Upcoming
In Light of Nature
Photography Workshops

Monte Vista Crane Festival One-Day Photography Workshops

March 8, 9 or 10th, 2019 Single Day Photography Workshops

March 8, 9, or 10th, 2019 Monte Vista Crane Festival Single Day Workshop

  • Eight Photographer Limit, two instructors
  • Aimed at beginner to intermediate photographers
  • $125/photographer (Young Photographers, ages 13-21,  $75)
  • Timed when the Sandhill Cranes perform their courtship dances

San Luis Valley, Colorado Photography Intensive

March 14-17, 2019

San Luis Valley Photography Intensive March 14-17, 2019

  • Six Photographer Limit
  • Aimed at beginner to advamced photographers
  • $825/photographer
  • Timed when the Sandhill Cranes and Northern Harriers perform their courtship dances
  • Landscape photography at Great Sand Dunes National Park and other locations
  • Wildlife photography of birds, raptors, waterfowl, mammals

My Approach to Teaching Nature Photography

Emphasizing

  • Teaching digital photography technique that is practical
  • Developing robust and ethical nature photography strategies
  • Understanding the fundamentals while also embracing the latest technology
  • Individualized attention to help you advance the skills you are interested in improving
  • Continuous learning and skill refinement
  • The workshops we teach are for learning and improvement at all levels

Integrating the Art and Science of photography

  • You will learn how to capture the emotion of a scene to tell an interesting story.
  • We do not separate “landscape photography” from “wildlife photography”.
  • The best images convey the context of the natural scene while also capturing the emotional behavior of the wildlife in that scene.

Learning the behavior of wildlife

  • You will learn how to anticipate wildlife behavior to capture exciting images
  • We teach you how to photograph wildlife without disturbing or impacting them
  • You will learn how to optimize the quality of your images in challenging lighting situations
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About the Instructor

  • Ed MacKerrow is a full-time professional nature photographer
  • His images have been published internationally, including magazine covers, winning first-place awards in prestigious photo contests
  • Ed has a Ph.D. in Optics and has published multiple research papers on light
  • Ed has published research on raptors and conducts official scientific surveys of wildlife
  • Ed teaches the why of nature photography, versus memorization — allowing you to advance your photography in a meaningful way
  • Ed serves on the North American Nature Photography Ethics Committee and is a strong proponent of ethical nature photography
  • Ed works closely with USFWS wildlife refuges in New Mexico and Colorado.

“The quickest way to become an old dog is to stop learning new tricks”
— John Rooney

Testimonials

“The instruction was great! I learned quite a bit camera settings even for my small camera. Ed was very helpful and answered all questions.”

“It was a well valued experience. I look forward to my next opportunity to be out in the field with you.”

“Ed packed a ton of information into his one-day workshop that you’d normally get over the course of a week. He gave me a fresh way to capture a location that I had previously photographed several times over the years. In fact, one of my images from that workshop was selected for a competitive exhibition in Denver just a month later.”

“Ed’s technique as an instructor is caring and supportive and not just technical in nature. He really wants his students to succeed. He goes above and beyond the workshop description. I continue to recommend his workshops to all.”

“Ed has a wealth of knowledge about nature photography.  I look forward to more workshops with him in the future”

“Ed gave me great individualized attention and helped me advance my photography in a comfortable way”

“Just wanted to let you know how much I have been enjoying your articles “Photo Ops” in the Bosque Watch Newsletters.  I am just starting back up my long dormant hobby of photography and find your articles both informative and inspirational.  I was just there this past week and can’t wait to get back, too bad it is such a long drive from Denver.“

“During and after Crane Fest I heard many positive comments about how nicely you and your photography workshops worked out, …, and your donation on top of that!  Thanks so much.”

I wanted to let you know I’ve had an incredible run in 2016-17 in my photography and your workshop was a key to that success. I have been accepted into juried competitions from New York to San Francisco and from Chicago to Houston (about a dozen all together). And one of the photos from your workshop has sort of become an “iconic” one of mine that has been selected several times for shows.

Recently attended one of Ed’s classes and was very pleased with the way he coaches and interacts with his students. I relearned how to use fundamentals of exposure and focus to greatly enhance my skills in bird photography, from an obvious expert in his craft.

In Light of Nature operates ethical photography workshops with official permits from the relevant US agencies and is specifically insured for photography workshops.