Whooping Cranes Winter 2011-12 Photography Workshops
Workshops at a glace
Cost: $900 ($450 deposit) per day (1 or 2 persons); $100 each additional person (max 5 participants with max 4 tripods). 2 day (Saturday and Sunday) workshops $1700 ($850 deposit); $100 each additional person.
Included in fee: time on boat with captain and leader/instructor (me)
Not included: Lodging, transportation, and meals.
Location: Fulton-Rockport, Texas
I expect all participants to have a good working knowledge about their camera settings.
Dates: available weekends between November 15 and April 15; from March 15 to end of May photo sessions at rookeries are an alternative choice or can be mixed with Whooping Cranes sessions.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. MBB22222 (at) aol (dot )com

Winter 2010-11 was an incredible success. Now I am taking reservations for the next winter boat tours – Whooping Crane photo workshops from November 15, 2011 to April 15, 2012 (dates available are mostly on Saturdays and Sundays). From March 15 to the end of May I can also run boat your - photo workshops to the rookeries: main subjects will be courting and nesting Reddish Egrets and Great Blue Herons but we can photograph other egrets as well.
The cost of each one day workshop is $900 per 1-2 persons. Each additional person (up to 2 more with tripods or up to 3 more if one from the group is hand holding) is $100 per person.All workshop payments must be made by check or money order. Credit cards are not accepted.A $450 deposit is required to reserve a date (if available). Deposit is non-refundable if cancellation is done 3 weeks or less prior to the boat departure date. If trip is cancelled earlier, no matter what is a reason $400 will be refunded, no question asked. I will cancel workshop only due to an emergency situation like a very bad weather – full refund will be send back. The remaining $450 (if only up to 2 people participate) and fee for additional persons is due7 days before the start date of the workshop. There are no refunds after that.
Lodging, transportation, and meals are not included. Workshop participants who require lodging during the workshop should stay at the hotel in Fulton or Rockport, Texas. I will offer recommendations. Boat will leave about half hour before sunrise and we will be back about 2-3 PM. I am working now on setting up daily trips with two sessions (about 4 hours at morning and 4 hours at the evening). Price will be slightly higher.

I will provide a boat which is designed for photographers (with tripods) with captain who knows the bays like his own backyard. During the tour I will teach the participants not only how to get good photos but how to have a chance to take the exceptional photo when a chance arrive. See my credits here: xxx.
I have a long record of taking wildlife photographs that are winning in the largest international photo contests for more than 10 years now. During the workshop I will share my experience and what I learned from entering and winning in contests which are attracting tens of thousands best photographers from all around the globe. My background as a zoologist (I still study bird behavior on my own) helps me a lot when trying to get interesting photos. I will share my field experience with you as well. So if you are not satisfied with prizes only from your family, friends and internet forums but want to learn to be your best and have a chance to photograph one of the rarest and most magnificent birds in the world give me a call and get ready for a wonderful adventure. Last winter I was “overbooked” – spent over couple of hundred hours with Whoopers and still did not have time to process taken photos. Book the workshop now to be sure I will be available. I expect limited availability as I will be busy with other projects as well.
I expect all participants to have a good working knowledge about their camera settings. During the trip I will make suggestions but everybody has to know how to apply it. I will discuss many techniques (including hand holding long lenses) during the time we ride the boat or having breaks in shooting. The main reason the cost of these workshops to be so low is that I have a personal interest to collect more field observations about crane behavior. I can run the custom workshop specifically tailored to the goals of the participant and offer constant attention for an additional fee (available only on trips with one person – 2 maximum).

Best regards,

Mark