Santa Fe workshop followup

I have just returned from a workshop that I co-led with friend and adventure photographer Michael Clark. The workshop was located in the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and over a 4-day period we had 4 outdoor photo shoots and 4 indoor lectures. The outdoor shoots were a mix between the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque and landscape locations near Santa Fe. The indoor lectures were split between Adobe Lightroom's Library and Development modules and ending up with a fine art digital printing lecture with hands-on printing.

We had 16 participants with both Michael and I as instructors, as well as 1 assistant. We based the workshop at Hotel Santa Fe, and we couldn't be any happier with their facilities, proximity to good culture and dining, as well as service.

I took both still photographs as well as high definition video during the workshop, and I have to say that shooting video is a whole different ball game. This was my first time to shoot any video, and the first thing that I learned was that I need to storyboard what I want to shoot before I even turn the camera on.

I am still processing video and some of the images from the workshop, and will post a few behind-the-scenes shots soon. Michael and I are working on doing similar workshops in Santa Fe in 2010, and we are putting the plans in place right now. Here are a few photos from the Balloon Fiesta:

Nikon D700, 14-24mm @ 14mm, 1/40 @ f/3.5, ISO 1250

Nikon D700, 14-24mm @ 18mm, 1/1250 @ f/8, ISO 400

Michael, Linda and Jim

D700, 24-70mm, 1/250 @ f/8, ISO 400. Pop-up fill-flash (notice the round shadow at the bottom? Don't use the lens hood when using the built-in flash on the D700 or D300!)

D700, 14-24mm @ 24mm, 1/250 @ f/5.6, ISO 800

D700, 24-70mm, 1/800 @ f/8, ISO 400

Arches and Canyonlands Workshop, April 2010

Double Exposure: Moab, Utah, April 28 - May 2, 2010

April 28 - May 2, 2010

Workshop Leaders: Andy Biggs and Scott Martin

I will be running my annual Arches and Canyonlands Workshop again next year, and the dates are set for April 28 - May 2. For the workshop I am teaming up with my friend Scott Martin, and it is sure to be yet another fun and exciting workshop.

We wll be basing the workshop out of Moab, Utah, and will include accommodations at my favorite place to stay, The Gonzo Inn. The Gonzo Inn has free wi-fi internet access, which is a great thing for those who hate to pull away from daily life.

This workshop will be packed with both field and classroom instruction. We will be in the field early in the morning and early in the evening to catch the dawn and dusk light with classroom time in between. We will have discussion and assistance while out in the field each day. Advanced techniques will be constantly discussed, demonstrated and put into practice. We will all work closely together, sharing our knowledge and experience. During classroom sessions we will focus on photography workflow from capture to print using Adobe Lightroom. Participants will be encouraged to perfect their workflows and incredible detail will be paid to every aspect of importing files, organizing them, keywording, image development and fine are printmaking. This workshop will be a great chance for photographers to fine tune their workflows while making new work. We will all work closely together, sharing our knowledge and observations. Each day will have a critique of the previous days work.

This workshop is specifically for photographers who want to learn photography techniques all the way from exposure to image processing and printmaking. Light, composition, equipment choices and subject matter are some of the specific things we will discuss. Everyone will have”exposure” with two instructors with complimentary approaches to photography. All participants will be able to work on their own images and will go home with a print of their favorite image from the workshop. We expect that amauters and seasoned digital imaging professionals alike will benefit from the course. Participants should expect to share some of their images for review, as the goal of this workshop is to enjoy the creative process, learn from each other and to grow as image makers.

Registration

The price for the workshop is $995. Transportation, lodging and meals are not included. For a workshop with two great instructors and a small number of participants, we hope you’ll find this to be an excellent value. Use the button below to reserve your space for the workshop. $995 will be charged to your card on April 1st, 2010, at which point it is non-refundable. Your card will not be charged until April 2010.

After reserving your space in the workshop, call one of the hotels mentioned below to reserve a room.

Only 2 spots left for Galapagos next May, 2010

Galapagos Islands Workshop

May 15-23, 2010
Limited to 18 participants (only 2 spots remaining) Sold Out

Well, my Galapgos Islands Workshop for May, 2010 is almost booked up. I have 1 cabin remaining on the upper deck. Once that cabin is spoken for, that's it!

If you have a measurable interest in joining us next year, please let me know as soon as you can by emailing me at info@andybiggs.com. I am confident that these spots will not remain available for much longer.

Workshop and Safari openings

As you can tell from my schedule on my main web site (here), most of my safaris and workshops fill up and fill up early. Here is a quick status of those workshops and safaris in the next 12 months, found below. If you are wondering what your 2010 year will look like, my recommendation is to consider an African photographic safari! You can read my past safari testimonials online. I wish I could put all of the testimonials online, but there just isn't enough room (seriously)!

2009

October 8-11: Adobe Lightroom and the Fine Art Digital Print (Sold Out)

October 16-31: Ultimate Tanzania Photo Safari (Sold Out)

2010

February 25 - March 9: Tanzania Photo Safari (Sold Out)

March 6 - 18: Tanzania Photo Safari (Spots available)

May 15-23: Galapagos Islands (1 spot available)

July 21 - August 1: Botswana, The Premier Wildlife Photo Safari (Sold Out)

August 3-12: African Wildlife Photography Bootcamp (Sold Out)

Galapagos trip announcement

Galapagos Islands Workshop

May 15-23, 2010
Limited to 18 participants

Come join us for an exciting photographic adventure to the Galapagos Islands. We have chartered a private 83-foot motor yacht for 20 people to this exciting location. We will visit many islands and will have the opportunity to photograph up close much of the wildlife on our 8 days and 7 nights aboard the M/Y Eric / Flamingo / Letty. We will have 2 naturalists on board and on shore for our group, which is an excellent naturalist-to-guest ratio! By park rules we are required to have 1 naturalist per 16 people, and we will have 1 per 10.

All other Galapagos trips miss the best light each day, but we will not. We will be on land in the best light, as this is a photography specific trip. This is an extremely important distinction between this trip and others. We also can take our time on our nature walks, allowing us to bring our tripods. Since we have a small and intimate group, we can take the time to get the shots that we need.

The cost of this trip is U.S. $4995, $5395 or $5895 per person depending on cabin level desired, double occupancy (but not inclusive of airfare to Guayaquil, Ecuador from your home). Refer to the boat diagram to determine which cabins will work best for your needs. The same rate applies for each participant regardless of whether they are doing photography and participating in the workshop, or not.

What's Included?

* Air transportation to and from the Galapagos islands from Guayaquil, Ecuador.
* 7 nights and 8 days aboard M/Y Eric / Flamingo / Letty
* Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee of $100
* 2 nights at the Grand Hotel Guayaquil at the beginning and end of islands visit.
* All meals and non-alcoholic drinks while on the ship
* Naturalists on board
* Snorkeling equipment

What is Not Included?

* Additional tips for staff such as guides (estimate around $20 per day per person for all crew members = $175 in total)
* International air to and from Ecuador and your home town
* Alcoholic beverages
* Laundry, phone and other items of a personal nature (yes we have laundry on board the vessel!)
* Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance (highly recommended)
* Meals not mentioned in itinerary (Guayaquil meals)
* Airport departure tax of $25

Click here to read comments from prior travelers and workshop participants.

Click here to read the day-by-day itinerary for this exciting trip, as well as the cabin layout.

What Do I Do Next?

Our groups are small, so space is limited. If this exciting trip has your name on it, if you're excited by the thought of becoming a member of this trip, then now is the time to register. Remember, there will be limited space available for this workshop. When they're spoken for, that's it. If you have any questions before registering, send us an e-mail with any inquiries to info@andybiggs.com.

Workshop update: Adobe Lightroom & The Fine Art Digital Print

[Update] My workshop in Santa Fe in October is now 1/3 booked up, so there are still spaces available. Since I was away in Namibia for 3 weeks, I wasn't actively marketing the workshop. If you would like to join me and Michael Clark in Santa Fe in October, please drop me a link or click on the link below for more information. I am also adding a similar workshop in the Monterey / Big Sur, California area for September, and this workshop will be online in the next few days.

Adobe Lightroom and the Fine Art Digital Print Workshop

October 8-11, 2009

Workshop Leaders: Andy Biggs and Michael Clark
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Adobe Lightroom & The Fine Art Digital Print

Workshop Date: October 8-11, 2009

Workshop Leaders: Andy Biggs and Michael Clark

Location: Hotel Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico

About The Workshop

This 4-day workshop will be a combined classroom workshop with outdoor photographic shoots. The workshop coincides with the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which is the world’s largest balloon festival and will certainly be one of our photographic destinations. All classroom instruction will be centered around Adobe Photoshop Lightroom v2.3, as well as the craft of creating a fine art digital print.

Workshop Schedule

Day 1 - Morning

Lightroom introduction. The modules: Library, Develop, Slideshow, Print and Web
Raw or JPEG (8 bit vs. 16 bit)
Exposing for Digital Capture and Histogram Camera settings
Noise/ISO sensitivity
White Balance
An overview of RAW software options
Overview of a solid digital workflow
To DNG or not to DNG? That is the question.
File Management
Image Editing

Day 1 - Afternoon
Outdoor shoot up in the Aspens in the Sangre de Christo mountains above Santa Fe. Early October is a fantastic time to be amongst the aspens as they change color.

Day 2 - Morning
Dawn Patrol: Early morning shoot at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Day 2 - Afternoon
Lightroom and the Develop module

Day 3 - Morning
How to select inkjet papers
Printing from Lightroom and Photoshop

Computers will not be provided but participants with laptops are encouraged to bring them. Following along on your own laptop is a hands-on way of learning what is being taught in the classroom.

Day 3 - Afternoon
Landscape shoot at Plaza Blanca, an area near Abiquiu, NM that was made famous by the painter Georgia O’Keefe.

Day 4 - Morning
Dawn Patrol: Early morning shoot at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Day 4 - Afternoon
Hands-on printing with current large format printers on the market. Paper provided by Moab Paper and printers on loan from Santa Fe Camera Center. Participants leave with one fine art print of their own work!

About the Instructors
Michael Clark is an internationally published outdoor photographer specializing in adventure sports, travel and landscape photography. He produces intense, raw image of athletes pushing their sports to the limit and has risked life and limb on a variety of assignments to bring back stunning images of rock climbers, mountaineers, kayakers and mountain bikers in remote locations around the world. He contributes to National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, Sports Illustrated, Outside, Men's Journal, Backpacker, Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Pro, Climbing, Alpinist, Rock and Ice, Bike Magazine and The New York Times among many others. You can see Michael's work at www.michaelclarkphoto.com.

Andy Biggs is an avid adventurer, conservationist, teacher, and outdoor photographer whose photography celebrates the African landscape and its rich wildlife, people, and culture. With a deep respect and understanding for African wildlife, Andy unfolds the world of the Serengeti onto our doorstep with striking emotional depth. His photographic safaris allow the traveler to not only enhance their understanding of photography, lighting, and wildlife, but to develop a life-long admiration for Africa 's beauty and culture.


The Cost
The cost of this workshop is $995 per person (inclusive of breakfasts either in our teaching space or in the field). The same rate applies for each participant regardless of whether they are doing photography and participating in the workshop, or not. A nonrefundable deposit of $300 is required to secure your spot on the workshop. Final balance will be due no later than September 1, 2009.

Please note: We will attempt to adhere to this itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions, such as bad weather, may necessitate changes in the itinerary. We reserve the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary.

Accommodations
The classroom portion of the workshop will be held at the Hotel Santa Fe. We have negotiated a group rate that is discounted from their advertised prices if you would like to stay at Hotel Santa Fe. Please inquire if interested.

Transportation
Most major airlines service Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is approximately 60 miles south of Santa Fe. Once in Albuquerque, you can take one of the many shuttles to your hotel in Santa Fe. Shuttle costs are approximately $25 - $30. Rental cars are available in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and from the hotel. The Hotel Santa Fe is located in downtown Santa Fe, within walking distance to shopping, restaurants and entertainment.

We do not provide transportation during the workshop. Please plan ahead and reserve a rental car. Of course, we will share vehicles and car pool to make life easier for all of us. We are not responsible for reimbursement of non-refundable airline tickets in the event of a workshop cancellation.

Workshop Materials
All participants will be given a copy of Michael’s e-book entitled Adobe Photoshop Lightroom: A Professional Photographer's Workflow, which details his complete workflow from start to finish.

You will need to bring the following equipment with you:
• a 35mm digital SLR camera with interchangeable lenses
• a laptop computer with a DVD burner or an external hard drive – PC or Mac is acceptable. Instructors will be using Mac.
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software installed on your computer (you can download the 30-day trial version of Lightroom before the workshop if you don’t already have the software.)
• Digital memory cards with a card reader (preferably CompactFlash or Secure Digital Cards)
• power adapters and cables for laptop and digital camera
• camera manual
• batteries and charger for rechargeable batteries

It is expected that you know how to download images from your camera to the laptop, know basic editing techniques using your software, and are able to organize the edited images for critique.

$300 Hold your place until September 1 with a deposit.

Polar Bear Trip Report and Sony A900 Mini Review (Long Post)

Now that I am back home and back into my daily routine, I have had the time to reflect back on my latest trip to Churchill, Canada. So where do I begin? Well, from the beginning.

A few years ago there was a conversation around a camp fire at some remote bush camp in Africa, and some of the people at that gathering mentioned that they wanted to go photograph polar bears. Well, there are a number of locations that one can visit, but the most productive, safe and predictable location for polar bears is arguably Churchill, Canada. Churchill is on the edge of Hudson Bay, and the location has a high congregation of bears in the area. I can get into a long discussion of actually why the bears are there, but this is for another time.

The tourist polar bear season last about 6 to 8 weeks each late fall / early winter, and most viewing is done from vehicles that are high off the ground. I presume the primary reason is for safety (duh), as polar bears can stand very tall on their hind legs. These vehicles, sometimes referred to as tundra buggies (and also a name of one of the two operators in the area) have both inside and outside locations from which to photograph from. On the inside, there are slide-down windows from which to put a bean bag and also your camera and lens combination. On the rear of the vehicle there is a platform. There is variability with these platforms, depending on which vehicle and which company you are working with. On our vehicle there was a grate where you could watch a bear go underneath you. Very cool!

The Pirate Ship. Aaaaaarrrrrr.

We stayed in the town of Churchill, and went out on the tundra vehicle during the daylight hours. And one evening we went out for a night ride with wine, cheese and dinner. Oh, and we also saw some wildlife. I must confess that this type of a trip is about as easy as it can get for wildlife photography. The company we used was Natural Habitat, and they did an excellent job at setting up the trip for me, taking phone calls, preparing people for the trip, getting us there, assigning an excellent naturalist / guide to take care of us and pretty much guaranteeing us a good time.

Churchill is a very well known area for polar bears, and for good reasons. I have nothing to compare our experience to, but we certainly had a wonderful time. We had a cast of characters for sure.

The Sony A900 camera goes to the arctic

On the equipment side, SONY graciously loaned my group a pair of A900 24mp full frame cameras, and three wonderful and fast lenses: the 24-70mm f/2.8 Zeiss, the 70-200mm f/2.8 G and the 300mm f/2.8 G. All three of these lenses are very well made, and have a very professional feel to them. I spent some time with the equipment, and I came away very impressed with many aspects. The A900 is a very well-built camera, and reminds me of my old F100 Nikon from the film days. The A900 fits in my hand like a glove and is rock solid. I love the angular design of the prism housing on the top.

The Sony A900 24.6mp digital SLR and 24-70mm f/2.8 Zeiss lens

The Sony A900 and 300mm f/2.8 G in action

The Sony Alpha A900 is a 24.6mp full frame digital SLR, and is one of only a few companies with a full frame sensor inside. Canon, Nikon, Contax (remember them?), Kodak (now discontinued) and now Sony have brought out full frame sensors, but Sony is the king of the hill with a whopping 24.6mp sensor. So only Sony, Nikon and Canon have full frame cameras, and Sony has the upper hand if file size is something you are after.

Sony A900, 300mm f/2.8 G, 1/1000 @ f/3.5, ISO 800

The file size is really nice, and I needed to shoot at ISO 800 for most of the trip, as the available light wasn't enough for a lower ISO value. The viewfinder on the A900 is gorgeous, and is likely the brightest I have seen to date on any camera. The A900, like many of the other Alpha line of cameras, has their SteadyShot anti shake technology inside, and from my limited time with the camera does have some benefit. How much? I am not sure, but it certainly cannot hurt.

In extremely cold environments battery life can be an issue. I had numerous batteries for the A900 on this trip, and even though we were working all day in mostly zero to 5 degrees F, I was unable to draw a battery down more than 50 percent.

Sony A900, 300mm f/2.8 G, 1/1250 @ f/5, ISO 800

There was a learning curve with the A900, just like with any platform change, and I was able to navigate through the menus fairly easily. The rear LCD is bright and detailed, and the menu items are fairly easy to understand what is meant.

All in all it was fun to shoot with the Sony equipment. I look forward to using more of their lenses, flashes and camera bodies. All of the Sony gear was transported to Churchill, Canada in a Gura Gear Kiboko bag, with tons of extra space for accessories and other items.

Here are some other images from the trip:

Shooting off the rear deck of the tundra vehicle. The polar bears get close!

An evening with some of the locals

Smile!

And a larger gallery of images can be found here:

Polar Bears of Churchill