Velavadar

Bird & Wildlife PhotographyWorkshop

____________________________

Venue:

Velavadar Blackbuch Sanctuary, Gujarat

Your Stay:

The Blackbuck Lodge, Velavadar

Dates:

24-26 January, 2014 (2 Nights / 3 Days)

Cost:

Rs 24,500/-

REGISTER

Workshop Details

About Velavadar Blackbuck Sanctuary

The national park spread over 34.52 sq km area is a paradise for those interested in natural history. As you travel in your jeep in the park, it is a magical journey through the wilderness. Camera and binoculars in hand, cautious to any movement and ears alert to the sound of the forest. This is the heightened sensory of the Blackbuck National Park. The park has grasslands, shrub lands, saline plains and mud flats, which support a variety of grass, 95 species of flowering plants, 14 species of mammals, over 140 species of birds and many reptiles. The Alang and Paravalio Rivers, three artificial ponds, two check dams and nearby coastal marshes provide an ideal habitat for aquatic flora and fauna. From a conservation viewpoint, a unique feature of the park is that it is the only tropical grassland in India to be given the status of a national park. If you are a Wildlife Photographer, Velavadar is a paradise.

Wildlife Photography related learning during the workshop:

Today's Wildlife Photography is all about action, creativity and uniqueness. The aim of this tour is to ensure on-the-field knowledge sharing & instruction with respect to bird and wildlife photography, enabling participants to master creative photography skills and handle dynamic subjects such as birds with greater confidence.

During the workshop your mentor Sudhir Shivaram will help you master the core principles and concepts of Wildlife/Bird Photography. The sessions will help you to progress from taking images to making images. You will understand the concepts of storytelling images and what it takes to get your images published.

The below topics will be covered and the participants will learn how to apply these concepts in Widlife photography.

1. •Manual and autofocus (focusing points, autofocus lock, single or continuous focus)
   

2. •Manual exposure (ISO, shutter speeds, f/ stops and the light meter)
   

3. •Metering modes (evaluative, matrix, spot metering) 
   

4. •Depth of field (shallow, deep, hyper focal distance)
   

5. •Motion (freezing, blurring and panning)
   

6. •Picture styles / picture control (colour, black and white, sepia etc…)
   

7. •Aperture priority, shutter speed priority and program modes 
   

8. •Understanding exposure - the 18% concept
   

9. •White balance (pre-set and custom)
   

10. •The temperature of light (natural and artificial colour cast)
    

11. •Composition (framing)
    

12. •Elements of design (seeing v/s looking)
    

13. •Lenses and perspective (the right choice of focal length)
    

14. •Pre-visualization
    

15. •Completing the story
    

Post-Processing: 

During the course of the workshop, you will be taken through the fundamentals of image processing and the following topics will be covered:

1. •Colour management policies (colour settings, working space, ICC profiles etc.)
   

2. •Working with RAW files
   

3. •Cropping and image editing
   

4. •Levels, curves, contrast, saturation adjustments
   

5. •Image sharpening, cloning, dodge and burn
   

6. •Noise reduction
   

7. •Advance concepts of targeted adjustments using masking technique
   

8. •Saving for web/ printing
   

During the Field Outing: 

During the field outing, your mentor Sudhir Shivaram will help you make memorable images. Inputs provided on the field will enable you make the most of the opportunity.

Your Photography Subjects at Velavadar 

Velavadar has India’s largest population of Blackbuck, the elegant Indian antelope. One of the fastest mammals in the world, the Blackbuck is capable of achieving high speeds when leaping over the plains of Velavadar. India’s largest antelope, the Nilgai or Blue Bull, is easily seen in this national park. Those who stay for a few days at the Blackbuck Lodge can hope to see the endangered Indian Grey Wolf, the nocturnal Striped Hyena, Indian Fox, Golden Jackal, Jungle Cat and many small mammals like hare, gerbil, field mice, mongoose and hedgehog.

Velavadar National Park is a possible site for bird photographers who want to see specialty birds of the tropical Indian grassland like the Stolizka's Bushchat (winter), Rufous-tailed Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Ashy-crowned and Black-crowned Sparrow Lark, Indian Bushlark, Singing Bushlark, Syke's Crested Lark, Crested Lark, Painted and Grey Francolin, Desert and Variable Wheatear, Chestnut Bellied Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse (winter), Painted Sandgrouse, Quails and Saras Crane. Among the many raptors that can be seen are Pallid Harrier (winter), Montagu's Harrier (winter), Marsh Harrier (winter), Laggar Falcon, Eurasian Hobby, Kestrel, Red-necked Falcon, Saker Falcon (winter), Peregrine Falcon, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Shikra, Imperial Eagle ( winter), Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle (winter) and Short-toed Eagle. Amur Falcon, Hen Harrier and Crested Goshawk have been seen at Velavadar National Park. In winter, you can see pelicans, cranes, storks and other birds at the water bodies and nearby marshes. While you may not get to see all these birds during your tour, Velavadar is never a disappointing experience for a bird photographer.

Itinerary

Day 1: Friday 24 Jan, 2014: 

1. •Participants arrive and check-in to the Blackbuck Lodge by noon. 
   

2. •A brief introductory session along with tips for the afternoon safari by your mentor, Sudhir Shivaram .
   

3. •Afternoon safari into the Blackbuck Sanctuary targeting the Blackbucks, Indian Striped Hyenas and some key bird species.
   

4. •Post-safari hangout at the resort where Sudhir leads an interactive session on the tips and tricks of Wildlife/Bird photography to reinforce core concepts.
   

Day 2 : Saturday 25 Jan, 2014: 

1. •Morning safari followed by a hearty breakfast at the Blackbuck Lodge.
   

2. •Relax and meet to review images and interact.
   

3. •Sumptuous lunch and possibly a quick power nap in preparation for afternoon/evening safari.
   

4. •Following evening safari, back to the resort. Continued learning sessions including post processing over piping hot tea.
   

Day 3 :Sunday 26 Jan, 2014: 

1. •A morning ride into the sanctuary and we return for breakfast.
   

2. •We relax after breakfast and do a late check-out after Lunch.