About this Event
A five day excursion at Merritt Island where we will practice wild bird photography with access to over 400 species of birds.
Many photographers consider Florida to be a mecca of bird photography. Not only is there a great quantity of bird life to photography but also great variety. Over the course of 5 days we will explore two locations known for great birding opportunities: the famed Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Orlando Wetlands.
More than 400 species of birds call Merritt Island home. In late February we will witness a lot of nesting behavior and we can expect to photograph Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, Ospreys, and the iconic Florida Scrub-Jay (as well as many other species). During each day of our trip we will split our time between shooting in these two locations and working on our images in editing workshops.
During this workshop we will cover:
- Classic composition techniques
- Proper exposure for birds in flight, taking angular light and time of day into consideration
- How lens choice affects outcome
- Subject tracking
- Image processing and development
What to Bring
- Interchangeable lens cameras with extra battery and memory
- Telephoto lens (400mm+ is encouraged and if you need a lens for the trip, Mike’s Camera has an excellent rental program)
- Tripod or monopod (encouraged, but not necessary)
- Polarizers filters if you have them
- Rain jacket
General Itinerary
- Arrive Midday of Monday, February 22. Check into your hotel by 2pm. We will meet in the afternoon and go out for a shoot in the late afternoon and sunset.
- On February 23-26 we will head out on daily excursions in the morning and the evening, splitting our time between Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Orlando Wetlands.
- Image editing and discussion sessions on Tuesday, February 23 and Thursday February 25.
Travel information
One should plan for flight arrival between by 2pm on the first day of the workshop. We recommend flying into Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Please note: Due to the variety of times attendees will be arriving, we will be unable to pick up attendees from the airport, which is about 45 minutes away from Titusville.
When we meet for our online lecture prior to the trip we will discuss ride sharing and rental cars. Our goal will be to carpool as much as possible during the event.
Hotel options
We will have two editing and review sessions, which are held at the Days Inn by Wyndham (listed below). This is the recommended hotel, though there are many hotels in the area.
There are a number of hotels in Titusville including:
- Days Inn by Wyndham, 3755 Cheney Hwy, Titusville, FL, 32780, (321) 362-6077. This is the recommended hotel and the one where we will hold our editing and review sessions.
- Best Western Space Shuttle Inn, 3455 Cheney Hwy, Titusville, FL 32780•(321) 269-9100
- Fairfield by Marriott, 4735 Helen Hauser Blvd, Titusville, FL 32780•(321) 385-1818
What’s included:
- Daily excursions in and around locations in Florida
- In-field instruction at each location
- Image discussion sessions
What’s not included
- Hotel cost
- Transportation to and from Florida, as well as in the field. To save on a footprint, we will carpool.
- Cost of food
- Travel insurance (which is highly recommended for all travelers)
About your Instructors: Joe Klocek & Scott Dougherty
Joe Klocek has worked in the photographic industry as a photographer, salesman, and instructor since 2005. Today he teaches courses on a variety of topics, including macro, wildlife, exposure theory, videography, and studio lighting. In the past few years he has been a guest speaker for photographic societies and travel expositions. He lives in Denver with his wife, son, and unmanageable book collection.
Scott Dougherty is the a Photographer with over 30 years of experience in the photographic industry. He enjoys wildlife, macro and sports photography and especially likes photographing our home town Denver Broncos. He also has a key role in several of Mike’s Camera workshops. As a native Coloradoan, he lives in Littleton and loves to spend time outdoors Biking, Golfing or capturing photos of his five granddaughters.
Event venue & nearby stays
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Montrose County, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.