Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, located in the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico, has been a prime destination for bird photographers for decades. The wildlife refuge here is a series of man-made waterways, fields, and woodlands established to create habitat and food for migratory birds such as Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese. Each year, thousands of these bird’s rest and forage here for weeks during their annual migration. Photography opportunities for birds, other wildlife, and landscapes are plentiful, exciting, and very rewarding. Photographers of all levels will be challenged by the diversity of subjects as well as the unique beauty that is New Mexico.
Itinerary
Dec 6 – Arrive in Albuquerque as close to mid-day as possible. Each attendee must get a rental car and travel to Socorro, New Mexico (about 90 miles south)
Dec 6 – Sunset shoot at Bosque Del Apache (if possible)
Dec 7 – Dec 9- Entire days in Bosque Del Apache
Dec 10 (morning)– Sunrise and Morning at Bosque Del Apache. Check out of hotel. Leave for ABQ during day.
Dec 10 (evening)– Stay in hotel near airport. Dinner in ABQ. Return cars.
Dec 11 – Flights home in early morning from ABQ. Shuttle from hotel
What’s included:
•In-field instruction at each location
•Image Discussion and Review
What’s not included:
•Transportation to and from Albuquerque and Socorro, New Mexico
•Cost of meals
•Cost of hotel (Comfort Inn, 1259 Frontage Rd NW, Socorro, NM 575-418-6207)
Skill Sets: All Levels of Photographers are Welcome
Physical Activity: Low. Minimal hiking on mostly flat, even ground and no difficult climbing
In this workshop we will cover:
Autofocus, including with birds in flight
Exposure
Composition
Metering
Use of Lenses
Subject Development
Creative Thinking
Shooting in Low Light
Long Exposures
Use of Filters (polarizers and ND)
Image Processing
Image Review
Image Critiquing
The cost of this trip does not include the cost of lodging, transportation to and from Albuquerque, or meals during the trip.
A Note About Weather (and weather gear)
On this workshop, we will be working in the extreme cold. For winter weather, dress in layers. Pack insulated, waterproof or water-resistant pants (ski pants or fleece-lined pants), fleece tops, base layers, neck gaiters, hats that cover your ears, gloves, warm socks, insulated boots with good tread, and a waterproof insulated jacket or vest. Boot gaiters also come in handy to keep snow from sneaking inside your boots.
Recommended gear:
Camera, memory cards, batteries
Wide angle, standard, macro and telephoto lenses (If you are looking for a lens to rent, you can rent it from us at rentals.huntsphoto.com!)
Tripod
Cable release
Polarizers and Neutral Density filters if you have them
Travel information
We recommend flying in to Albuquerque on a mid-day arrival on the first day. We will all drive to Socorro, NM from the airport. Please note: Each attendee must get a rental car and travel to Socorro. There may be an opportunity to ride share with other participants.
Hotel information
We will be staying at the Comfort Inn, 1259 Frontage Rd NW, Socorro, NM 575-418-6207. Please note: Your rooms are NOT included in the cost of your ticket, but we have rooms set aside. After booking with us, make sure to call to put your name on one of those rooms. We are listed as the “Hunt’s Photo Group”.
