Nature Photography Workshops at Delta Marsh

Nature Photography Workshops! I love 'em!

The latest nature photography workshop in our Learning Digital Photography series was a resounding success. All the participants were awestruck by the mysteries of the ancient lake Manitoba and its enchanted forests around Delta Marsh.

We found ancient bison teeth, bones. and projectile points along the beach. We saw a diverse assortment of wildlife. And the images our remarkable group of talented photographers shot on this digital nature photography workshop weekend by were truly outstanding.

This natural immersion environment created the perfect setting for photographic inspiration, creative experimentation and collaboration as we all got to know just how expert we can become with a little direction and instruction.

And as always, the staff at the Delta Marsh Field Station are the best in the world and welcomed out group with hospitality and charm, from eggs benedict for breakfast, to home made cookies for our evening snack - we were treated like dignitaries! And of course the weather was perfect – close to record-setting high temps for this time of year.

The piece de resistance for many of us was the opportunity to photograph, up close and personal, saw-whet owls who were being banded as part of a conservation effort. Chris and Alice were most generous in allowing us to overwhelm their tiny research hut as we all jockeyed for position to find a spot from which to capture the perfect Owl Photograph. We were not disappointed!

Late into the night, they tended to their net, and in pitch dark, and brought back several magnificent birds for us to see. These tiny owls are the cutest little things, so docile and gracious as they were weighed (in a Pringles potato chip tin), measured and banded, while our group, the nature paparattzi, captured them in the most undignified of poses. I was completely awestrcuk to have the priveledge to see them so close!

But do not fret that these little angels were manhandled – Alice and Chris, the researchers, are professionals; and we all stood in awe as they beat the clock to get their jobs done without causing any discomfort or stress to the animals.

They adhered to a strict time limit in which to do their work (I’m not sure of the exact time but it seemed like it all had to be done within 60 seconds!). If it even looked as though an owl was getting too agitated they would let it go without completing their documentation.

Then they offered each of us a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” – the chance to release the owls back to Nature into the inky black sky, right from the palm of our hands. Have you ever felt the wind beneath their wings?

Well, we all did last Saturday night, and the feeling of those little claws, and mighty wings springing off into the night sky directly from my hand is something I’ll never forget. No photos though, as the flash would blind the owls – and who could do that to them after the procedures they had just been through!

But here are some of the other images from this remarkable group of photographers! Click the link after to go to the Gallery for the entire collection.