Dawn Wilson
Dawn Wilson is a professional and award-winning nature photographer and writer specializing in telling stories about wildlife and her adventures in the outdoors. An avid hiker, naturalist, and traveler, Dawn’s work, which includes more than 800 bylined articles and photo credits, has appeared in Outdoor Photographer, Nature’s Best Photography, MotorHome, and many more. She has served two terms as the president of the North American Nature Photography Association, serves on the Estes Valley Watershed Coalition board and has filled rooms at conferences across the country speaking about wildlife photography.
Dawn's Seminars & Workshops
WED 10:00 - 11:30 A.M.
Sharp as a Tack: Four Simple Methods to Ensure Sharp Bird Photos
Classroom Seminar
Meeting Location: Celebration Hall at St. Anastasia, 5205 A1A S
Price: $35
Difficulty Level: All Levels
Max No People: 30
Description:
Description: Birds move – a lot, frequently, erratically and quickly. Capturing those avian species as they fly through the air takes practice and skill but these four methods will put you on the path to ensuring those photos are tack sharp.
Gear List: Notebook for note taking​
WEDS 1:00 - 2:30 P.M.
Abstract Perspectives
in Bird Photography
Classroom Seminar
Meeting Location: Celebration Hall at St. Anastasia, 5205 A1A S
Price: $35
Difficulty Level: All Levels
Max No People: 30
Description: Capturing a tack-sharp image of a bird in flight is on every bird photographer’s wish list but with today’s advanced cameras and software that can just about turn any soft image into a freeze frame, it is time to turn up the creativity and blur those images. This presentation will include a look at methods for creating unique abstract images that catch a viewer’s eye by stopping them in their tracks with the use of color, pattern, shape and more.
​Gear List: Notebook for note taking
THUR 10:00 - 11:00 A.M.
Sit Spots: Don’t Chase, Sit for Unique Photo Opportunities
Classroom Seminar
Meeting Location: Celebration Hall at St. Anastasia, 5205 A1A S
Price: $35
Difficulty Level: All Levels
Max No People: 30
Description: The most unexpected images can result by being patient, in the moment and intentional at a sit spot. This presentation will clarify what a sit spot is, the benefits of it for bird photography and how to pick the best sit spots.
Gear List: Notebook for note taking​
FRI 8:00 - 11:00 A.M.
Push that Background: Mastering Depth of Field for Bird Photography
Field Workshop
Meeting Location: Anastasia State Park, 300 Anastasia Park Road
Price: $100 + Park Entry
Difficulty Level: All Levels
Max No People: 12
Description: This field class will begin with a visual explanation of how to “push the background” in bird photography to create beautiful soft backgrounds. Then we will put the techniques to practice to capture ideal portraits of nesting birds.
Gear List: notebook or other way to take notes, camera, lens, monopod or tripod; if at the beach, sandals or other comfortable footwear that can get wet and is good for walking; backpack for extra cards, batteries, clothing, water, snacks, etc.
Clean Backgrounds in a Crowded World at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm
FRI 4:30 - 7:30 P.M.
Field Workshop
Meeting Location: St. Augustine Alligator Farm, 999 Anastasia Blvd.
Price: $100 + Annual Photo Pass
Photo Pass can be ordered here
Difficulty Level: All Levels
Max No People: 12
Description: The background is as important as the subject in wildlife photography. This hands-on field program will look at the dos and don’ts of backgrounds for bird photography and review simple techniques to improve the backgrounds in bird photographs so that viewers see your subject and not the background.
Gear List: notebook or other way to take notes, camera, lens, monopod or tripod; comfortable walking shoes; backpack for extra cards, batteries, clothing, water, snacks, etc.​
​Classroom Seminar
Meeting Location: Celebration Hall at St. Anastasia, 5205 A1A S
Price: $35
Difficulty Level: All Levels
Max No People: 30
Description: Nothing feels better than to see your photos published in the pages of a magazine. Getting them into that format, however, takes time, patience and persistence. It may happen on the first try or it may take a dozen tries. We will take a look at how to stay motivated, how to identify the best publications for your work and how to write a pitch letter.
Gear List: notebook or other way to take notes
SAT 10:00 - 11:30 A.M.
Getting Your Photos Published
SAT 3:00 - 4:30 P.M.
Lightroom
for the Beginner Bird Photographer
​Classroom Seminar
Meeting Location: Celebration Hall at St. Anastasia, 5205 A1A S
Price: $35
Difficulty Level: Beginner
Max No People: 30
Description:
This introductory course will show participants a logical workflow for importing images into Lightroom, how to keyword and organize images. A step-by-step process will be reviewed for culling the imports and then some basic techniques to get the beginner photographer started on their editing journey.
Gear List: notebook or other way to take notes
Select Gallery of Dawn's Images
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