Chincoteague Island Workshop Report

Chincoteague is definitely one of my favorite places to photograph. I love it for the variety of photographic opportunities. It's not a very grand or large location, but I am attracted to it's subtle beauty and wildlife.

A couple of weeks ago I lead a spring workshop at Chincoteague. The weather held up and we were able to view and photograph some beautiful beach scenes and lots of birds.

Here are a few photographs I made while demonstrating various techniques. The image above was a "grab shot". We got to the beach the first morning and witnessed a colorful display of nature. This was one of two photos I made while the color was intense. I spent the rest of the time with the participants making sure they were making the most of this lovely sunrise.

Here I was trying to demonstrate how to create a photograph in a chaotic situation by isolating a small area.

Made while demonstrating how to capture motion in the water using slow shutter speeds. I converted to black & white to bring the viewers attention to the texture.

An example of how to make images of flocks. A Canada Goose amidst a flock of Dunlin.

I used a fast shutter speed to freeze the action as a Great Egret tossed a fish.

We were presented with a great situation when a female Mallard paraded her chicks in front of us. I missed it the first time as a participant was using my big lens. The second time the ducks came around I was able to get a few shots off.

The following series of the Semipalmated Plovers was made while I demonstrated how to approach the birds and then try and go beyond a portrait to capture different behavior.

Thanks to Ruth, Clare, Greg, John, Gale, Kevin, Dick and Jim for making this a fun experience. And a special thanks to Angelique Raptakis for her assistance during the workshop.

I plan to lead another workshop at Chincoteague in November to photograph the fall migrations (especially the snow geese). That workshop announcement will be posted shortly.