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Showing posts with label field work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label field work. Show all posts

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Spring flowers

One of the most wonderful features of spring are the flowers. I absolutely love making images of flowers using the colors, shape, lines, etc. to create interpretations that delve in the abstract. Over the last 3 weeks I have been busy leading workshops and field sessions that introduce participants to this approach. A few years ago I realized it was rare for me to take a photograph of a single flower just by itself. I'm usually going in closer to abstract it or backing up to include multiple flowers. This just comes naturally to me. It's the way a see flowers.

The following 2 photographs are from last weekends Macro Boot Camp. The workshop was attended by a enthusiastic group of photographers that were open to different ideas that I presented to them. The first evening they were challenged with a breeze and the next morning with rain. The third session was held indoors in a more controlled environment. They had the opportunity to photograph a variety of flowers in bloom at the beautiful Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. The following two image were the only photographs that I made during the workshop.



The photograph above was created while demonstrating the use of shallow depth of field and picking a focal point for the image.



This image was created indoors while demonstrating how to control backgrounds, finding a composition and deciding where to focus.

You can view more flower photography at - http://www.nikhilbahl.com/portfolios/in_bloom/index.html

This weekend I have another flower photography field session that is sold out. It is the last of the spring series but I will be announcing a couple of more field sessions to photograph summer flowers. The  Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Field Session  already has a few registrations.

Next week I'm off to Florida to photograph a variety of avian species. I'll be doing some of my own photography before leading a workshop in Titusville and St. Augustine.




May 6, 6pm - May 11, 11am
Florida Avian Photography Workshop (Titusville and St. Augustine, FL)

July 21, 6:30 - 9:30am
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Field Session (Washington D.C.)

September 8, sunrise - sunset
Digital Nature Photography One-day Workshop (Chincoteague Island, VA)

October 20, sunrise - October 21, sunset
Great Falls Digital Worflow workshop (Great Falls, VA)

November 16, 1pm - November 18, 1pm
Chincoteague Island Workshop (VA)



Thursday, November 10, 2011

2011 West Virginia fall workshop report



Every outdoor/nature photography workshop leader stresses about the conditions that the group will be presented with during the workshop. In the end, we take what we get and make the best of it. Although, it's always nice to have good conditions to start with. The last 2 years I have lead a fall workshop in West Virginia there has been nothing but clear skies. While it is nice weather to be out and about in, it doesn't make for the most interesting landscape photo opportunities. Last year was tough but this year was better. Even though we had clear skies yet again the first 2 mornings we were treated to some spectacular foggy conditions. I really enjoyed sharing my thoughts and ideas on how to take advantage of foggy conditions with the group. Since there were only 4 workshop participants it gave me the opportunity to make sure that everyone was making lots of quality images.

In previous workshop reports I have shared some of my images. This time I decided to show you images the workshop participants came away with and share some of their thoughts on the workshop itself. I hope you enjoy their images.

Thanks to Judy, Gale, Ni and Dick for making it a successful workshop.



Judy MacArthur's comments about her workshop experience:
I can't recommend Nikhil's workshop highly enough.  He is low key and knowledgeable and articulate in his explanations...quick thinking when conditions change and generous with his expertise...always making suggestions, constantly circulating among the group, encouraging us to try unfamiliar techniques and offering help.  The experience far exceeded my expectations, which were high to begin with!




Gale Smith's comments about his workshop experience:
The trip to West Virginia, Blackwater Falls Park and Dolly Sods could not have been better; great small group, excellent weather with wonderful colors and magical early morning fog, and Nikhil who seemed to know where and when to be for the best images.  Nikhil is not just a superb nature photographer but he is willing to share what he knows and taking time with each of us to help us see and capture images that for me are some of my very best photographs. In fact, some of my best images in over 30 years of photography came from the WV workshop; Nikhil is excellent in combining both technical and creative ideas to learn from. He sees and communicates to us not just good composition and what he called "organic" images, but finds elements that balance photographs. 


Wang Ni's comments about her workshop experience:
You have left me a good impression during this trip, which is unforgetable in my life. I do appreciate your professional instruction. 





Dick Pelroy's comments about his workshop experience:
  • Great selection of venues.
  • Excellent field instruction (superior).
  • Invaluable information of time of day and location for my photography to this area in future personal trips.
  • Overall, probably the best photography workshop I’ve attended (14 and counting).


2012 workshop schedule (JUST POSTED!)

April 14, 6:30 - 9:30am
Flowers & Close-ups Field Session
Brookside Gardens (Wheaton, MD)

April 21, 12pm - April 22, 7pm
Macro Boot Camp
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (Vienna, VA)

May 6, 6pm - May 11, 11am
Florida Avian Photography Workshop (Titusville & St. Augustine, FL)

July 21, 6:30 - 9:30am
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Field Session (Washington D.C.)

September 8, sunrise - sunset
Digital Nature Photography One-day Workshop (Chincoteague Island, VA)

October 20, sunrise - October 21, sunset
Great Falls Digital Worflow workshop (Great Falls, VA)

November 16, 1pm - November 18, 1pm
Chincoteague Island Workshop (VA)






Friday, November 12, 2010

Mid-Atlantic Photography Expo this weekend

I will be sharing a table/booth with my friend and fellow photography Bill Folsom at the Mid-Atlantic Photography Expo (Nature Visions) this weekend. If you will be at the expo please stop by and say hello.
More info on the expo can be found at http://www.midatlanticnaturephotographyexpo.org.

We had some nice conditions last weekend. Leading a field session I made sure the participants were taking advantage of the situation. I managed to take 15 exposures in 3 hours. This photo is not bad considering that :)

Misty Potomac, Great Falls Park, Virginia


Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Just added - Hands on Photography Workshops to Improve Your Compositional Skills!



What you shoot, the lighting at that moment, how you frame an image and when you click the shutter, all combined create either a photograph we are proud of, or one we discard. Wouldn't you like to discard less and create more inspiring images?