Snowy Owl "irruption"

Snowy owls are not uncommon in Massachusetts as a few are reported each winter.  In some years the population grows substantially, these are "irruption years" and this year is one of them.The Snowy owl is a northern bird that lives and breeds in the open arctic tundra and is highly adapted to extreme cold conditions.  Those years where their food supplies are diminished they will fly further south in search of food.  In the early spring they will head back north though some have been seen even in the early summer.  The male is nearly all white while the female will have dark barred makings.The owls are a very strong muscular breed and are formidable predators.  They will not hesitate to go after and kill hares and are partial to ducks.  Ducks have a high fat content that the snowy owls need for insulation.

Looking Back at 2011

2011 was an interesting year in a lot of respects.  Most important and foremost I would like to thank all of you who participated in my photo tours, educational workshops and one-on-one lessons.  I would also like to thank all my photography clients both individuals and  corporations and my sponsors, you have all been fantastic and I look forward to your continued support in the coming years.I truly enjoyed meeting and making new friends and the process of learning from each other.  The incredible experiences in Florida, Alaska, Colorado, Cape Cod, Maine, and New Hampshire and all the one day trips in and around Massachusetts will never be forgotten.After many months of planning the 2012 schedule is about ready to be published.  Most significant are the photo tours and workshops to India in February, Florida for another great bird photograpy workshop in March,  Smokeys in the Spring  -  this starts the year.  Keep an eye out for details and more information as we post it in the workshop pages on this blog.Also planned are a number of one and two day sessions for macro, lighting, composition, Lightroom and Photoshop training.  As always, customized one-on-one programs are also available.None of this would have been possible without the incredible amount of planning and organizing by my photograpy partner and loving wife - thank you M.

CD Image Shoot for Damon

Damon is an excellent pianist from Massachusetts and I had the pleasure of photographing him for his second CD.  Here are a few images from the shoot.  I can't wait to see what the designer and production artists do with the images.

The next few are variations - just having a lot of fun with the images.

Macro & Close-Up Photography Workshop - Cape Cod Art Association - July 24, 2011

The workshop at the Cape Cod Art Association was a great day despite the occasional rain that did prevent the attendees from photographing in the rain.  Rain drop covered flowers and grasses made for some beautiful images.  Will post a few images created by the attendees when the submit.Below are a few quotes from the attendees:"I thought I knew something about macro photography. This class showed me I had a lot more to learn. Having both classroom and hands on was valuable as was then looking at the work. I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop!""Close Up photography has always been a challenge for me. This course was very helpful in better understanding macro techniques and the various camera accessories that are available to further enhance the effort. I am finally able to look forward to taking close up photos with confidence and enthusiasm."