
In-The-Field Workshop: Sunday, April 29, 2001
At The National Zoo, Washington, D.C.
With Arthur Morris / Birds As Art

On Saturday, April 28, 2001, internationally renowned bird photographer Arthur Morris will present a full day How-To Seminar at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. More than 10,000 of Mr. Morris' technically perfect, artistically designed images have appeared in virtually all natural history, photography, and birding publications, as well as in many general interest publications, prestigious calendars, advertisements, and on posters and web sites. Artie has been a Canon contract photographer since 1995, has done a worldwide television commercial for the EOS 1N, and has appeared in six episodes of the Canon Photo Safari. He is a contributing photographer with VIREO (Philadelphia), Windrush Photos (UK), and The Stock Market, (New York). He has written four books; the latest, The Art of Bird Photography is considered the classic how-to work on bird photography.

This seminar is for all nature photographers (not just bird photographers) who want to learn how to make better images. Artie will describe the methods and techniques that he has developed and used since 1983. His comments on equipment, film, autofocus, light, exposure, composition and picture design, image sharpness, getting close to wild subjects, and his tips on photographing action and behavior will benefit everyone with a telephoto lens who wishes to dramatically improve the quality of their images.

Attendees will learn:

1. All about modern autofocus cameras and lenses as well as the pros and cons of both the Canon and Nikon systems.

2. How to get closer to free, wild and unrestrained creatures than ever before while minimizing disturbance.

3. The secrets of producing razor sharp images and the benefits of image stabilizer lenses.

4. About Artie's two favorite films, and how and when he uses them.

5. How to shoot calendar quality silhouettes at almost any time of the day!

6. How and when to use flash and projected flash as main light and as fill light.

7. How the quality and the direction of natural light affects your images.

8. How to come up with pure, clean, out-of-focus backgrounds that are the hallmark of Artie's style.

9. Why Artie is one of the few pros who rarely spot meters anything. The In-The-Field Workshop will be held on the grounds of the National Zoo, is open only to Saturday seminar registrants, and is limited to 15 participants. Adult participants will be invited to mentor deserving local children for two hours after lunch.

The cost of the How-To Seminar is $65.00 ($55.00 for National Zoo and participating camera club members, $45.00 for students under age 24 with a valid student ID.)