Florida Bird Photo Workshop
Florida Bird Photo Workshop
Florida is a prime destination for migratory birds
- when: March 1st – March 4th 2024 | small group of 8
- where: Orlando, florida
- Florida’s migratory birds rarely fail to leave an impression on the beholder. This is especially true during the winter dry months where they roam freely making for great photo opportunities. Add deep blue skies, mixed with white puffy clouds and water making it the nature photographers’ dream.
- February is an ideal time to visit Florida.
Meeting Time
Everyone should be coming in early afternoon on Thursday the 29th of February. Our first “meet and greet” session, along with a primer on bird photography will take place Thursday evening along with group dinner.
We will have great opportunities to photograph numerous birds, many times we will get close. Some days we will be driving and close to birds. Other days moderate walking will be involved.
Sunrise is 6:54 am & Sunset is 6:20 pm
Tentative Itinerary – Please note that the schedule is subject to change – any changes to the schedule will be emailed in advance to all workshop participants.
Thursday – Feb. 29th
Feb. 22nd – Arrival and check-in, meet and greet along with group dinner. Will discuss photographing birds.
Friday – Day 1 – March 1st
Field photography at one or more of the shooting locations in the morning and afternoon.
Saturday – Day 2 -March 2nd
Field photography at one or more of the shooting locations in the morning and afternoon.
Sunday – Day 3 – March 3rd
Field photography at one or more of the shooting locations in the morning and afternoon.
Monday – Day 4 -March 4th
Field photography at one or more of the shooting locations in the morning. Mid-day post-processing workshop and image review sessions.
Instruction for the Florida Birds Workshop:
Cameras / Lenses / Tripods / Heads / Accessories
Working with natural lighting.
Depth of Field
How to control depth of field with f/stops and special techniques.
Composition
Learn how to compose properly / finding character in nature / elements of design / textures / contrast / lines / light / visual weight / learning to work camera angles for blurred backgrounds / Two Subject Compositions / What not to do when composing.
Finding Good Subject Matter
Learn when, where, and how to fine good subjects through out the four seasons.
Tripod/Monopod
Required: Stability is everything in Photography! Using a sturdy tripod will help improve your compositions and get sharper images. A tripod also helps you have both hands free to focus (pun intended!) on learning and getting “the shot”!
Shutter Release/Remote
Optional: A shutter release allows you to take a photo without touching the camera. This helps ensure a sharp photo and is very important for long exposures in dark areas, or at night. They are affordable and a great tool to have in your camera bag!
Getting There
Florida local residents might prefer driving to the location. We will start out in the Orlando area. If you are from out of state / different country, the best option is to fly into Orlando, rent a car and drive.
Once you reserve your spot, it might be a good idea to coordinate flight schedule with others in the group to see if it is possible to share car rental fees.
Transportation / Driving Conditions
If you are planning to arrive by car or rent a car from an airport, we recommend a comfortable vehicle. Most of the driving will be on paved roads, with maybe an occasion to be on a minor dirt road.
There is no need for high-clearance off-road vehicles, because we are not planning to take any high-clearance roads in the area.
I will have a vehicle and can accommodate a few people.
Accommodations
We’ll start out in the Orlando area and finish up in the Titusville area on East Coast.
Orlando Area Lodging
Red Lion Hotel – Checking in Feb. 29th and checking out Friday March 1st.
Address: 5150 W Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, Kissimmee, FL 34746
Titusville Area Lodging – Checking in Friday March 1st. and checking out Monday the March 4th.
We’ll be staying near Cheney Hwy. & Hwy. 95
Airbnb
You can find some great deals where people would rent out a room, apartment or even the whole house for a pretty reasonable fee.
WHY ATTEND…
HANDS ON LEARNING
IMPROVE SKILLS
HAVE SOME FUN
MAKE NEW FRIENDS
testimonials
What participants are saying
Blair Ball workshops rate a 10+ and here is why. The class sizes are small allowing Blair to spend a lot of time teaching with each student.
Keeping the workshop small allows Blair to spend time answering questions, giving demonstrations and offering tips about cameras.
He is genuinely interested in seeing that we become better photographers and more confident with our cameras.
Todd S.
Student
Memphis Street Photography provided teaching at its best, a great learning experience with an expert in the field as your coach, great new friends and tremendous knowledge expansion.
What a great day! This was my third class under Blair Ball. He makes it so easy to learn and guides you in the field to do your best photography. I anxiously await another opportunity to learn from him!
Scarlett C.
Student
I had the awesome opportunity to attend Blair Ball’s “Street Photography” class. I found it informative and fun.
I highly recommend attending Blair Ball’s classes. His instruction is easy to follow and you will walk away with much more than you came with! I intend to take several more to sharpen my skills
Tammy A.
Student
I can truthfully say I got my money’s worth out of Memphis Street Photography Workshop. I got out of my normal shooting zone. I got better shooting ideas by being with a group. I got expert instruction from someone who has “Been there and done that.” Got most wins for me in digital competition at Memphis Camera Club
When I signed up for your beginning digital camera workshop and then your Lightroom workshop, I had no idea what a journey I was beginning.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, not only about photography but how to use my camera features and Lightroom more effectively. This journey is fascinating. Thank you!
Thank you for making this the BEST workshop I have ever attended. Your kindness, patience, and desire for us to learn are greatly appreciated.
Terry D.
Thank you for this wonderful experience! You always knew the perfect spot to take us. This will be a trip I will never forget.
Cindy R.
Equipment Recommendations:
Cameras and Lenses
You can bring any kind of camera gear with you. As for lenses, our recommendation would be to bring several lenses:
- Tele-Photo Lens 200mm for some spots where you can be close enough. 300mm+ for most other areas to get up close.
- Wide angle / ultra-wide angle: If you have a wide angle zoom lens, like a 12-24 or 24-70mm that can take filters.
If you don’t have one of these lens, you can rent one at Lens Rentals in Memphis.
Tripod/Monopod
A monopod is an absolute must for this workshop. A tripod will be needed for both sunrise and sunset shots. Don’t forget your tripod quick release adapters (we have had people before who forgot those). If you only shoot on a tripod, make sure to grab one that is easy to setup (provided that it is not flimsy) – we will be driving, hopping in and out of car quite a bit. There will not be any need for monopods or other camera support gear.
Please use a cable release or know how to work the camera’s timer delay to avoid camera shake.
Filters
- Polarizing filter: a must-have for fall colors. If you don’t have one, please purchase one as soon as possible or you can rent one at Lens Rentals in Memphis.
- GND filter: for sunrise/sunset shots, a soft-edge graduated neutral density (GND) filter is another item we would highly recommend. Take a 2 stop and a 3 stop GND. If you want to only take one filter, take a 3 stop soft-edge GND. Don’t forget a filter holder, as it will be easier on your fingers, especially in cold mornings.
Early Bird Registration
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Investment and How to Sign Up – Limited to 8
The workshop cost is $1495 per participant. This cost excludes flight, car reservation, lodging, food and other related costs. Workshop participants will be responsible for arranging their own flights, accommodations and ground transportation to and from the workshop location in Orlando, Florida.
In order to sign up for the above workshop, please use our secure Workshop Registration page.
Reservations/Payment
A deposit of $750 dollars is required to hold your spot on this workshop. Your final payment of the “balance due” for this workshop must be paid on or before Feb. 15th. 2024 prior to the workshop’s inception. We will send out reminder notices of your balance due a week before this mark.
Payment methods accepted: VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS and PAYPAL.
Learning is never out for the PRO!
Small Classes of 8
Date: March 1st – March 4th 2024
Where: Orlando Florida & East Coast
Seating limited, Register Early!
Cancellation Policy
Blair Ball Photo Workshops limit class and workshop size. This allows us to provide our students with the best possible learning experience. We rely on your attendance to make important arrangements. This includes, payments, room rentals, Eventbrite, PayPal & other arrangements.
Given our limited group size an empty seat on a workshop is a loss to us. This is our way protecting ourselves.
You may protect yourself too, at your own discretion by purchasing travel insurance.
Workshop – Multi Day
If you cancel within the following timeframes before event date.
- 90+ days before, full refund less an administration fee of $50 or same $ credit to another workshop. Good for 6 months.
- 61 – 90 days before, your workshop deposit is forfeited. The remainder of your tuition is refunded.
- 31 – 60 days before, 50% refund.
- <30 days before, no refund or credits allowed.
We do our best to work with our customers, but please understand, we have to make location deposits, airline tickets, reservations, etc. and we cannot operate on a full or partial refund policy without some restrictions. We do our part to bring you a workshop and it’s your responsibility to do your part once booked. We understand things can change and we’ll be happy to review your situation.
If we cancel our workshops due to lack of attendance sign-ups, and/or a major event that impacts our workshops, we do our best to let you know as soon as possible and offer either full-refunds or full-credits to future workshops at your choice.
OTHER WORKSHOPS:
Click on each for more information
- Digital Photography “101”
- Adobe Lightroom
- Lightroom Master Class
- Creative Retouching
- Macro Photography
- Memphis Street Photography
- Texas Bluebonnets
- Colorado Wildflowers
- Reelfoot Lake Photography
- Colorado Aspen Photography
- Arkansas Fall Colors Photography
- Studio & Flash Lighting “101”
- Covered Bridges Photography
- Sedona Photography
- Route 66 Photography w/Classic Cars
- Florida Bird Photography
INSTRUCTOR
Blair Evan Ball is a Memphis based Sports, Event, Portrait and Commercial Photographer
I’m honored to have photographed a Presidential Candidate, Tennessee Governor, Memphis Mayor, Shelby County Mayor, Amazon groundbreaking, Olympic Champion runners and 6 time Boston Marathon winner.
I’m also honored to have photographed 150+ Marathons, Half-Marathons, Triathlons, & other running events. As well as numerous corporate events and portraits.
Ph: 901-378-7450 | bballphoto@comcast.net
Honored to have my works published in:
- Amazon
- Aflac
- CBS Sports
- Church Health
- Bass Pro Shops at Pyramid
- The Commercial Appeal
- Memphis Sports Magazine
- Memphis Health & Fitness
- Memphis Flyer
- Memphis Business Journal
- Greater Memphis Chamber
- Memphis Magazine
- The Travel Channel
- The New York Post
- The Guardian
- Runners Journal
- The Jewish Scene Magazine
- Memphis Runners Magazine
- American Drag Racing League Magazine
- Memphis Motorsports Park
- YMCA
© 2010 – 2024 Blair Ball Photography | All Rights reserved
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