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Apr 20, 2016
The Georgia Nature Photographer's Association (GNPA) Annual Expo was held from April 7, 2016 to April 10, 2016 in Jekyll Island, GA this year, specifically at the Villas by the Sea Resort. This was an awesome experience for this growing group of nature photography enthusiasts. The weather was great all weekend and the particpants were able to experience some of the great resources that we have here on the east coast of Georgia.
My own experience with this year's GNPA Annual Expo was from the perspective of a volunteer helping at the event, and also that of a new participant. I had only joined the GNPA right before last year's Expo, so I did not attend that year's event. This year's Expo was hosted by the Coastal Division of the GNPA which meets right in my hometown of Savannah, GA. So, our division spent many months planning and preparing for the event. Our fearless division leader, Alfie Wace, and GNPA President, Horace Hamilton, were steady guides for all of us right from the beginning. Our own Jillisa Milner created the wonderful Expo Guide pictured above.
Although the event was held in Jekyll Island, GA, there was a wide range of field trips and workshops that you could sign up for in the surrounding island and refuges. These workshops and field trips allowed the participants to experience a wide range of Coastal Georgia. Workshops such as "Starry Landscapes and Sunrises" w/ Mark Buckler, "Selling Your Work Profitably" w/ Jane Neville, "Coposition and Design" w/ Kathryn Kolb, "Macro Photography" w/ David Foster and Larry Winslett, "In the Field" w/ Chas Glatzer who is a Canon "Explorer of Light", "Photoshop Intermediate" w/ John Mariana, "Seeing the Light" w/ John Mariana. The workshops helped the particpants learn new photography skills and/or improve them. As you can see, some big name photographers were just mentioned who came in to lead these workshops. These are Rock Stars in the nature photography world.
The field trips were offered to give the participants a chance to see, experience, and photograph a wide range of Coastal Georgia and to put thier new skills to practice that they may have learned in the workshops. Field Trips included "Sunrise on the Beach" w/ John Mariana, "Altamaha Wildlife Management Area" w/ Robert Smith, "Harris Neck Natioinal Wildlife Refuge" w/ Lesley Fields-Merrill, "St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park", "Refining Your Vision" w/ Kathryn Kolb, "Okefenokee Swamp, Sunset Cruise, and Wildlife Walk" w/ Eric Bowles, "Macro and Close-Up on the Beach" w/ Larry Winslett, "Saint Simon Island" w/ Jillisa Hope Milner and Georgia Walters, "Jekyll Point Sunrises and Shorebirds" w/ Eric Bowles, "A Walk on the Beach" w/ Kris Williams and Breanna Ondich and "Cumberland Island National Seashore" w/ Jamie Anderson (ME! also top left below) and Kris Williams. So as you can see a wide range of ocean and beach, wildlife refuges, swamps, and historic coastal towns were explored and photographed.
One of the workshops that I was able to attend was the "Starry Landscapes and Sunrises" w/ Mark Buckler. We were very fortunate, both for the amazing experience and talent that Mark Bucker shared with us, but also for the weather and some of the images that we were able to get that weekend. This opened up a whole new genra and oppurtunity for me as a photographer. Here's a couple of the photos that I took that I'm sure will end up on my website. Look for a new category called "Coastal Night Photography".
The field trip to Cumberland Island, GA, which I lead with Kris Williams, was also a very exciting trip with many photographic opportunities. We had 25 other photographers in our group who hiked the 3 mile trip around the south end of the island. This gave us all a wide range of what this island has to offer in terms of history, ecology, and wildlife (most noteably the wild horses). Here's a few pics that I took:
Did I mention that I really like (Love!) Cumberland Island, GA! There were also some great early morning field trips down on the beach on Jekyll Island and I was able to attend some of them. "Sunrise on the Beach" w/ John Mariana, "Jekyll Point Sunrises and Shorebirds" w/ Eric Bowles, and "A Walk on the Beach" w/ Kris Williams and Breanna Ondich to name a few. Hey, these field trips were awesome opportunities for sunrise photography, another thing I love to do in Coastal Georgia!
Key Takeaway: Don't hesitate to get involved in photography and/or art associations. Sharing information with like minded individuals can only help you improve your artwork. And, if you live in Georgia, the Georgia Nature Photographers Association (www.GNPA.org) is a great place to start!
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To use this feature, Just look for the "Live Preview AR" button when viewing any piece of art on this website!