Proposal area: these walks are being talked about and may or may not be scheduled as shown:
Digital Photo Walk (Multiple Habitats - San Simeon). Bring your point-and-shoot or SLR digital camera on this partially handicapped accessible photo walk along seashore, creek, wetlands, chaparral and pine forest habitats . All photographic skill levels are welcome. Three experienced docent photographers will help you improve your outdoor and nature photography skills. Meet in the Washburn day use parking lot north of Cambria on the east side of Hwy 1 just south of San Simeon Creek. See photomorrobay.com for more information. (*E) 1.5 mi., 1.5 hrs.; Optional (*M) 2 mi. 3 hrs extended walk.
Docents: Phil Adams, Mike Baird
Schedule: Sat., XXX YY, 2008 9:30 AM (TENTATIVE)
Possible date: Sat. xxxx.. xx, 2008???
Digital Photo Walk (Point Buchon) Explore the new Point Buchon Trail along the bluffs south of Montaña de Oro, stopping to photograph the rocky shore. All photographic skill levels are welcome. Experienced docent photographers will help you improve your outdoor and nature photography skills. Meet at the Coon Creek parking area at the very end of Montaña de Oro. Wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes, bring windbreak and water and snack. 200' elevation gain. See photomorrobay.com for more information. (S) 7 mi., 3.5 hrs
Docents: Mike Baird and Jerry Kirkhart
Schedule: Thurs. Oct 9, 2008 9:00 AM
Digital Photo Walk (Montaña de Oro). Walk the Bluff Trail with two experienced docent photographers and discover how to improve your outdoor photography skills. Bring your digital SLR or Point and Shoot camera for an instructional photo hike along the bluffs and photograph seascapes, birds and wildlife. Meet at turnout 200 yrds. south of Visitors Center at Montaña de Oro State Park. (*M) 1.0 mi., 2 hrs.
Docents: Mike Baird and Jerry Kirkhart
Schedule: September 20, 2008 9:30 AM
Sat. Aug. 23, 2008 10:00 am Digital Camera Workshop Gary Johnson & Crew (Mike Baird, Jerry Kirkhart...)
Digital Camera Workshop Designed to help beginners who have had problems trying to operate their digital cameras, this is a non-technical workshop. We will focus on using the basic features of a digital camera such as mode settings, and much more. There will be a lunch break. Morro Bay Museum of Natural History, Auditorium. (T) 4 hrs.
Digital Photo Walk for SWAP (Elfin Forest - Los Osos) Petra Clayton and Yolanda Waddell coordinating
This will not be an AWN walk in order to limit attendance. It was not promoted or announced by State Parks or CCNHA.
August 16, 9:30 a.m. – Digital Photo and Birding Walk. Do you have a digital camera that mainly takes pictures of family events and parties?
Morro Bay Museum docents Mike Baird and Kevin Cole and Jerry Kirkhart will help you to develop your outdoor photography skills with a mini instructional photo tour on the Elfin Forest boardwalk.
All skill levels are welcome. They will cover the problems of dealing with light contrast in an oak grove, getting a good close-up photo of the Forest’s native flowers, and catching birds and butterflies in flight. Bring your tripod and macro lens if you have them. Many digital cameras have macro settings. Bring binoculars as well, since both leaders are excellent birders and will identify some of the Elfin Forest’s birds. Walk starts at the 15th street entrance. Handicapped access starts at 16th Street.
Schedule: Third Sat., Aug. 16, 2008 9:30 AM
Digital Photo Walk (Valencia Peak). On this vigorous photo walk, bring your point-and-shoot or SLR digital camera. All photographic skill levels are welcome. Experienced docent photographers will help you improve your outdoor and nature photography skills. Meet at the bluff parking area 300' South of the Ranch House in Montaña de Oro. Wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes, bring water and snack. 1347' elevation gain. (S) 3.7 mi., 3 hrs. See photomorrobay.com for more information.
Docents: Mike Baird and Jerry Kirkhart
Schedule: Sat., July 26, 2008 9:00 AM
A Digital Photo Workshop will be presented in the auditorium at the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History. The topic of this workshop will be how to photograph insects in their environment. Bring you digital camera, macro lens, tripod, flash and accessories to learn the techniques used to achieve those stunning macro and close-up images. Meet at the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History. (T), 2 hrs. See photomorrobay.com for more information.
Docents: Kevin Cole, Mike Baird, guest photographer Dennis Sheridan
Schedule: Sat., July 12, 2008 9:30 AM
Digital Photo Walk (Morro Rock Peregrines - south side)
Bring your digital camera, and a long lens and tripod if you have them, on this instructional photo outing at the base of Morro Rock. All photographic skill levels are welcome. Docent photographers will demonstrate high-end tele-photo equipment used to achieve gallery-quality images of our local Peregrine Falcons and their 2008
fledglings, and other birds, and will answer questions related to telephoto long-distance photography. Park at the far west end of Coleman Drive. (*E) 0.0 mi., 1.0 hrs. See photomorrobay.com for more information.
Docents: Kevin Cole, Mike Baird, guest photographer Cleve Nash
Schedule: Sat., June 14, 2008 8:00 AM
Digital Photo Walk (Night Time Photo Opportunity) If you have every wanted to learn about taking night time photos of the Lights of Morro Bay, here is your chance to learn from an expert. Meet at the base of Morro Rock by the restrooms.You need to bring the following, if possible: a tripod, a remote control for shutter release, at least a 200mm or more telephoto lens and any wide or medium angle lens. (E)1.5 - 2 hrs.
Docents: Jerry Kirkhart, guest photograpger Howard Ingnatius
Schedule: June 7, Sat., 7:30 pm
Digital Photo Walk (Montaña de Oro Ranch House). Bring your digital camera on this short photo outing around the Montaña de Oro State Park Ranch House and Campground. All photographic skill levels are welcome. Docent photographers will help you improve your outdoor and nature photography. Meet at the ranch house parking area. (*E) 0.5 mi., 1.5 hrs. See photomorrobay.com for more information.
Docents: Kevin Cole and Jerry Kirkhart (Mike Baird absent)
Schedule: Sat., May 3, 2008 9:30 AM
Digital Photo Walk (Morro Bay State Park Marina). Bring
your digital camera on
this outing on a peninsula by the Morro Bay State Park
Marina, just below the Museum of Natural History. All photographic skill
levels are welcome. Docent photographers will help you improve your
outdoor and nature photography skills.
Meet at the far
east end of the Marina parking lot. (*E) 0.5 mi.,
1.5 hrs.
See photomorrobay.com for more information.
Docents: Kevin Cole and Mike Baird
Schedule: Sat., April 12, 2008 8:30 AM
Spring Flower Photo Walk – Montaña de Oro Visitors
Center (bring a Macro Lens)
Capture your view of spring on this wildflower walk. Bring your camera, pencil,
and paper so you can record names of flowers as you photograph them. A macro
lens or other close-up capability will be useful. Wear walking shoes. Bring
water to drink. Meet at the Visitor’s Center, Montaña de Oro State Park. (M*) 2
- 3 miles, 2 hours.
Docents: Barb Renshaw and Jerry Kirkhart
Schedule: Sat, March 22, 2008 9:30 AM
(see
http://ccnha.org/naturewalks.html for details)
Digital Photo Walk (Montaña de Oro - Tide Pools: Tide = - 0.7)
Bring your digital camera on this outing to Hazard Reef. All photographic skill
levels are welcome. Two experienced docent photographers will conduct a mini-instructional photo
tour stressing macro and closeup photography. If possible, bring a macro lens or a
point-and-shoot with macro capabilities. There will be expert help in identifying
organisms. Meet in the parking area across from Camp Keep,
which is 1.6 miles
after the park entrance sign. (*A). 1 mi., 2 hrs. Hiking boots
are encouraged. After you return home, you may participate in a free
online photo-sharing and critique exercise. See
photomorrobay.com for more
information.
Docents: Jerry Kirkhart and Mike Baird
Schedule: Sun, March 16, 2008 1:00 PM
Digital Photo Walk (Elfin Forest - Los Osos). Bring
a digital camera on
this outing along a people-friendly boardwalk along the southeastern corner of
the Morro Bay Estuary. All photographic skill
levels are welcome. Two experienced docent photographers will
conduct a mini-instructional photo tour for improving your outdoor, nature, and landscape photography skills. After you return home,
you may participate in a free online photo-sharing and critique exercise.
Meet at the ADA accessible
ramp at the north end of 16th Street off Santa Ysabel.
Please park
carefully, avoiding driveways and mailboxes. Unless you require ADA
access, please park at the 15th Street entrance and walk to our starting point
at 16th street.
(*E) 1 mi., 1.5 hrs.
See photomorrobay.com
and elfin-forest.org for more information.
Docents: Kevin
Cole and Mike Baird
Schedule: Sat., March 8, 2008
Noon
Digital Photo Walk (Morro
Bay, Coleman Ave. Boardwalk). Bring a
digital camera on this outing along the new people-friendly boardwalk along
Coleman Avenue at the north end of the Morro Bay harbor. All photographic skill
levels are welcome. Two experienced docent photographers will conduct a
mini-instructional photo tour (IPT) with handouts, enabling you to improve your
outdoor, nature, and water photography skills. We will photograph birds, sea
otters, and water landscapes. After you return home, you may participate in a
free online photo-sharing and critique exercise. Meet at the restrooms at the
base of Morro Rock (*E) 1 mi., 2 hrs. See photomorrobay.com for more
information.
Docents: Kevin
Cole and Mike Baird
Schedule: Sun., February 17 , 2008
2-4 PM
Digital Photo Walk (Morro Bay State Park Marina). Bring
your digital camera if you have one, on
this outing on a peninsula by the Morro Bay State Park
Marina, just below the Museum of Natural History. All photographic skill
levels are welcome. At least one experienced docent photographer will conduct a mini-instructional photo tour (IPT)
with handouts, enabling you to improve your outdoor and nature photography skills.
After you return home, you may participate in a related easy and free online photo-sharing and
learning activity.
Meet at the far
east end of the Marina parking lot. (*E) 0.5 mi., 2 hrs.
See photomorrobay.com for more information.
Docents: Mike Baird, Kevin
Cole, Jerry Kirkhart, Joyce Cory, Garry Johnson
Schedule: Sun., February 10, 2008 8:30 AM
Detailed Outline for AWN committee approval
Digital Photo Walks can be given at a wide number of local SLO Coastal State Park locations, depending on the season, migrating subjects, lighting, and accessibility factors. A Digital Photo Walk is intended to be like a mini (typically two hours) Instructional Photo Tour (IPT) - whereby participants receive instruction in photography while experiencing the many dimensions of our State Park properties. Novice photographers are especial welcomed. If you don't have a digital camera but were thinking about getting one, now is the time.
Theme: We gain inspiration and more fully appreciate nature by photographing what we see in a group setting, engaging in critique and instruction, and pooling insights with like-minded companions.
Each Photo Walk consists of six elements:
(1) Welcome participants and introduce docent leaders. This kind of personalized instructional activity may be best-served by having multiple docent leaders. Discover individual interests, inventory available cameras (observe availability of point-and-shoots, Single-Lens-Reflex (SLR)s, tripods, etc), skill levels... and adjust the program to optimize the visitor experience. It is recommended that docent leaders make available a loaner digital camera or two for those visitors without equipment. There are no doubt many unused digital cameras available, just as there are old cell phones... all one has to do is ask around to acquire some - just like we do with binoculars for other walks.
(2) Explain your particular walk's objectives, distance, duration, and desired results and interactions. Encourage visitors to ask questions, offer advice, and make suggestions for improving the experience. Describe possible interesting nature elements we may encounter (sea otters, migrating birds, water scenes, micro/macro subjects, animal habitats, etc.) and define some of the possible subjects of the "hunt."
(3) Provide handouts (see below) with (a) educational content (e.g., tips for taking better nature photos) and (b) process for participating in an optional after-the-event online photo sharing and critique session. This includes an invitation to join a local related discussion group at Yahoo! Groups a and photo sharing and collaboration site at Flickr groups/pools.
(4) Teach one new technique from the handout list about every 15 minutes. Participants should come away not only with photos that are much better than they might have gotten on their own, but also they should internalize the tips and tricks to the point where they themselves become teachers to the other participants. Repeat the lessons by pointing out in the real world how the tip or trick is working, to the point where the participant acts like it was his or her original idea.
(5) Agree on a subjects as they are encountered, determine the best approach (get close? get low?, wait for subject to move closer?). Agree what would make the best photo (angle, habitat, behavior, action, interaction, feeding, head and eye position), what equipment would serve best (flash? tripod/monopod/). Position for the photo. Take some shots. Discuss desired camera technical parameters (focal length, shutter speed, aperture, ISO speed, focus, exposure, flash settings and offsets, burst modes, auto-focus tracking modes, etc. Use histograms to test in real-time camera settings. Every member of the tour takes one photo of each subject if practicable.
(6) Conclusion. Thank each participant individually and by name in the group setting, before people scatter, for their participation. If possible, acknowledge, for each person, what comments, ideas, questions, or actions were valuable. Encourage visitors to return to future tours, and to invite their friends. Refer to the handouts and make sure everyone who is interested knows how to join the related photomorrobay Yahoo! Group (via http://photomorrobay.com ) and related Flickr photo upload and collaboration service http://Flickr.com and photomorrobay group/pool there http://www.flickr.com/groups/photomorrobay/. Explain that after the tour, when one gets home, one can post one's best images, and give and receive comments on any or all the photos submitted from today's walk. If someone needs software to process digital images, you can recommend Google's free Picasa http://picasa.google.com/; Adobe's Photoshop Elements; the software that came with the camera; or to use http://picnik.com 's free online services (this can be done on the Flickr site after uploading one's unprocessed images, and before adding them to the http://www.flickr.com/groups/photomorrobay/ group).
Background notes:
Docent instructors: Mike Baird, Garry Johnson, Kevin Cole, Joyce Cory, Jerry Kirkhart. Teddy Llovet, guest artist may co-lead a DPW.
Possible locations / events:
* Morro Bay State Park Marina peninsula (fair accessibility) - Schedule: Sun., February 10, 2008 8:30 AM
(leads: Cole, Baird, Johnson, Kirkhart, Cory)
* Coleman Ave. Boardwalk (ADA) and some optional spots around Morro Rock- Schedule: Sun., February 17 , 2008
2-4 PM (Cole and Baird)
* Elfin Forest (ADA) - Cole et al. TBD.
* Montana de Oro Hazard Canyon Tidepools (macro photography) - (Tentative) Sun.,
March 16, 2008 - Jerry Kirkhart primary lead. Mike Baird co-lead.
* Montana de Oro Bluff (poor accessibility)
* Morro Strand State Beach, Azure Street parking lot
* San Simeon Washburn Parking Lot (where the Adams lead "Birding Multiple
Habitats)
* Pismo
Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove (suggested by Ernie Glenesk 1/4/08)
more info.
Notes: Joyce Cory will co-lead or otherwise support a DPW, but will not be primary lead in 2008.
Comments are welcome - send to mike [at} mikebaird d o t com
P.S., Garry Johnson is working on a related classroom event - 8/30/07 version says: "Join the avid photographers Garry Johnson, Mike Baird, Kevin Cole, and ... in this non-technical digital photography workshop that is suitable for the beginner. They will describe the different types of digital cameras, how to buy one, their advantages, and techniques for use. The workshop includes a field trip with opportunities to practice photographing techniques. It is mandatory that you to bring to the workshop a digital camera and your camera manual. The workshop is limited twenty people.
Here is a related message to give the above context: 10/30/07: Rouvaishyana, Garry Johnson, Kevin Cole, and I have been discussing how to inject photography into the docent program. Garry’s digital photography seminars at OSHER are in great demand, and we think there is also a demand in the docent community. I expect Garry to be presenting an idea to you for a class to give to docents, so they can become more photo-proficient and use photography to help develop and deliver their walks and programs, etc. Later, such a presentation could also be offered as an Adventures with Nature (AWN) walk, or a Mindwalk.
go back to photomorrobay.com
CAPIT (5 basics for beginners)