Here's a cool idea for all those who ever wanted to do a Bosque del Apache photo workshop – but who also like the freedom of traveling alone or with a buddy . . . and who don't have the budget for a live workshop, which can be very expensive. It's an on-line virtual photo workshop where I help you – before and after your trip – make photographs like the ones in my Feather Friends photo gallery (which also includes photographs from Alaska and other location around the world.)

What's included:
• My on-line class, Master the Art and Craft of Bird Photography.
• My e-book, Capture the Beauty of Bosque del Apache.
• I share with you the best places to shoot - and times of day.
• One-hour Skype session before your trip where we discuss your trip and I review your photographs.
• I need your Skype name and a link for a gallery of your best images.
• One-hour Skype session after your trip where I review your new photographs and offer composition, exposure and processing suggestions.

Cost for the virtual photo workshop is $199 payable via paypal. Shoot me an email to arrange your virtual photo workshop.

I also give virtual photo workshops to Route 66, Oregon Coast, Iceland, Botswana and Kenya.

Explore the light,
Rick

From time to time here on my blog I'll run a post: Friday's "Photo Failed It Photo To Nailed It!" The concept is twofold:
1) I'll share a pair of pictures, along with tips, that illustrate how you can nail a shot;
2) You'll see that pros don't always get it right the first time. :-)

This post: Capture a Bird in Flight (BIF).

I took the opening photograph on one of my Alaska photo workshops. I feel as though I nailed the shot because:
• I had the focus point set on the gull;
• Auto focus was set to AI Servo - which tracks a moving subject;
• I got a good exposure – by checking my histogram and highlight alert;
• My camera was set at high-speed continuous shooting.
• I captured animal behavior;
• I was in the right location for the right light;
• The background was not distracting;
• And . . . I was damn lucky to get a perfect silhouette of the gull's head on its wing.

The funny thing about the photograph: the gull did not "nail it." He dropped the fish after a brief catch!

My gear for the shot:
Canon 5D Mark III
Canon 100-400mm IS lens.
Exposure Info: ISO 640, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec., exposure compensation: -0.33 (to preserve the highlights while shooting on the Av mode).

Above is one of my Failed It shots from the same shoot. The failure was caused because:
• My camera was accidentally set on One Shot AF;
• I did not have the focus point set on the gull:
• My camera was not set on continuous shooting.

See what happens when you "shoot before you think" - and don't double check your camera settings! :-)