Northern Ohio Warblers and More Workshop

Available Dates: May 10, 11, 12, 2009

Fee: $1100 includes all lunches, dinners, and three full days shooting in the field with mid-afternoon slideshows and photoshop demonstrations.

Deposit: $400

Limit: 3 photographers

From: Two nights near Macedonia, OH, one night near Zanesville, OH
For those flying in, Cleveland Airport is your best bet (CLE)

I spent my childhood in many of the forests we'll be shooting in. In know the areas like the back of my hand and where nearly every bird nests. Warbler photography is perhaps the most difficult of all bird photography. On this workshop we strive for quality over quantity, and often only walk away with two or three truly stunning shots per day. But the rewards are sweet. The quality of these images surpasses weeks and weeks of work at migrant traps and has the advantage of depicting the birds in their preferred environment and breeding habitats.

During the Warbler Workshop, Matthew shows you how to get that perfect shot, whether we are photographing a Blue-winged Warbler picking bugs out of Hawthorne blossoms, or a Scarlet Tanager singing from the top of a rugged fallen log, the workshop focuses on giving the images that extra touch that separates the good images for the work of a master bird photographer. Matthew also knows exactly which parts of the forest to shoot from and when, how to take advantage of the birds’ daily patterns and work with the light. Matthew provides natural props to enhance compositions when appropriate.

What you need:

Equipment: I recommend bringing a digital SLR with matching lens. When you calculate your digital crop factor (usually 1.5x the normal focal length or so for digital cameras today) and slap on your tele extenders (1.4x or 2x) you should have the equivalent of at least 600mm. Please be familiar with using the equipment you bring. While I have experience with basic Nikon, Canon, and Olympus systems and can help guide you along, you could miss a rare photo opp when adjusting settings or even looking through the viewfinder with new equipment.

If we have cloudy weather, the photos often turn out as good or better than in sunny weather, but having a fill flash really helps bring the colors to life in overcast conditions.

Physical Activity Requirements: Low activity. We’ll be shooting near the car most of the time. We may walk across a couple small fields. You certainly don’t need to be athletic to do this workshop. If you can walk a normal city block or go grocery shopping you should be just fine. One of the biggest hassles of the workshop is simply taking out the equipment from the van and putting it back in every couple hours.

Likely Species on the Southern Ohio Workshop - species in bold have historicly been the most cooperative, and a sampling of other species of the other species usually oblige as well:

• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Eastern Bluebird
• Scarlet Tanager
• Willow Flycatcher
• Bobolink
• Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
• Warbling Vireo
• Prothonotary Warbler
• Yellow-throated Warbler
• Blue-winged Warbler
• Common Yellowthroat
• Yellow Warbler
• Cerulean Warbler
• American Redstart
• Chestnut-sided Warbler
• Indigo Bunting
• Swamp Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Chipping Sparrow
• Henslow's Sparrow
• Grasshopper Sparrow

Contact Matthew Studebaker for your reservation today!

Once a participant commits to doing the tour, a down payment is required right away to reserve the date. Pay with personal check or via PayPal to matthewstudebaker@yahoo.com. Unfortunately, refunds are impossible. For a one day tour, the entire amount is needed to secure your date. For multiple days, the down payment will be at least half the total amount, then the other half when the participant arrives.

Make Checks out to:
Matthew Studebaker

7325 Austin Powder Drive
Solon, Ohio 44139
matthewstudebaker@gmail.com