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In this Issue:
Titusville ’s Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Reminder
The Florida Adventures
“Pantanal & Rio de Janeiro Adventure”
Photography Field Workshop Jan. 22, 5:30am-10:00am (Viera Wetlands); Limited to 12 registrants; $60 Jan. 23, 5:45am-10:00am (MINWR); Limited to 12 registrants; $60 Join me for a morning of photography instruction. Practice composition, appropriate equipment settings and learn the techniques I use. You must have a working knowledge of your camera equipment. Those with digital equipment, beginners and non-photographers are welcome.
From Frame to Frame - Journey of an Image Jan. 24, 2:30pm-5:00pm; AUD; Free - Requires pre-registration This story begins with the first “click” of the shutter button and ends with the last “tap” of the hammer to the nail. The question often asked of me is “how did you ever get that picture?” Most of the time the real answer is “through a process which often begins long before the first press of the shutter button, and could end hours, days, weeks, months or even years later”… before the image makes ‘the cut’ to the gallery wall! Wildlife and nature photography is often inexplicably spontaneous due to the nature of the subject, and we, the photographer, have to quickly adapt in order to successfully capture the image. More often than not, a great deal of thought has had to be given to how to go about getting that image, especially if it isn’t in my own back yard. Often different modes of transportation enter into the equation as well as serious consideration to my personal safety & well-being as well as that of the equipment I use. This presentation is solely about photography with many ‘how-to’ tips achieving the very best performance from your camera and from yourself. As always, I strive to include everyone interested in wildlife and nature photography with ALL types of equipment (point & shooters, ‘digiscopers’ and digital & film SLR users). More & more I am leading tours right here in Florida, and will introduce new equipment I use as well as share the older tried & true methods I’ve used in order to get to that hard-to-find, elusive subject. There will also be a slide presentation showing many wonderful images and explaining how they were achieved. We will have an open question and answer time within the program as well as drawings for door prizes. Please note that this is a presentation about Photography not a Photoshop class. You, TOO, can achieve fabulous images using ONLY a camera. For more information on the Festival and my presentation visit: http://spacecoastbeachbuzz.blogspot.com/
I am sponsoring a Charity Drawing during my presentation to benefit the local Florida Wildlife Hospital which cares for and rehabilitates injured and homeless birds and animals. Please visit my exhibit booth to purchase your tickets. Drawing items include: two 30-minute portfolio critiques by Joanne; signed select original pieces of art; camera equipment like Better Beamers & Screen-Shades; and gift certificates donated by Hunts Photo of Boston. Joanne’s Charity Drawing tickets are $3 at her booth or $5 at the entry to her presentation.
PANTANAL & RIO:
June 10th thru June 29th
I LOVE Rio de Janeiro for one very special reason—its wildlife; both the two-legged, four-legged, furry & feathered kind. I’ve never been to a city with such diversity in culture (on a par with our own NYC), but with much more color, scenic vistas & ‘zing’, but also with real wildlife running free right under your nose as you walk the streets, & outskirts of the city. Another wonderful feature for the photographer (other than all those photo ‘opps’) is that the national park system is only within a few hours of the city, but there are also parks and areas to go and shoot right within the city limits-- a short driving distance--- depending on the traffic! Rio de Janeiro is now officially added to my 2009 Brazilian itinerary!! We’ll fly into Rio, spend two days & nights, then we’ll head off to spend three days in a lovely lodge within the National Park area heading up in elevation. As well as our ‘home base’ lodge, we will drive to a higher elevation & visit another lodge for lunch and shoot the hummingbirds, toucanets, woodpeckers, & tanagers that come into the feeders provided. The highlands have different critters than the lowlands, so you must be constantly on the look out as you drive upward into the clouds viewing breathtaking vistas. Then we’ll head back down toward Rio, but will skirt west to another lodge for a few days of photographing at a lower elevation. The drive is through beautiful farmland, little towns and perhaps we can sample some special homemade sweets & treats along the way at the roadside stands. I had no problem with that on my ‘recon mission’ and would love to repeat the experience!
It’s now time to go back to Rio’s airport and fly to Campo Grande where we will be picked up and driven to our first “fazenda” (a privately-owned ranch) for a real taste of the Pantanal. When asked by a potential client; “Joanne, in your experience, where would you take me to get the most species of birds & other critters, and have the best photo conditions and opportunities.” My answer was instantaneous. I cannot wait to have him join us on this year’s venture and to experience what I’ve been saying. Mike, who was with me on last year’s tour, was practically weeping after a few days as his ‘trigger finger’ was so tired. It’s true!! You just don’t know where to point your lens sometimes as there is so much going on, even right outside the doorway of your room. One of my favorite trips is when I take you out on the ranch’s double-decker pontoon boat to ride down the river and see the Giant Otter, basking Caimans---who often follow the boat hoping for a meal opportunity as we catch piranhas, which we throw out to the Black-collared Hawks in hopes of getting a decent flight & fish catching shot! We do this once a day. During the other half of the day we will venture out in vehicles that are setup for our comfortable shooting experience. This is when we encounter Crested Caracara, Yellow-headed Caracara, trees full of Guira Cuckoos, Red-legged Seriema, Southern Screamers, Great Potoo and let’s not forget the mammals you’ll see; Tapir, Giant Anteaters, Lesser Anteaters, Capybara, Crab-eating Fox, Oscelots, Jaguars, Marsh Deer, and Howler monkeys….well, the list is endless.
I’m always somewhat amused when some of my traveling photographers say “well, I’ve already been there, and there’s no need to go back”. Not True, Wrong!! I’ve been to the same area in Kenya 12 times and am still getting new and different critters, scenics, and experiences. As I told a friend & tour participant recently, I would be very, very remiss as a tour leader, guide and wildlife & nature photographer if I didn’t bring you back to the areas that I know are tried and true just because we’d been there once or twice before. New species of mammals, birds, bugs, reptiles (even an unknown tribe of humans) are being & have been discovered all over the world every year! If you want to go to the Pantanal and come home with tons of images of the wildlife, sign up now, bring plenty of film or memory cards, your battery chargers as the cameras will be firing hard all day and into the night when we experience our night drives—where & when I’ve shot Screech Owls, Barn Owls, and a Pigmy Owl. On one night-drive, a Nightjar flew onto my lap! After four days, we’ll head out to another private Fazenda. Here the endangered Hyacinth Macaws “rule the roost”. Not only is this fazenda a full-time running cattle ranch, but also a research center where they study, document, and protect these beautiful birds. Visit my website Gallery, The Pantanal, Brazil, at www.joannewilliamsphoto.com and view a few images of what you’ll get to see and photograph.
Also, please read Newsletter #72 for more information, which you can find on my website
DATES: June 10 th thru June 29 th
COST: $8,350.00 Double Occupancy
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $1,800.00
DUE NOW:“To Hold Your Spot” $1,500.00 (this is refundable only until Jan 9 th, 2009)
DEPOSIT DUE: $4,000.00 by January 10 th, 2009
BALANCE DUE: $2,850.00 by March 10 th, 2009
Trip Includes:
All drivers & guides, tips for all services rendered, Full-board (rooms & meals), one night drive each Pantanal lodge, pontoon boat trips, bottled water per day, Park fees & Professional Photographic assistance
Trip Excludes:
Airfares, wine & other extra beverages, any extra sightseeing excursions in Rio such as a helicopter ride around the statue of Christ the Redeemer (and such). Does not include visas & any airport taxes etc.
If you are interested in any of my tours, click on their corresponding link below:
Photo Researchers, Editors, and Publishers:
As stated in previous newsletters, at no obligation to you, send me a “want list” of images you are looking for that may coincide with a trip I’m about to take, or have recently taken, and I’ll do my very best to seek out that subject and shoot it with your request in mind. This may save you some expense, give me a specific mission and possibly a sale of that image. It’s a ‘win, win situation’!
A quick reminder that my library of 35mm original slides houses approximately 75,000 images, and my digital library presently holds over 100,000 (and growing-hourly)!
At last! You can see the LCD panel on your digital camera even on sunny and glary days! Also protects the UV effects of the sun on the screen...$25. each. (add $1.00 for shipping and handling)
