Photographic Workshops with
Greg Downing
Learn how
to make artistically pleasing and technically excellent
images of our natural environment and of birds and other
wildlife. Catering to photographers from beginner to
advanced, group sizes are kept small allowing me to
customize each workshop to the individual needs of the
participants. To find out more about my workshops please
select one from the schedule below or visit my General
Workshops Information page. To be notified of future
workshop dates as well as receive periodic information
pertaining to bird photography in general, please subscribe
to my mailing list.
Have
questions or need more info? E-mail
me!
Current Schedule:
I
recently attended a Greg Downing workshop to St. Paul
Island Alaska. The workshop was very well organized.
Prior to the workshop Greg sent out a detailed confirmation
letter which included suggested equipment to bring,
clothing needs, and important travel information. Greg
also had requested that each participent express there
personal goals and expectations of the trip.
Once the group met in Anchorage we then traveled to
St.Paul Island together. With in one hour of meeting
with Greg he had checked all the settings on my camera
body to ensure proper settings from the start.
In the field, we photographed Horned Puffins, Tufted
Puffins, Crested Auklet, Least Auklet, Thick billed
Murre, Northern Fur Seal with babies, Artic Blue Fox
with Kits, and more. Greg was able to balance the needs
of each person to ensure their expectations would be
met. He spent valuable time with each person in the
field and set aside time to spend with me one-on-one
to go over "exposure" in simple terms. Greg
is a knowledgable, talented photographer and a very
good instructor too.
This was an incredible experience and overall an awesome
trip. I learned alot, had an outstanding time, and made
some great friends. This workshop definitely exceeded
my goals and expectations.
I would not hesitate to take another workshop with Greg
in the Future.
-Karen Schindeldecker, Minnesota
I attended the St Paul Alaska avian photo workshop with
Greg Downing in 2003. A year in advance Greg was able
to provide me with trip dates and likely species to
be photographed. Greg had previously scouted this remote
island on a separate trip and his familiarity with St
Paul insured our success on his workshop. Several months
before the workshop Greg sent email notification of
recommended gear, clothing, travel arrangements and
other pertinent details for the trip. We met Greg at
the Anchorage airport and off we went on our remote
island adventure.
For the next eight days, Greg worked with members of
the group nonstop. Because of the prolonged hours of
light, it was common for the group to be together sixteen
or more hours each day. The workshop of course featured
key species like Puffin and Auklets but was also tailored
to the concerns of the participants. Caribou are rarely
seen on the island, even by natives. Two of the group
participants were interested in spending some time trying
to find them. Greg and the guides were able to locate
the elusive herd on the first evening. Greg was very
willing to provide time on the workshop for other nonavian
species as well, including Artic Fox and Northern Fur
Seal.
Some of the group members had considerable experience
with their gear and seemed very content learning by
observing Greg's techniques as he made images. Others
came on the trip with a list of specific concerns. Greg
spent a great deal of time on a one on one basis with
one of the participants working out exposures and the
reciprocal relationship of F- stop and shutter speed.
Taking something that seems complicated and making it
seem simple is summarizes Greg's teaching style. I was
particularly impressed that Greg went through the participants
gear and camera settings at the very beginning to make
sure all custom functions were optimized for the expected
photographic conditions.
In closing, it was a trip of a lifetime and anyone considering
a workshop with Greg Downing should have no reservations
about coming away with successful images, learning new
techniques and having a great time to boot.
-Dennis Olivero, Minneapolis, MN
I recently attended a Greg Downing photographic
workshop at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in Florida.
St. Augustine is a very popular place to photograph
nesting birds during April and May. The place is filled
with tri-colored herons, great and snowy egrets, and
endangered wood storks all building nests, sitting on
eggs, and feeding chicks. A photographers’ paradise,
except for the fact that most of the day, the lighting
is harsh and great images are hard to come by. I signed
up for this workshop because I previously took a photography
workshop with Greg before and was amazed at the quality
of his images and depth of his photographic knowledge.
A lot of photographic workshops can be very pricy because
you are paying to be out photographing with a famous
professional and the extent of what you learn may be
questionable. I was looking for a workshop where I was
assured I would learn several new photographic techniques
to improve my photography and I thought that Greg could
help me out. Greg did not disappoint! His photographic
skills are excellent and his outgoing personality make
him a great teacher. Greg was extremely helpful and
answered all of my questions. Even under the harsh lighting
conditions Greg showed us how to get the most out of
it, how to isolate subjects, wait for the right moment
to capture the “decisive moment”, and most importantly
when not to take the shot! This photography workshop
was well worth the price and I would highly recommend
taking any photographic workshop with Greg. His easy-going
nature made the trip a complete success. Many of the
techniques Greg teaches are very hard to find in books,
if they can be found at all. He is patient and takes
the time to work with you so you will learn. Everyone
who attended had a great time. It is a wonderful atmosphere
to improve your photography as well as meet people with
similar interests, and make life-long friends. Thanks
Greg for a great time!
-James Stachecki, Parsippany, NJ
Greg was always professional; he was
well prepared and well organized, a difficult task given
the vagaries of finding and photographing birds. At
the same time he was flexible and prepared to take advantage
of any unforeseen opportunities that arose. He adjusted
his approach to the abilities of those in attendance
and was able to do a nice job teaching and working with
a wide variety of individuals from near-novices to experts.
If my hard drive crashed and I didn't get a single shot
from his workshop - and I certainly have many with which
I'm quite pleased - I still more than got my money's
worth. In sum, I would highly recommend a workshop with
Greg Downing.
-Richard Sheehan, Indiana
I think your workshop was run in a very
professional manner and I thoroughly enjoyed myself
while with you and the group. Cape May is a place I
visit often and you opened my eyes to the photographic
possibilities there. I was especially appreciative of
how you were able to work with me and provide assistance
and pointers even though my lens length was marginal
at best.
-Bill Ruppel, Dover, NJ
My expectations were definitely exceeded.
I feel my eyes were opened to far more possibilities
in composition, natural and flash lighting, flash fill
and bird behavior. Because of your stress on composition,
I see a definite improvement in my images.
-Donald Mann, Wilmington, DE
The workshop was wonderful and so was
the weather, I came back with lots of nice images and
couldn't have been happier with the results. I met interesting
people and had a good time.
-Richard Hogg, Oak Hill, VA
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