Location
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Dates
2025 (Now Open for Registration!)
February 17th - 21st — (Limited Space Available)
February 23rd - 27th — (Only 1 Space Remaining!)
March 2nd - 6th — (Only 2 Spaces Remaining!)
2024 (5 TRIPS SOLD OUT)
2023 (5 TRIPS SOLD OUT)
2022 (5 TRIPS SOLD OUT)
TRIP LEADERS
Jess Findlay & Connor Stefanison
Fee
$2950 CAD + 5% GST (Approximate Price in USD - $2150)
Deposit
$600 CAD
Maximum Group Size
5 Photographers
Join myself and Connor Stefanison in the beautiful setting of southwestern British Columbia for a 5 day bird photography workshop!
Vancouver is often touted as one of the world's most beautiful cities. Located between the Salish Sea, the North Shore Mountains and the Fraser River Delta, the city is surrounded by nature — it's no wonder why it's also one of the best major cities in the world for wildlife photography. The area is particularly productive for wintering birds; the bulk of which can be found south of the city's core where the mighty Fraser (British Columbia's longest river) meets the Pacific Ocean. The tidal mudflats and fertile, marshy land found here — some of which has been set aside as an international Important Bird Area — supports Canada's highest bird diversity throughout the winter months. This area is of particular importance to waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors. Moving away from these rich bottomlands, to the flanks of tall peaks that rise up from the coast, we’ll explore a totally different habitat where towering old-growth conifers, festooned with mosses and lichens, loom overhead.
During this workshop we'll have the opportunity to see and photograph many of the most charismatic birds that spend the winter enjoying Vancouver's relatively-mild climate. Many of the sites we will visit are unique to our workshop, owing to our local expertise, and the many weeks of pre-trip scouting done each year. Several species of owls are possible. Barred, Barn, Short-eared, Long-eared, Great Horned, Northern Pygmy, and Northern Saw-whet, are the most likely. Great Grey and Northern Hawk Owls have also been photographed during this workshop, though aren’t to be expected. During irruption years, this is also one of, if not the best place to photograph Snowy Owls on the West Coast. Bald Eagles amass at the Fraser River Delta in the thousands in late winter. It isn't uncommon to see a few dozen in a single tree - truly a spectacle not to be missed! Other raptors we often encounter include Red-tailed Hawks, Peregrine Falcons and Northern Harriers.
Waterfowl and shorebirds that rely on the region's largely ice-free lakes and coastline also provide plenty of photographic opportunities. Given they're commonly hunted all across the continent, in most places, ducks can understandably be quite skittish and difficult to photograph. We bring our groups to many sites where birds have become accustomed to human presence and show little to no fear. This allows for tremendous closeup opportunities of normally shy species. We will be visiting the best site we know of in North America for photographing Green-winged Teal. Time will be dedicated to achieving tremendous portraits of Wood Ducks: another gorgeous and highly sought-after species. Close encounters and flight shooting with Buffleheads, Northern Pintails, Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Shovelers, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye and Hooded Mergansers will round out an amazing portfolio of ducks.
Crossing the Salish Sea on a scenic ferry ride, we'll spend a day on Vancouver Island, photographing an assortment of songbirds, Steller’s Jays, woodpeckers, and the beautiful California Quail from a friend's wonderful backyard blinds.
Adding more diversity yet, we'll visit sites for West Coast specialities such as Black Oystercatcher, nesting Anna's Hummingbird, and Red-breasted Sapsucker.
Naturally, the opportunities are likely to differ from year-to-year. As such, our trip itinerary will never be concrete, but rather a dynamic schedule that makes the best use of our time based on weather and bird activity. This will allow you the best possible chance at coming away with an excellent portfolio of images.
I invite you to explore the many species featured on this workshop, by clicking to expand the images below…
Why choose us?
Both Connor and I grew up in Vancouver, and have in-depth knowledge of the area's birds,
geography, weather, and other wildlife.Our backgrounds in biology allow us to better understand the ecology and behaviour of our subjects;
translating into better photographic opportunities for the participants we guide.All of the images you see showcasing this trip were taken at the locations we will visit, and at the same time of year.
As is evident in the gallery below, these are often exceeded in quality by the images taken by our trip participants.Limited group sizes and two guides/instructors translates into more one-on-one teaching opportunities for each photographer.
We are passionate about, and well-versed in a variety of different techniques/approaches, and are equally passionate about helping others achieve excellence in the styles of photography that interest them most.
Apart from demonstrating angles, composition, and other techniques, we will not be shooting.
Our time is dedicated to helping you achieve the best results, not making our own images.We are reputed as two of North America’s top wildlife photography guides; focused on personalized attention, and of course the overall enjoyment and well-being of our valued clients.
What's included . . .
Evening of introductory presentations and instruction
4 full days of photography
Unlimited expert photographic instruction and guiding in the field
Entry fee to nature reserves and photography blinds
Ferry to Vancouver Island
Key Learning Objectives…
Controlling exposure manually, and making thoughtful decisions when determining settings.
Shooting with intent. Progressing from taking snapshots, to creating refined photographs.
Maximizing image quality by increasing sharpness, and decreasing noise.
Interpreting light, and utilizing it in an effective and impactful way.
Locating subjects by understanding habitat preferences, food sources, songs/calls, etc.
Approaching subjects, and positioning oneself to maximize an opportunity.
Behaving proactively in the field to increase one’s odds of success.
Past Participant Images
Registration
If you're interested in registering for this workshop or would simply like to receive more information about it, please provide your details in the form on the right. If you have any questions, please include them in the message portion of the form.
To reserve your space, a non-refundable deposit is required. Once your registration form has been received, you will be emailed details regarding how to send your deposit. A waiver will also be sent which you will be required to read and sign. It can be mailed, or alternatively, a copy can be brought to the workshop.
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Deposits are considered non-refundable. If a cancellation is made prior to 60 days before the start date, the remaining amount (not including the deposit) will be eligible for refund, minus a 5% administrative fee.We pride ourselves on operating our workshops with tact and consideration for our valued participants. We will do our very best to fill your space and reimburse you, should you be met with extenuating circumstances.
* The workshop fee (including deposit) will be eligible for refund should restrictions surrounding COVID-19 prevent us from operating the trip, or prevent your participation - including prohibition of cross-border travel, and interprovincial travel. This does not include complications surrounding COVID testing prior to flights, or other unforeseeable matters pertaining to travel. This also does not include prevention of participation due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, or any other illness (if within the 60-day limitation). *
To ensure reimbursal of costs ineligible for refund, we recommend purchasing travel insurance.