EVERGLADES AND THE FLORIDA GULF COAST

Bird and Wildlife Workshop

March 5 - 9, 2012

This will be an outstanding 5-day workshop that will take you from the Gulf Coast near Tampa to the SE tip of the panhandle into the Everglades.  Along the way we'll see an island that has more Osprey than you've ever seen in one place, canoe into Ding Darling on Sanabel Island, shoot exotic species on private land in Sanabel, shoot Everglades landscapes near Everglades City and photograph the stunning variety of species in Everglades National Park.  We'll do a Photoshop session each day to process your images and plan some free time for you to explore on your own.  Award-winning Photographer Paul Richman of Pixels by Paul will be joining us for this workshop.

We need a minimum of 4 people for this workshop.  Maximum of 6.  The fee of $1795 includes lodging and one dinner. 

2012 Everglades and the Florida Gulf Coast Itinerary

General

The general plan will be to leave each day prior to sunrise in order to arrive and be set up at that day’s sunrise site at Civil Twilight.  Civil Twilight is when it is light enough to see without a flashlight.  We will do a morning shoot and try to return to the hotel in time to still have the hotel-furnished breakfast.  While most people who are new to the Everglades are often surprised at how bug-free it is, early mornings and evenings can be mosquito.  I recommend a light weight long-sleeved shirt.  “Guide” shirts that allow you to roll up the sleeves into a short-sleeved shirt work great.

After breakfast we will have to check out, except for the 2-day stay we have at the Ivey House.  There may be another activity to finish the morning, but generally we will then be driving to our next destination.  We’ll do a post-processing session early afternoon, allow time for a nap, and then head out for the evening golden hour.

Sunday, March 4

Pickup at the Tampa airport and transport to the hotel.  This is the evening I usually furnish dinner so we have a chance to get familiar with each other.

Monday, March 5

The morning shoot will be at Honeymoon Island.  This is a state park that doesn’t open until 8 AM, so enjoy you only day to sleep in!  This place is Osprey Central.  They’re everywhere.  You’ll have opportunities for nest shots, feeding shots and every other kind of shot.  After we’ve walked the park we can set up on the shoreline and see if we can get the “Osprey pulling the fish from the water” shot.  If you’ve been able to bring a small portable stool it will come in handy here.  You’ll want your longest lens here.  Then we drive to Ft. Myers.  The evening shoot will be a walk through a swamp on a boardwalk. 

Tuesday, March 6

We will meet our canoe outfitter outside Ding Darling at 7:00.  The preserve doesn’t open until 7.  Dress at bit on the warm side, and have a light wind shell.  I have reserved the entire boat so it will only be our group.  After the canoe (and while the outfitter is getting the canoe ready we can shoot from the road.  This can be productive.  Spoonbills can be easier to shoot from the road than the canoe.  Then, we’ll drive Ding Darling, break for lunch on Sanibel and then go to a private pond where we can shoot exotic ducks and other birds.  We drive to Everglade City and do an evening shoot in Corkscrew Swamp.

Wednesday, March 7

We’re going to shoot Shark Valley in the morning.  We will walk in before the park opens.  This is a great place for insects, butterflies, flowers, orchids, purple grallinules and snakes.  The may be opportunities for otters here.  There are 3 other good boardwalk sites to shoot for the rest of the day and we’ll work in a stop at the Clyde Butcher Gallery.  Clyde is a famous Everglades black and white photographer.

Thursday, March 8

We’ll do short drive in the morning looking for vultures and Black Crowned Night Herons, back to the Ivey House for breakfast, then drive the back roads through the Everglades to Florida City.  There are some great stops along the way.  We’ll get set up at the hotel in Florida City and head back into the Everglades to the famous Anhinga Trail.  We’ll spend the rest of this day and tomorrow morning shooting from a variety of spots in the main part of Everglades National Park.  We’ll shift our focus (no pun intended) from animals to landscapes.

Friday, March 9

Back into the Everglades.  We’ll do a quick stop at the Anhinga Trail where you’ll experience the stereo sounds of the bull alligators bellowing from the very nearby brush, then search out several hidden spots.  We’ll shoot till we drop this morning before returning to the hotel for our bags and then on to Ft. Lauderdale for flights out.