Bolivar Flats on the Bolivar Peninsula offers unique bird photography opportunities with its shallow water and exposed sand bars. Tim will take a small group of photographers out to Bolivar Flats to demonstrate the techniques he routinely uses to capture images of shorebirds down low at their own eye level. Participants will use a ground pod while lying down on the sand bars to get low level shorebird photos. Prepare to get down and dirty and take some great eye-level…

After this field trip, you will wonder why you waited so long to start photographing birds on the wing! The rookery at Smith Oaks offers endless opportunities for bird in flight photography. Kathy Adams Clark will instruct and guide participants in the following topics with the goal of helping to simplifying the process of photographing birds in flight: Review of camera and lens settings. Learning the right settings to take full advantage of the technology at your fingertips Plenty of…

Bolivar Flats on the Bolivar Peninsula offers unique bird photography opportunities with its shallow water and exposed sand bars. Tim will take a small group of photographers out to Bolivar Flats to demonstrate the techniques he routinely uses to capture images of shorebirds down low at their own eye level. Participants will use a ground pod while lying down on the sand bars to get low level shorebird photos. Prepare to get down and dirty and take some great eye-level…

Two of the most iconic birds in North America visit Armand Bayou every winter and spring. The American Bald Eagle and Osprey spend November through April hunting and fishing the productive waters of the bayou. Once threatened by the use of pesticides, the recovery of these species is a great testament to the value of clean water and habitat preservation. This is an incredible viewing and photographic opportunity to be located in Houston’s own backyard. We’ll begin our experience with…

After this field trip, you will wonder why you waited so long to start photographing birds on the wing! The rookery at Smith Oaks offers endless opportunities for birds-in-flight photography from a multi-level platform reserved for us.

Explore the world of beach landscapes and abstracts, using the simplicity of sand, sky, water, and even long exposures to create surreal images. Suggested Equipment: Bring a couple of zoom lenses ranging from wide to telephoto. If you have a macro lens, bring that as well in case we see some tiny abstract opportunities, like sea foam bubbles. A polarizer can be helpful. A neutral density filter might be useful for long exposure effects.  A tripod is highly recommended, as…

Join us for this new entry to the FeatherFest photo opportunities! Carriage Haus will allow us to photograph their replica Model T golfcarts inside their showroom in historic Galveston.  We plan a small parade to historic St. Joseph’s Church, photography around historic 22nd Street, twilight photography, and fun photography inside the Carriage Haus garage.  Bring your camera, wide-angle lens, tripod, and maybe your flash.  We don’t anticipate a lot of walking. All skill levels are welcome but basic knowledge of your…

Join Scott Buckel on this unique experience on Galveston Bay to photograph birds in flight from a boat. One of the best ways to learn to photograph birds in flight is to practice and this trip will provide ample opportunities to do just that! The number of birds, Brown Pelicans in particular, is amazing, providing many photo opportunities as the birds come and go from the islands. In Galveston Bay, there are man-made islands where large numbers of breeding birds nest. This special trip, arranged by FeatherFest, allows us to approach these islands while following a special protocol to minimize impact on the colonial birds.

Photographing shorebirds is fun and challenging as they are almost always in motion. Your leader Tim Timmis has mastered this! We will seek out the birds on East Beach or wherever they may be hiding, to capture the action.  We may also head to the boat dock area behind the Strand to get close-up shots of Pelicans and other birds as they wait for the shrimp boats to come into port. Techniques that will be used include fast and slow…

Join Chris Rankin at the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge near Anahuac, Texas, to explore Wildlife Photography from A Car. Chris will introduce you to photographing wildlife from a car/truck while exploring the beauty and diversity of the Anahuac National Wildlife Reserve. Established in 1963, Anahuac NWR’s primary focus is to protect and manage the coastal marsh for migrating, wintering and breeding waterfowl.

Resoft is a beautiful Brazoria County Park and we are excited to offer this first-time FeatherFest photography field trip!  It is an 80-acre day-use park near Alvin, Texas. The park has large, interconnected, crescent shaped lakes with islands in the middle.  During spring nesting/breeding season it becomes a mini-rookery. You will be able to observe and photograph Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and Cattle egrets as well as Roseate Spoonbills and Cormorants. The opportunity for chicks on the…

In this trip, participants visit an excellent pollinator garden to learn hands on techniques to produce creative photos of the garden and its residents. Ruth demonstrates, instructs and guides participants, covering the following topics to simplify the process of photographing pollinators and flowers: Camera and lens settings; Shutter speed, ISO, Aperture (f/stop), and more; Using current technology to your advantage; and Helpful equipment and accessories for improving your results. Suggested Equipment: Digital SLR or mirrorless camera with lenses from 24…

Here's an ever-popular photography field trip that's become part of our FeatherFest tradition! Join Sky King Falconry and Kathy Adams Clark to photograph various captive raptors and other trained birds in natural settings and perches out on a private West End property.

Chris will introduce you to photographing wildlife from a kayak. Enjoy paddling in a provided kayak while slowly exploring the marshes of Galveston Island State Park, one of the area’s premier ecological jewels. This 2,000-acre public park offers a multitude of habitats that support a wide variety of birds like herons, egrets, Roseate Spoonbill, shorebirds and possible overhead raptors like osprey looking for prey.

Join Sean Fitzgerald on this unique experience on Galveston Bay to photograph birds in flight from a boat. One of the best ways to learn to photograph birds in flight is to practice and this trip will provide ample opportunities to do just that! The number of birds, Brown Pelicans in particular, is amazing, providing many photo opportunities as the birds come and go from the islands. In Galveston Bay, there are man-made islands where large numbers of breeding birds nest. This special trip, arranged by FeatherFest, allows us to approach these islands while following a special protocol to minimize impact on the colonial birds. There are no restrooms on the boat and we will not land on any islands.

Here’s an ever-popular photography field trip that’s become part of our FeatherFest tradition! Join Sky King Falconry and Ruth Hoyt to photograph various captive raptors and other trained birds in natural settings and perches out on a private West End property. This is a great opportunity to see and photograph these birds. Kevin from Sky Kings Falconry will pose raptors in natural settings and possibly fly the birds while discussing the behavior of the birds.

The Texas City Dike is the longest man-made fishing pier in the world.  It stretches 5.3 miles into Galveston Bay.  This means that birds like sandpipers and turnstones can be found on both sides of the dike feeding in shallow water.  In addition, gulls and terns are regularly flying along the dike as the hunt for food.  We’ll slowly drive along the dike and stop for interesting photo opportunities.  Participants should be prepared to walk along the sandy shoreline, stand…

Bolivar Flats on the Bolivar Peninsula offers unique bird photography opportunities with its shallow water and exposed sand bars. Tim will take a small group of photographers out to Bolivar Flats to demonstrate the techniques he routinely uses to capture images of shorebirds down low at their own eye level. Participants will use a ground pod while lying down on the sand bars to get low level shorebird photos. Prepare to get down and dirty and take some great eye-level…

Meet Sean Fitzgerald at the north end of the Strand to begin a walk to streets with interesting details and abstract possibilities as well as street life full of decisive moments for you to capture. Sean will explain his thoughts on street macro photography and how to look for and shoot tiny urban details and turn them into large scale abstracts that tell a story (and look great on your wall)! And Sean will show you how travel and street…

The tip of the Bolivar Peninsula offers a wide variety of photographic opportunities. This trip, led by Kathy Adams Clark, will begin with a ferry ride across the Houston Ship Channel providing an opportunity to photograph birds around the ferry landing. From there we will travel to the North Jetty for an opportunity to photograph American Avocets and other wading birds. Finally, the group will photograph wading birds in several marshes nearby. Locations are subject to change based on tide, wind, and location of the birds.

Join Ruth Hoyt on this unique experience on Galveston Bay to photograph birds in flight from a shallow-draft boat. One of the best ways to learn to photograph birds in flight is to practice, and this trip provides ample opportunities for that! The number of birds, Brown Pelicans, in particular, is amazing and provides many photo opportunities as the birds come and go from the islands.

The Galveston Railroad Museum houses one of the largest collections of vintage railroad cars and engines in the U.S. We have arranged special, after-hours access to these trains for this Night Photography field trip. We will be able to photograph in the warm light of the setting sun, and then learn how to progressively add more light with flash and flashlight "light painting,” using these incredible trains as the subject. Suggested Equipment: Tripod is a must, camera body, wide angle lens, medium…

Bolivar Flats on the Bolivar Peninsula offers unique bird photography opportunities with its shallow water and exposed sand bars. Tim will take a small group of photographers out to Bolivar Flats to demonstrate the techniques he routinely uses to capture images of shorebirds down low at their own eye level. Participants will use a ground pod while lying down on the sand bars to get low level shorebird photos. Prepare to get down and dirty and take some great eye-level…