2011-2012 Tour Schedule
Black-chinned Hummingbird at Seedeater Inn flowers.
Click here to read: Tour Information and Deposit and Cancellation Policy.
Larry Ditto Nature Photography
Instructional Nature Photo Tours 2011-2012 Schedule at a Glance
September 23-24 (Friday & Saturday)
Hummingbird photography workshop at the Barnhart Q5 Guest Ranch, Berclaire, Texas
November 29-December 1 (Tuesday-Thursday)
Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese and much more, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, New Mexico
January 10-11 (Tuesday-Wednesday (full)
Whooping Cranes at Rockport, Texas
A record 290 whoopers were there last year. It should be a great trip!
April 4-6 (Wednesday – Friday) (full)
Photograph lesser prairie chickens from blinds at Canadian, Texas
April 12 – 15 (Thursday – Sunday)
Galveston FeatherFest (and Photo Fest) photography at www.galvestonfeatherfest.com/PhotoFest Descriptions.php to register
April 21-22 (Saturday – Sunday)
“Landscapes, light painting, star trails, wildflowers, learning more about your camera, and improving your outdoor photography skills” workshop, Hoak Ranch, Ozona, Texas
May 2-4 (Wednesday – Friday) 2 slots available
Birds and Landscapes, Caddo Lake, Texas
“I recommend the Caddo Lake workshop to persons that like a variety of birds, landscapes, wildlife, etc. I attended in 2009 and was amazed how easy it is to photograph from a pontoon boat and the amount of wildlife we saw and photographed. I learned a lot and had a great time.”…James Saxon, Houston, Texas.
May 11-13 (Friday – Sunday) 2 slots available
Birds, wildflowers, star trails and light painting and more at the Block Creek Natural Area near Comfort, Texas
* All tours are subject to change. Please check here and in the Newsletter for the latest information. Details will be e-mailed to participants approximately 30 days before tour.
* Click on “Contact Information” to inquire about tours and for registration information.
Click on any image to view full size.
Photo Tour details below!
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Juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird at Turk's cap flower.
September 23-24 (Friday-Saturday) at Barnhart Q5 Ranch, Berclaire, Texas (near Goliad and Beeville)
Autumn hummingbirds (black-chinned and ruby-throated), butterflies and birds
Capacity: 4 photographers (minimum 4)
Workshop leader will provide flash equipment and instruction in its use for capturing stop-action hummingbirds. Setups will be on the grounds at the Barnhart Ranch. The ranch is a bed & breakfast reserved on those dates for our exclusive use. Please contact www.barnhartranchretreat.com for rates and information about the area.
Female Black-chinned Hummingbird at Seedeater Inn, Zapata, Texas
Hummingbird numbers should be high in mid-September since the migration will be in full swing. Ruby-throated hummingbirds will be most common, but some black-chinned hummingbirds should be present. There is always a chance we can get rufous and buff-bellied hummingbirds at this site, but they are uncommon. Butterfly plants and bird feeders on the grounds attract several species of butterflies including pipevine swallowtail, gulf fritillary, bordered patch and birds including green jays, thrashers and more.
We will show you how to set up for hummingbird shooting and what equipment is essential to doing it successfully. Our main focus will be to help you get some excellent photos.
Rates: $200/per day * Participants provide their own transportation, meals and lodging. Airports are available at San Antonio and Corpus Christi. Please plan to stay at the ranch if possible as they are the photography host.
Contact me at lditto@larryditto.com
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Sandhill Crane Unison Call
November 29 – December 1 (Tuesday-Thursday), 2011, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, New Mexico
Photograph sandhill cranes, snow geese, Canada geese, ducks, roadrunner, coyotes , hawks and more. We leave Socorro each morning, drive to the refuge (20 miles) by sunrise and photograph thousands of birds leaving the roost ponds. Then we will work along the corn fields and marshes until mid-morning. Just before noon, we will return to town for the mid-day hours to download, eat lunch and review the morning’s shoot. By mid-afternoon, we will drive back to the refuge for bird photography and sunsets with birds.
Capacity: 8 photographers (minimum 4)
Cost: $200/day deposit at registration with the balance due on October 21. The workshop is $200/day/photographer. Each photographe provides his/her own transportation, lodging, meals, entry fees, etc.
Registration Date: Please sign up as early as possible to allow me time for obtaining the required insurance and workshop permit.
Ample motels and restaurants are available in Socorro just a few miles from the refuge. We will dine at a number of local restaurants. Walmart and grocery stores are available.
Snow Goose in marsh.
contact lditto@larryditto.com
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“Adult Whooping Crane with Young”
January 10-11 (Tue-Wed), 2011
January 12-13 (Thurs-Fri), 2011
Whooping Cranes and other coastal birds, Rockport, Texas
There was a record number of birds last winter, so the photography should be excellent!
Photograph endangered Whooping Cranes from a charter boat with an experienced captain/guide. Our boat is flat-bottomed (ideal for tripods) and can get you in close for those eye level photos. When the birds are feeding close to the waterway, our captain will maneuver the boat in close without disturbing the 5′ tall birds. In most years, we also get excellent chances at American oystercatcher, roseate spoonbill, brown pelican and many other water birds. We photograph the cranes in the morning, then shoot around the Rockport-Fulton harbors and bays for birds and scenics in the afternoon.
Brown Pelican diving
CAPACITY: 5 photographers (minimum 3) * If this fills quickly (as it usually does), we attempt to fill a second trip on the following two days.DEPOSIT: $200 due upon registration. Balance due December 15.
COST for photo tour: $400 per photographer plus approximately $150/photographer for boat and guide for two mornings when tour is full (6 photographers including Larry). Participants are also responsible for their own transportation, lodging, meals and park entry fees.
Contact lditto@larryditto.com
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April 4-6 (Wednesday – Friday) 2012, Canadian, Texas FULL
Lesser Prairie Chickens
Photograph lesser prairie chickens from a blind while the birds are at the booming lek at sunrise. During the afternoons, we will photograph other birds, mammals and landscapes around Lipscomb and Canadian, Texas. The weather will be brisk to cold. We will be in the blind an hour before sunrise.
Our accommodations will be at the Best Western Inn in Canadian. A continental breakfast is provided by the Inn; we are on our own for lunch and supper. There are several restaurants in Canadian.
Cost: $200/day for my photo tour services plus $100/day for ranch/blind access and local guide (local guide required). Photographers provide their own transportation to and from the ranch.
Capacity: 4 photographers and trip leader
Deposit: $200 upon registration but no later than March 15, 2012
Contact me to register: lditto@larryditto.com
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April 12-15 (Thursday-Sunday) Galveston FeatherFest (PhotoFest)
Register today, my sessions are filling quickly.
Roseate Spoonbill landing at Rookery
www.galvestonfeatherfest.com Go to this link and look for PhotoFest registration. Activities and workshops will be listed sometime this fall.
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April 21-22 (Saturday-Sunday), 2012, Hoak Ranch Photography Workshop near Ozona, Texas. 3 spaces left
This 2 day workshop on the 1450 acre Hoak Ranch near Ozona, Texas will cover details of wildlife and landscape photography for beginning and intermediate nature photographers. The spaceous ranch house will be our meeting location. We will photograph together in the mornings and afternoons, while mid-day will be dedicated to information sharing, photo critique, learning how to get more from your equipment, etc.. Weather permitting, we will do light painting and/or star trail photography at night.
Strawberry (Pitaya) Cactus in April at Hoak Ranch
Roadrunner in the beargrass, Hoak Ranch, Texas
If winter rains occur, wildflowers will be in bloom, birds will be migrating through, and the landscape will be turning green. This ranch is scenic and supports a huge variety of wildlife, so photo options should be many. We plan to do some light painting on canyon walls and at a nearby historic site in the evenings.
Bring your camera(s), all your lenses, tripod and camera cable release and other photo gear. We are going to cover it all from setting your camera’s custom functions to helping you learn where, when and how to get sharper, more colorful photos with pleasing perspectives. Short walks will be a part of our field work.
Accommodations are available nearby in Iraan and Ozona. A limited number of ranch guest rooms and cottages may be available so register early. Directions and more specific information will be provided upon registration.
COST: $150/day/photographer . A $150 deposit is due by April 1.
Contact me to register: lditto@larryditto.com
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May 2-4 (Wednesday – Friday) 2 spaces available ;
May 5-6 (Saturday – Sunday), Uncertain, Texas full
Prothonotary Warbler with moth
Caddo Lake Birds and Landscapes, Uncertain, Texas
We have had excellent opportunities to photograph yellow-throated warbler, prothonotary warbler and northern parula, great egret, great blue heron and many other species. Landscape photography is excellent since the lake is loaded with cypress trees hung with Spanish moss. Most years yield opportunities to photograph American beaver, barred owl and pileated woodpecker. *We will work from a pontoon boat that can accommodate the photo group and tripods.
“I recommend the Caddo Lake workshop to those persons that like a variety of birds, landscapes, wildlife, etc. I attended in 2009 and was amazed at how easy it was to photograph from a pontoon boat and the amount of wildlife we saw and photographed. I learned a lot and had a great time.” …James Saxon, Houston, Texas.
- Cypress and Spanish Moss at Caddo Lake, Texas
Our group will stay in a rented cottage on Caddo Lake that will easily accommodate 5 people (includes trip leader). We will have our own boat and captain/guide for 2 1/2 days of photography. Aside from the photo tour fee, everyone will be responsible for a share of cost for the cottage, boat and captain. Those fees will be posted soon.
CAPACITY: 4 photographers (minimum 4 photographers)
DEPOSIT: $200 payable to Larry Ditto upon registration
COST: $500 per photographer payable at least 30 days before the photo tour. Participants are also responsible for their own meals, transportation, lodging, boat and guide fee. Fee for room, boat and guide on Caddo Lake for 2 1/2 days is approximately $400/photographer (firm prices will be set by January 1, 2012. This fee is based on a group of 4 staying at the same cottage. This is necessary in order to secure a cottage which we can use for our meetings, Photoshopping, etc. Please make your deposit and photo tour check to Larry Ditto. The room/boat/captain fees are payable to Hodge Podge Cottages and the captain when we arrive.
Summer Tanager singing
Contact me to register: lditto@larryditto.com
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May 11-13, 2012 (Friday – Sunday), Block Creek Natural Area, Comfort, Texas (2 spaces available)
Photograph birds and landscapes for three days at the beautiful Block Creek Natural Area. Accommodations on the area at the home and cottages of Sharron and Larry Jay. There are blinds near the headquarters where a variety of Texas hill country birds, including painted bunting, indigo bunting, summer tanager, black-throated hummingbird may be photographed. A number of landscape opportunities will be available along Block Creek and in the vicinity of the natural area. *We plan to shoot hawks and owls presented by Last Chance Forever bird rescue team which will visit the ranch one morning during our visit.
Cost: $250/day which includes my instructional services and the Last Chance Forever raptor photography photo session.
Capacity: 6 photographers
Deposit: $250 due April 1.
Photographers will be responsible for their own lodging, meals and transportation. Lodging and meals should be booked with Sharron Jay at the Block Creek Natural Area – Turkey Hollow, 830-995-4174, www.blockcreeknaturalarea.com.
male Vermilion Flycatcher
Contact me to register: lditto@larryditto.com
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