Hello There! This past month, I was able to revisit Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) with the Georgia Nature Photographers Association. Harris Neck NWR is a wildlife refuge that sits upon an old WWII airfield that was used for training pilots. In 1962 the US Wildlife Service established the refuge since the airfield was closed after the war. Currently, the refuge boasts a sizeable 2,824 acres of property and is home to the largest woodstork rookery in Georgia.

Today, I would be shooting with friends from the Georgia Nature Photographers Association's (GNPA) Coastal Division. There are alot of benefits with shooting with a group of like minded nature photography enthusiasts and professionals. #1, a group such as the GNPA will help you stay motivated to get out there and keep shooting and keep working to improve your craft. #2, you are able to share both photography tips and explore new locations when shooting with a group of like minded photographers. #3, our group has frequently brought in professionals to our monthly meetings to discuss and share thier photography work and provide tips and advice. I would highly recomend joining a nature photography association in your area if you enjoy nature photography either as a hobby or as a professional and actively participate in it.

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox about the GNPA now. Back to Harris Neck NWR... I enjoy doing some very early morning photography, so I got up and drove down to Harris Neck NWR before daybreak. My plan was to get to the boat ramp behind Harris Neck NWR. It is called the Harris Neck Creek boat ramp, but it is actually along the Barbour River. Here's one of the brilliant daybreak photos that I took:

For this type of daybreak image with very little clouds, you have to be ready at the exact time the sun peaks at the horizon. It is always an amazing experience to witness it. The horizon grows brighter and brighter just before daybreak untill the magnificent sun shines forth. Also, for this type of image, in order to bring out the foreground, I shoot several images at different exposures and then use some high dynamic range post processing. Otherwise, all of the foreground turns into a dark sillouette (which is OK if that is the look that you are going for).

After finally meeting up with the GNPA Coastal members (I think we had a group of at least six that day), we headed out into the wildlife refuge. There is a drive through there and plenty of places to stop and get out to explore and shoot wildlife. Here's a couple of my favorites for the day:

KEY Takeaway: Don't rule out the advantages of shooting photography with a group of like minded enthusiasts and professionals and be willing to get out there early or stay late. The best sunlight usually comes in the first couple of hours of daylight or the last couple of hours before sundown. 

So what's your opinion? Do you like to shoot with a group and shoot alone. What has been your experience?  CLICK HERE to leave comments and I will add them below later.