Come Explore America’s Most Beautiful Photo Locations And Learn Aperture

Interview by Nicole Young

Bill Jeffries is a computer consultant living in Greensboro, NC. His beautiful image of geese flying across Oak hollow lake won him a seat at the upcoming workshop in Mt. Rainier. He has been serious about photography for the last two years and loves to photograph nature, wildlife, and people.

Please tell us the story behind your winning photograph.

My son and I went to Oak Hollow Lake before sunrise to shoot it, but the sun just came up, not very spectacular. I had been looking east at it and moved over to look west across the lake when I heard the Canada Geese start honking the way they do before they take off. I pointed my D300 at them and held focus on them and shot 30 or 40 frames as they took off and flew across the lake. Right in the middle of the series, the sun broke over the trees and washed the far shore with great red gold light and I had a feeling I’d gotten a good shot. This was one of my favorites from 2008. It was taken on December 13th, a great cold winter morning.

What do you feel is one of the most important aspects of being a good photographer?

Making photos that provoke an emotional response. It doesn’t have to leave them in tears, but just “wow, that’s so cool” or “that is really beautiful”. It can be funny, or shocking, or beautiful, or just cool, but it can’t just lay there. Also, I think you need to learn the gear, learn the rules, and then forget them as much as possible and just shoot. I would also say giving back what you can in whatever way you can.

Are there any other photographers who inspire you? Who and why?

Wow, tons. Martin Bailey, a great nature/wildlife shooter and great teacher. I love Pete Turner for his use of color. Joe McNally for just about everything and his willingness to teach. Cartier-Bresson for all those decisive moments. Don Hong-Oai is one I try to emulate; I love his landscapes. The list would go on and on. I love to look at photos.

What camera equipment will you be bringing with you to the workshop in Mt. Rainier?

I’m a Nikon guy. Bodies: D700, D300, and a Canon G9. Lenses: 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8, 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, and I always take a 50mm f/1.4; Manfroto Tripod with RRS ballhead, circular polarizer, cable release, lots of batteries and cards, maybe a 60mm f/2.8 micro & Tokina 12-24mm f/4, depending on space and weight. I’m not sure about bringing flashes … don’t want to overpack.

You can view more of Bill’s photography here.

Interview by Nicole Young

Julie Stainbrook currently lives in Midway, UT with her two small children. Her photograph “In the Fog” won her the chance to attend the workshop in Mt. Rainier.

What type of photography do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy photographing beauty! It can be in the form of a newborn baby, sunset, children playing, a couple in love, the age of human life … I guess I don’t have a preference. I love to take what is seemingly normal and find the emotion behind it and freeze it in time forever!

Please tell us the story behind your winning photograph.

A few years ago my Dad was driving and noticed the beautiful morning with the fog and the sun just coming up. He said at that moment he knew he needed to call me and get me out there. When he called he told me to go to a certain area of town and to bring my camera. As I was driving and looking for a spot I saw this line of trees on the side of the road, right next to a business. At that point in my life I had no idea what ISO, aperture, shutter speed, or white balance was. It caught me off guard. I had driven by that spot probably 100 times before and had never noticed it. I got out and paced around for a while and then found the spot. I laid on my tummy for about half and hour at the base of a tree trying to get the settings and my angle just right… which was a task in and of it self but I refused to shoot on auto. I didn’t leave until I got the image that I had seen in my mind.

What is it about photography that got you hooked? Was there something significant that happened in your life that makes you passionate about photography?

I love being able to show how I see things. Everyone has a different perspective and to be able to share mine is a great feeling. I love showing people how I see them. Capturing the beauty, emotion and individuality of a person and then sharing it with them has been such an amazing experience.

What camera equipment will you be bringing with you to the workshop in Mt. Rainier?

As of right now…. I have two Nikon D80’s, 18-135mm, 50mm, polarizing filter, speedlight, tripod, lots of batteries, memory cards and my MacBook.

You can view more of Julie’s photography here.

Interview by Nicole Young

Jarek Szymanski, originally from Poland, moved to Portland, Oregon in 2004. He currently works with computers and software but has a knack for photography as well. His photograph, “Where Winter Meets Summer”, won him the opportunity to attend the workshop in Mt. Rainier.

What type of photography do you enjoy the most?

It really depends on how the mood strikes me. I try to be versatile and to move between different types of photography: landscape, macro, a little bit of studio work, and sometimes I like to play with off camera strobes.

What is it about photography that got you hooked? Was there something significant that happened in your life that makes you passionate about photography?

What interests me most about photography is the idea of being able to present reality in a very unusual way. With my camera I can freeze a frame, a moment in time, something that is seen as usual and common by others but can be captured by me from a striking angle, with unusual mood. I want people to see my work and say, “Wow, I never saw/thought about it this way before!”

If you could pick one place anywhere in the world to photograph, where would you go and why?

The place on my mind right now is Iceland, for eerie, enigmatic landscapes and natural beauty.

What camera equipment will you be bringing with you to the workshop in Mt. Rainier?

Canon 5D
17-40L F/4
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
Tamron Macro 90mm f/2.8
CP, ND gradual and 10-stop filters, remote, tripod
Vivitar strobe
…and maybe a telephoto, 200-300mm.

You can view more of Jarek’s photography here.

William Jeffries
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wjeffries/3633244614/in/pool-anpw

Rhonda Holcomb
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronidesigns/3707917947/

Julie Stainbrook
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38526250@N06/3542466758/in/pool-anpw

Jarek Szymanski
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alteryourreality/2754842545/in/pool-anpw

It’s been a fantastic year for the Aperture Nature Photography Workshops and I can’t believe it’s almost over.

The deadline is almost here for the fourth and final contest. End Date: July 15, at 2:00 PM PST. At that time entries into the contest will be permanently closed. We’ll select the four winners this week and begin preparation for the fourth and final workshop to take place near Mt. Rainier National Park in September.

I really appreciate the support of the staff and the winners we’ve had so far. It’s been a great group. I also want to thank Apple and our sponsors for helping to make the ANPW a reality.

If you’re a US resident and 18 years old or older you’re still eligible to win a free trip to the workshop. It’s going to be a blast. Be sure to get your entry in over at the Flickr forum.

Here’s where you enter. http://www.flickr.com/groups/anpw/

Good luck to all.

All photos linked to this post are by Cathy Chung

We finally got a gallery of staff photos up from the last workshop. Here is the ANPW photo set on Flickr. And if you prefer, here is a web page of the ANPW photos created in Aperture. Enjoy.

We’re proud to announce the dates for our fourth and final (in this series) Aperture Nature Photography Workshop. On September 9-12, four lucky winners will join four pros for the ANPW Mt. Rainier.

Our submission site for this contest is on Flickr, use this address. http://www.flickr.com/groups/anpw/

Each winner will win a cash travel allowance, hotel, food, ground transfers, as well as prizes from our sponsors. It’s free to enter. You get to keep all Copyrights to your images. There’s no catch. Please read the complete contest rules for more information

We’re also proud to announce that one of the pros joining our teaching faculty this year will be Rick Sammon. Rick is a prolific photographer, author and teacher. His latest book, Rick Sammon’s Digital Photography Secrets is brilliant and he’ll be a real asset to our team of pros.

Also joining Scott Bourne on the pro team will be The Palouse Guy – Gary Hamburgh, an inspiring scenic nature photographer who specializes in selling gallery prints of his amazing nature photos.

Our pro team will be rounded out by Juan Pons, a professional nature photographer and guide from North Carolina. His work is widely published and he has experience guiding nature photo trips

This post sponsored by Photofocus.

The power of photography never ceases to amaze me. Last week I had the privilege of hosting the APNW at Yellowstone with the help of my co-leaders, Gary Hamburgh, Steve Simon, and Frederick Van Johnson. They are some of the best people I know. And that’s an example of the power of our profession. We’re a diverse group from California, New York and Washington. I’m a bird photographer, Frederick is a portrait photographer, Steve is a photo journalist and Gary is a nature photographer.

We all practice and teach photography from different perspectives, yet our common bond is our pure passion for telling stories with our cameras.

I was also impressed by the diversity in our four students. Two from Arizona, one from Oregon and another from New York. The group had a variety of photographic interests and abilities.

Again – all these students took a different approach to the workshop, but all exhibited incredible passion and interest in the information that the teachers offered.

We had pretty good weather for the entire workshop. We had tremendous wildlife opportunities that includes pronghorn, dall sheep, big horn, elk, deer, bison, grizzly bear, fox, coyote and a variety of birds.

We worked on scenics, wildlife, HDR, panoramas and of course Aperture. We even did some portrait and flash demonstrations.

At the end of the workshop, I asked all the students what their favorite thing about the workshop was. Universally, they agreed it was the relationships they built during the event, the inspiration they took from spending time with each other and the instructors and the joy they felt being a part of something special.

Post by Cathy Chung
Photo by Bryan Holliday

There are moments in life that we remember forever. There are dreams in life that we pursue for one year, five years, 20 years or more. When those dreams come true, we are on cloud nine. It is like nothing else in the world.

For Aperture Nature Photography Workshop winner Bryan Holliday, a dream that he had been pursuing for 10 years came true on the first day. Bryan is an avid bird photographer. There was one bird species that he had been trying to photograph for 10 years and had not been able to do so. That species is the American Kestrel. It is a very skittish bird that flies away anytime people come near. But Bryan never gave up hope. He persevered and it paid off.

During the evening shoot of the second day of the workshop, heading to another location Bryan spotted an American Kestrel. He got his camera with his 600 mm lens ready. And this time it happened. The bird just sat on the post and looked right at Bryan. It was as if the bird knew Bryan had waited ten years for this moment. The light was perfect to make the colors of the American Kestrel pop. Bryan took a few shots and was amazed that the Kestrel stayed. He inched closer, the bird stayed. Bryan was able to take over 100 images of the Kestrel. Talk about a dream come true.