Manatees: Crystal River,
FL
March, 21st-24th, 2011
This will be our 10th session with the manatees. Chas will provide the tips and techniques to help you make the most of your encounters and best images possible. Chas specialized in UW photography for years, instructing, traveling the globe, judging UW photo competitions, etc. His UW images and articles have graced the pages of the finest UW publications, his speaking engagements included the prestigious Explorer's Club in NYC.
Crystal River, Florida is the place to photograph West
Indian Manatees; it attracts viewers, photographers and film crews from around the globe.
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge was established on August 17, 1983. The refuge
consists of twenty islands and several small parcels of land surrounded by the crystal
clear, spring-fed waters of Kings Bay. Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is unique in
that it was established specifically for the protection of the endangered West Indian
manatee.
Manatees are classified as endangered
and are protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The good news
is this years January aerial survey count produced the best total
number of manatees to date.
This
workshop is for all nature photographers with a passion for Marine
Mammals. Charles will share the techniques and methods he has
used to capture many outstanding Manatee images, including those
on display in "Manatee: The Edge of Extinction" exhibition.
Manatees remain among my most profitable stock images to date.
As the Refuge is only accessible by boat, I recommend
staying at the Best Western located conveniently at the waters
edge in Crystal River. We will access the spring each morning
via a Jon boat, leaving from the Dive Shop. The temperature
of the water flowing from the springs remains a constant 72
degrees Fahrenheit, with the water at the spring shallow enough
to stand. Most images can be obtained with only snorkel gear;
mask, fins, snorkel, weight belt (recommended). Due to prolonged
exposure, a wet suit 2- 4mm is necessary (I use a 2mm, thin neoprene
hood and gloves). Should you so desire scuba diving is allowed, but not necessary for our purpose.
All gear including wet suits is available for rent at the dive
shop.
In addition to Manatees the Refuge
islands and surrounding waters provide excellent habitat for
a large number and variety of wildlife species. There are plenty
of common bird species to photograph, including herons, egrets,
ospreys, commorants, anhingas, white ibis and an occasional
bald eagle.
To ensure the best instruction possible, this workshop will
have limited participants. Participation only reserved
on receipt deposit
.NO SCUBA EQUIPMENT IS NECESSARY, with most encounters
taking place in 4-6 feet of water.
EWA Marine Bags are highly recommended, and allow everyone in
attendance to house their digital cameras for UW use. The EWA housings proved flawless in waterproofing
our equipment.
Camera equipment - full frame cameras with wide angle fixed or zoom lenses are best (14 - 35mm suggested, with wider being better). However, any digital camera with a wide angle will be capable of producing outstanding results. Flash is not necessary.
Lodging recommendation;
Best Western
Crystal River Resort, 614 N.W. Highway 19
Crystal River, FL. 34428
352-795-3171
reservations-1-800-435-4409
e-mail: info@crystalriverresort.com
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 Booking
and Refund Policy
We suggest you arrive mid-day the day before the workshop if you require renting snorkling gear at the on premise dive shop.
The fee for this 4 day Photographic
Instructional Workshop is $1695 includes, pontoon boat rental, and instruction.
Fee does not include lodging, transportation, meals, photo equipment, housings
and dive gear rental.
Terms: deposit of $500 is required to reserve space,
payment in full is required 60 days from workshop date and is
then non-refundable unless the tour sells out. If we do not
receive your check for the balance on or before the due date,
we will try to fill your spot off the waiting list. If your
spot is filled, you will lose your deposit only
For additional information, contact
Charles at -
"Shoot the Light" Instructional
Photographic Workshops
P.O. Box 987
Horse Shoe, NC 28742
tel: 828-891-4082
Contact Chas Here |
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