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Morning Geese at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Spend the morning photographing thousands of geese and other waterfowl at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Quick Details

Photographer

$ 119

Each fall and winter Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge will host tens of thousands of Snow Geese and Canada Geese. The number of snow geese will peak each year from mid-November through mid-December. We will meet at the visitor center at 6:30 and then drive a short distance to a location overlooking both saltwater marsh and freshwater impoundment and have an opportunity to photograph the geese as they take flight and head out to feed in nearby agricultural fields. The unique orientation of the water will allow us to photograph birds with all the colors of the sunrise behind them, then turn around and photograph birds lit up with soft morning light.

This workshop should have opportunities for close in and tight shots of individual and small groups of geese, as well as the challenge of trying to capture the grandeur of thousands of geese taking to the air at one time. Lens selection may range from a wide angle zoom to a longer telephoto. Best results for close shots of geese in flight will be achieved with a lens of 400mm or longer. Please contact Sean Quintillian for help with lens selection, or rental suggestions. sqphotography@yahoo.com

This is an outdoor workshop in December, so please be sure to dress for the weather. The location in the Refuge we will be shooting from can be very windy and cold. Nice warm footwear and a good pair of gloves will make for a pleasant experience. We will spend the full time in the refuge, bathrooms will be available, but no food or beverage will be. Pack in some snacks and plenty of coffee!

The workshop will end around 11:00 am, but keep in mind that all the geese leave the refuge to feed in the morning and will return in the afternoon and evening. If you have the time, plan to stay through the day, take a midday lunch break, then come back and explore the refuge some more and see the evening return flights.

Sean Quintillian will teach on techniques for bird-in-flight photography, including camera settings, panning techniques and some helpful equipment tips.