Photography Workshop and Field Excursion

Part One: Saturday January 12th, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: California Academy of Sciences

Part Two: Sunday January 13nd 8:30am - 6:00pm
Location: Mt Tamalpais

What's Included: Full day admission to the Academy on January 12th with a 3 hour afternoon photography workshop held at the Academy. The second day includes roundtrip transportation between the Academy and Mt Tamalpais, lunch will be provided, and we will also be joined by an interpretive guide while making stops in the field.

The Big Picture

Dive into the art of conservation photography during this hands-on, two-day workshop. On Day One, workshop participants will be introduced to the field’s methodology and techniques among the Academy's live animals. On the second day, the group will put its skills into practice on an all-day excursion to some of California's most dramatic protected spaces. Conservation photography is a field rich with history, which has only recently been recognized as a discipline and powerful medium for conservation of wild areas. Throughout the experience, Academy staff and guest experts will offer photographic guidance and insight into the subjects' natural history.

Defining Conservation Photography

Conservation photography is a vision of photography that has a long history with a new purpose. Typically, pressing the shutter defines the photographer with planning and execution culminating in the photograph. A conservation photographer’s work begins once they click the shutter. It’s what you do with these images that matters as it takes you into the active roll of effecting conservation for the natural world.

Overview ~ January 12th Details ~ January 13th Details ~ More Information

Reservations: Members: $150, Adults: $175 Ages 18 and over only. Ticketing closes on December 30th. Reserve online or call 415-379-8000.

The Workshop

Enjoy a day at the Academy to explore our exhibits and building through your photographic lens. Then, join us for a 3 part workshop that will include fundamentals of exposure, an introduction to digital asset management and the digital darkroom and a segment dedicated to defining conservation photography. This component is to be held at the California Academy of Sciences with the workshop to start at 2pm after you have explored the Academy on your own.

Fundamentals of Exposure

In the first hour, we will touch on basic features of the DSLR camera. Topics will include choosing lenses and filters, ISO, white balance, shutter, aperture and program modes, EV, exposure, bracketing, focusing, resolution, histograms and more.

Digital Asset Management & The Digital Darkroom

In this hour we explore how to manage all of your digital assets. We will talk about organizing your files and using software such as Adobe Lightroom, and Nik Software plugins for the digital darkroom. Topics will include managing the digital workflow, post production, color management, and simple web publishing.

Defining Conservation Photography

In the last hour of the workshop we will talk about what it means to be a conservation photographer and watch a short video that defines conservation photography. We will conclude with a trailer for an active conservation project by the iLCP in British Columbia telling the story of the Great Bear Rainforest. The images tell the story.

Overview ~ January 12th Details ~ January 13th Details ~ More Information

Reservations: Members: $150, Adults: $175 Ages 18 and over only. Ticketing closes on December 30th. Reserve online or call 415-379-8000.

The Big Picture

On Day Two, we will meet at the Academy in the morning and hop a bus for an 8:30am departure to Mt Tamalpais where we will visit some of the most dramatic landscapes in the Bay Area and put into practice the techniques and concepts we explored in the workshop. From egrets to coho Salmon, ranch lands to wetlands and beyond, the open space on and around Mt Tam will offer an ideal setting to begin exploring conservation photography.

Mt Tamalpais

On Sunday, the group will put its skills into practice on an all-day excursion to the Mount Tamalpais watershed starting with a hike along the waterfalls and streams of the watershed and continuing with stops along salmon creeks and the mighty redwoods of West Marin on the way out to the final destination of Tomales Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Conservation photography is a field rich with history, which has only recently been recognized as a discipline and powerful medium for conservation of wild areas. Throughout the experience, Academy staff and guest experts will offer photographic guidance and insight into the subjects' natural history. This package includes all day admission to the Academy on Saturday as well as roundtrip bus transportation and a brown bag lunch on Sunday.

Overview ~ January 12th Details ~ January 13th Details ~ More Information

Reservations: Members: $150, Adults: $175 Ages 18 and over only. Ticketing closes on December 30th. Reserve online or call 415-379-8000.

The Players Involved

Fundamentals of Exposure and Managing Your Digital Assets & The Digital Darkroom
Gary Sharlow, photographer for EcoSee Photography, owns a web hosting and design company specifically tailored to photographers. He sits on the environment committee for the North American Nature Photography association, has previously worked for the NPS in the area of population biology and has an educational background in conservation biology. He is a manager in the education division at the California Academy of Sciences and can frequently be found hiking and photographing on the trails of the various parks in the bay area.

Suggested Field Gear

The word of choice in the bay area is "layers". You should be prepared for all kinds of weather and expect conditions to change rapidly while you are in the field. Among the things you should have in your pack: water, layered clothing, comfortable trail shoes, sunscreen, a hat, extra socks sunglasses, a rain jacket (rain not likely but possible), your camera and a tripod. This is not an all inclusive list and it is up to you to be prepared to go into the field where we may hike as many as five miles over the course of the day. Please  check the weather the night before and plan accordingly. We will travel rain or shine!

Things To Know

Due to the field component of this program, your ticket is nonrefundable and not transferable. This program is being offered as a two day program and we will not be offering any discounted rates for attending one of the two days. We will have one day programs in the future so check back for more opportunities. This particular program is limited to participants that are 18 and over in age. Space is limited for a better experience.

Overview ~ January 12th Details ~ January 13th Details ~ More Information

Reservations: Members: $150, Adults: $175 Ages 18 and over only. Ticketing closes on December 30th. Reserve online or call 415-379-8000.