Instructional Wildlife Photography Workshops

Monument Valley 2012

Presented by the Burwell School of Photography

Download the workshop pdf here.

April 13th – 16th, 2012

We are very proud to be the exclusive company leading an instructional Wildlife Photography Workshop in conjunction with the Triple “D” Game Farm in Monument Valley during April 2012.

Large rock formations in the Navajo park Monument Valley

Imagine a Mountain Lion posing for your with the unbelievable Monument Valley landscape as a background. The sand dunes, buttes, grand arches and unique rock formations are internationally recognized as iconic symbols of the American West. For the first time ever, the Triple “D” Game Farm will be bringing a selection of their fantastic trained wildlife models to the Monument Valley during these special wildlife photography workshops.

Register early and join Outdoor Photography Canada’s contributing editor, Paul Burwell, for a full featured wildlife photography workshop.

Monument Valley

This unique venture will be held on Lorenz and Barbara Holiday’s Moonlight Springs Ranch, ten miles west of Goulding’s Lodge. Triple “D” has been granted the rare opportunity to base their operations on a traditional Navajo homestead and through our respected host and Navajo guides, Burwell School of Photography participants will have the chance to witness and experience the history, culture and challenges of the local residents.

Photography sites have been selected in various locations throughout Monument Valley to include Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and Moonlight Springs Ranch. This includes back country locations which allow access only to those with a Navajo Nation guide. Some of the selected sites include spectacular stone arches, rocky outcrops using the “Mittens” or other monuments of archeological significance, and locations with cultural intrigue.

About the Three Day Wildlife Events

Tentative plans include the following species: Black Bear, Mountain Lions, Bobcat, Siberian Lynx, Coyote, Wolves, Grey Fox, Cross Fox, Red Fox, Badger and Porcupine with the possibility of a Grizzly Bear cub and a Tiger cub. Some additions or changes may be necessary prior to the workshop.

Red Fox posing on the red rocks

The objective is to offer the opportunity for participants to photograph the animals from Triple “D” in settings only common to the unique Monument Valley. Those images could never be obtained any other way.

Badger posing on top of a red rock formation

Participants will be guaranteed eight photo sessions during the three day event with an option to attend additional sessions. The group size for each event will be limited to 12 photographers.

How to Get THERE and Where to STAY

Monument Valley is a Navajo Tribal Park and located on the border of Utah and Arizona and all filming sites are within the 16 million-acre Navajo Reservation. Participants MUST plan quickly to reserve lodging or camping locations. It is also recommended participants make arrangements to travel to, and from, the various filming locations in a high clearance vehicle, with four wheel drive preferred. Goulding’s Lodge and The View offer comfortable lodging and a restaurant and are both located at or near Monument Valley. Goulding’s also offers a full service campground. Mexican Hat, UT and Kayenta, AZ are both within 25 miles of Monument Valley, and offer only a few hotels. Tourism begins to peak in April, and lodging is extremely limited, with no other options available to our clients. We strongly suggest lodging arrangements be made early.

Major air access is also limited with commutes required from various locations to include Salt Lake City, UT, Flagstaff, AZ or Phoenix, AZ. The “Four Corners” area is a photographers dream! While en route to Monument Valley, you are near so many breathtaking and unique parks and adventures to include Arches and Canyon Lands National Parks, the Grand Canyon, and numerous other scenic and historical byways, state parks and recreation sites.

Navajo Mustang Roundup / Introduction to the Navajo Culture (Optional Session)

Two wild horses, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Monument Valley, Arizona, USA

Arrangements are being made with local Navajo families to conduct photography sessions of early morning mustang horse drives. This includes a herd of mustangs running toward the photographer accompanied by a Navajo wrangler(s) in local attire. Locations have been selected to highlight the glow of the soft early morning light against the spectacular rock formations and utilize the famous monuments as a background.

The Burwell School of Photography Mustang Roundup Event will be held April 13th 2012.

After the Mustang Roundup participants will travel with our Navajo guide to locations within the park and step back in time to photograph various Navajo exhibits to include the Hogan, or hexagon-shaped domed regarded as sanctuary for the family. Many families in the area still live without electricity or running water and embrace the traditions of the Navajo way of life to include rug making and weaving, tending of goats, sheep and other local live stock, bread making and open fire cooking or baking.

The cost is $700 to attend the Mustang Roundup and the Navajo Culture.

Participants will have the afternoon to enjoy the park or retreat to the motel to relax after four days of intense photography.

More, on the Moonlight Springs Ranch

Moonlight Springs Ranch is operated by our hosts, Lorenz and Barbara Holiday and is located approximately 10 miles from Goulding’s or 15 miles from Monument Valley Tribal Park. Lorenz grew up in the area and from childhood was raised in the traditions of the Navajo way of life. As his guests, he offers us the opportunity to learn more about his culture. The Ranch provides many spectacular sites and offers views of various monuments throughout the valley. While at Moonlight Springs, it is not uncommon to see many wild mustangs roaming free.

Guided Tour (Optional Event)

The Triple “D” has also made arrangements with two professional Navajo guides to conduct escorted vehicle tours within Monument Valley Tribal Park. Our guides know the area and its history and will take clients to some of the most sought after, and remote areas. These tours will be conducted in the soft light of early morning or late afternoon depending on weather conditions.

Petroglyph - Monument Valley

The tour guide will provide transportation and participants can expect that a portion of their tour will include the restricted areas of the park, known as the “Back Country”. The back country areas are only accessible with high clearance, four wheel drive vehicles. These tours are optional. Participants can reserve a tour the day prior to, or the day after, the wildlife photography sessions. Cost per participant is $125.00 per day.

The guided tour for participants in the Burwell School of Photography is scheduled for April 14th 2012.

Itinerary

• April 13th OPTIONAL - Wild Horse Roundup/Navajo Culture Photography Sessions
• April 14th – 16th Mornings: The morning of each day will feature photography sessions with the wildlife models at various shooting locations.
• April 14th – 16th Afternoons: This time will be available for instruction as well as free time to work on images.
• April 16th – 5:00PM – Workshop comes to an end
• April 17th – OPTIONAL - Tour with two Navajo guides

Workshop Costs

• Wildlife Photography Workshop AND Wild Horse Roundup/Navajo Culture Photography Session
• $2,565 US Dollars
• $500 NON_REFUNDABLE US Dollars deposit required upon reservation
• Remainder due January 12, 2012
• Wildlife Photography Workshop
• $2,200 US Dollars
• $350 NON-REFUNDABLE US Dollars deposit required upon reservation
• Remainder due January 12, 2012
• Wild Horse Roundup/Navajo Culture Photography Session
• $650 US Dollars
• $150 NON_REFUNDABLE US Dollars deposit required upon reservation
• Remainder due January 12, 2012
• Optional Wildlife Photography Sessions
• $150 per photographer per session
• Accompanying non-photographer $75 per day
• Optional Guided Tour with two Navajo Guides
• $125 per person

Policies and payment information available here.

Meet Casey, the Black Bear Cub

Casey, Black Bear Cub - CA

Happy Spring!!! I recently returned from Utah, just outside Zion National Park, where I hosted a workshop (that was held in conjunction with the folks at the Triple “D” Game Farm) with a tremendous group of students. As spring is the time of year when a lot of animals have their youngsters, we had the good fortune of photographing Casey, a black bear cub, who is triple “D”s newest addition to their well cared for menagerie.

I’ve photographed a lot of black bears and their cubs throughout the years, and I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Casey is the cutest little black bear cub I’ve had the pleasure of photographing and he is really a star.

So, if you’ve been pondering visiting Triple “D” and taking a photography workshop there, my Spring Wildlife Photography Workshop in Kalispell, Montana will give you the opportunity to meet Casey amongst other new youngsters. I’m confident that Casey will remain a star with his amazing personality, but that super cute factor, only lasts for so long.

If you have any interest in maybe selling your photography or even if its for your own pleasure, people LOVE cute!

A New Home For Our Edmonton Workshops

Providence Conference Centre

While our Edmonton based photography workshops have previously been held out of a local hotel, we’ve been searching for a new location to better compliment the sort of workshops and teaching we do while still being able to offer our courses at affordable rates. It took a lot of searching, but we eventually found a real gem of a facility. Providence Centre offers sunny, large classroom space, tasty meals, ample free parking and is located on 20 acres of landscaped gardens, all within city limits, and minutes away from major hotels for those who are traveling.

Our new home for our Edmonton based workshops is the Providence Centre, located at 3005 – 119 Street in Edmonton. This south side location is easily accessible to people coming from all quadrants of the city and surrounding areas via the Whitemud Drive and Anthony Henday Drive.

Students at a recent class

My DSLR Fundamentals Workshop held this last weekend, was my first workshop at the new facility and I couldn’t be happier with it. In addition to being a wonderful, quiet facility we can now include lunches with our workshops. This means that participants no longer have to scurry off at lunch time to find somewhere to grab a quick bite and can instead enjoy a leisurely stroll down the hall to the Providence Centre’s cafeteria. The cafeteria always has at least two main courses (one of which is always chicken), a couple of salad options, soup, side dishes and dessert. Special diets like vegetarian or celiac can be accommodated with advance notice. In the warmer months students can dine outside or chose to relax in the gardens on their lunch break.

The Providence Centre is really a jewel and the people there are tremendous to work with. If you decide to join us for a workshop, I am quite confident that you’ll really enjoy the Providence Centre.

*NOTE-for those students enrolled in May’s Wildlife Intensive Workshop on May 13-15/2011, this workshop will be held at our previous location at the Ramada Hotel in downtown Edmonton for scheduling reasons. All other workshops before and after this are now offered at the Providence Centre. (All workshops have locations and directions listed when you register online).

DSLR Fundamentals and Photography Fundamentals Workshops

I’ve now had a few groups of students graduate from my DSLR Fundamentals Workshop. This course helps students become familiar with their DSLR cameras and enhances their understanding of how the camera ‘works’. Students become empowered to venture away from strictly automatic shooting. I help students learn how the automatic modes may do an “okay” job, but it’s when we put ourselves in command of the camera and begin making our own decisions about the sort of pictures that we want to make that we can start making photographs instead of snap shots. Strict beginners as well as those somewhat familiar with their cameras features are welcome to take this course.

The DSLR Fundamentals course is a technical course. It’s all about the cameras, their features and how to use them in the manual modes. The Photography Fundamentals Workshop is all about the art of photography and learning to make creative photographs that help tell a story. Like the DSLR Fundamentals course, this is a hands-on course with the students getting plenty of opportunity to practice the concepts talked about in the classroom. Many students choose to take the DSLR Fundamentals Workshop first, and then take the Photography Fundamentals Workshop afterwards to further develop their skills.

The Photography Fundamentals Workshop runs the weekend of June 4th and 5th and there still a few openings available. If you’re interested, you can find more details on the course here.

Wildlife Intensive Workshop

We still have several spaces open in our Wildlife Intensive Weekend Workshop running in Edmonton the weekend of May 13-15/2011. This enjoyable workshop gives you tips and tricks on how to make great wildlife shots, and includes a field trip where we photograph different animals in their natural habitat and then return to the classroom for discussion and critiquing. This class sold out last fall and we think it will probably sell out again. A great time was had by all!

Prairie dog biting its' nails

Courses and Workshops

We thank you for your continued support and would love to see you at an upcoming workshop. Our workshops continue to receive great reviews and we enjoy putting them on as much as our clients are enjoying their participation.

Based on the support and feedback we’ve received, we’ve added a number of new workshops based on our intensive weekend format from our central Edmonton location. Whether you’re new to photography or looking to get a handle on your software to process your images, we’ve got a course for you. We’ve also added a new week long course in August for the serious amateur photographer who is passionate about outdoor photography to find ways of making income from that photography.

One of our new courses, DSLR Fundamentals, has been very popular and we have received many requests to hold a part 2 , or a ‘where do we go from here?’ course. Have a look at our Photography Fundamentals Workshop, designed for those who have completed our DSLR Fundamentals course, or another course like it, or have equivalent experience. You can find more details under the course listing.

Stay tuned for course listings for the remainder of 2011 in our upcoming newsletter!

As always, if you’d like to see a course offered that isn’t listed here, please let us know. If there’s enough interest we can make it happen! Also, if a course or workshop you want to take is sold out, we encourage you to put your name on the waiting list. Just click on the course heading you want and the button “add to wait list” and we will contact you if a space becomes available. If there’s enough folks on the waiting list we can always run another course if possible.

Photography Tip-Keep Your Eye On The Prize

Coyote leeping for prey - CA

On the surface, this tip seems really simple; if you don’t want to miss shots, keep your eye on the viewfinder.

However, in practice, it can be really easy to get distracted when you’re photographing. It’s all too simple to get distracted reviewing previous shots, admiring the dust up in the cup of your viewfinder or contemplating some wonderful cloud formations.

But, when you’re waiting for a specific shot, even a moment of distraction can contribute to missing a great photo opportunity. In the photograph above of the pouncing coyote, I had reasonable expectations (based on previous experience) that this behaviour would occur. And eventually, my patience and perseverance paid off. I’d made sure my camera was setup the way I wanted to ensure a sharp capture and when the moment came, I was ready.

Another trick I use is that I watch what’s happening around me with both eyes. I have my right eye glued to my viewfinder while my left eye is open as well. This allows me to keep a bit of a watch on what is happening outside the scope of the viewfinder. After all, you never know when Bigfoot is going to wander by…..

Thoughts of Spring….Again

Sweetpeas in Red

Will spring ever truly arrive? Although the animals seems to think it is spring, as evidenced by the arrival of Robins to our neighbourhood and Casey, the black bear cub’s arrival to the Triple “D”, the snow on the ground in my backyard is making a tenacious fight. In places the snow is still over three feet deep and the weather has been very unspring like.

Don’t get me wrong. I love winter and all it brings but at some point I get a little tired of the whole thing. And although I’m usually convinced that each year is the beginning of a new ice age, I’m sure that if I’m patient, eventually spring will actually arrive and I’ll be able to see my lawn without looking around piles of snow.

I was searching through my archives of images and found the following photograph of a Sweet Pea that I made last summer. I love the reds and nothing makes me more hopeful than knowing that it really won’t be too long until these flowers will again decorate the fence between us and our neighbours.

To make this shot, I used my 24-70mm F2.8 lens on my Canon 5D Mark II camera. The image was made at F2.8 from close to the minimum focusing distance for the lens so my depth-of-field on this shot was about 6 millimetres or about .02 feet and that is what helps give it that wonderful sharp, yet dreamy appearance.

If you have any questions or comments about anything you’ve read in this newsletter or any questions about photography in general, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line.

(All images Copyright and courtesy of Joe Browning)

Utah April 2011 Wildlife Instructional Photography Workshop

Near Hurricane, Utah just outside Zion National Park

Presented by the Wildlife Photo Academy

Download the workshop pdf here.

April 8th – 10th, 2011

Join Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine contributing editor, Paul Burwell, for a full-featured photography workshop in stunning red rocks just outside Zion National Park near Hurricane, Utah.

In conjunction with the Triple “D” Game Farm, this workshop will help you create stunning images of the wonderful wildlife transported to Utah set amongst crystal clear stream, majestic red rock cliffs, and the red rock arches, famous for that part of the country.

In 3 days you can amass a tremendous portfolio of animal photographs while learning the tips, tricks and techniques that will help you create truly captivating images.

The workshop dates have been selected to take advantage of the cooler spring conditions.

Wildlife models can include:  bobcats, coyotes, wolves, otters, grizzly bear, black bear, mountain lions, grey fox, cross fox, red fox, badger, raccoon and porcupine.

Consider spending an optional extra day for a Birds of Prey session.  We have contracted with several local rapture centers to acquire a good compliment of birds and professional handlers.  Participants have the option of joining this optional session, the day before the three day wildlife event or the day after.

The wildlife workshop includes:

• The opportunity to photograph extremely healthy and happy wildlife surrogates in natural surroundings on private land near Hurricane, Utah.
  • A minimum of 8 sessions photographing the animals over 3 days
  • The benefit of Paul’s many years of experience photographing Triple “D” wildlife models
  • You will be safely closer to animals like Cougars, Wolves and Bears than you ever imagined possible
• A copy of Paul’s book, Triple D Photography Tips, Tricks and Techniques
• Small group size to a maximum of 12 participants allows for maximum flexibility
• A CD to take home containing an electronic version of the workshop material
• Paul’s undivided attention during the photo sessions to help you get the most out of your investment
  • Paul has an extensive history of working with and educating adults from his prior experience as the President of an Internet firm
• A Wildlife Photography Academy t-shirt or ball cap.
• The option to submit up to 10 photographs from this workshop for a detailed written critique of each submitted photograph

Notes from the instructor…

Our Utah Triple D workshops are limited to 12 participants.  This group size allows for maximum flexibility in obtaining all types of shots including portraits, behavior, close-ups and special requests where possible.  You’ll also have the flexibility to easily move to different positions to get the shots you are looking for.  You will be able to benefit from my years of experience photographing the Triple D wildlife models.  This will help make sure you go home with the best photos possible.

Paul Burwell was the President of an Internet services company for over 10 years where he developed an extensive history of working with and educating adults.  He is currently a contributing editor for Outdoor Photography Canada magazine and a professional nature photographer.  Some individuals seem to run workshops in order to subsidize their own photography shoots.  But, unlike those workshop leaders, he is exclusively there to help you get the best shots.  You won’t need to worry about interrupting his photography to ask a question or get advice.  This workshop is more than just a series of photo sessions with the wildlife models.  It is a full featured workshop offering a complete educational experience.

Each participant will receive a copy of Paul’s book, Triple D Photography Tips, Tricks and Techniques.  Familiarizing yourself with the book in advance of your trip to the Triple D is an excellent way of preparing for your visit.  The Triple D Photography Tips, Tricks and Techniques book forms the basis for the educational portion of the workshop.

If you are wondering where to stay in Hurricane, we can provide you with recommendations for local accommodation.  Please contact us for more information.