Welcome to the home of Gerlach Nature Photography!!
with John Gerlach and Dixie Calderone
johngerlachphotography@gmail.com 812 - 350-0799
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To become an expert at bird photography and photograph some gorgeous birds you have never seen before, join us in Texas! The workshops are limited to only ten and 2022 is almost sold out, so contact Dixie now at (812) 350-0799! The bird photography at the Laguna Seca Ranch is out of this world!!!!!!
Detailed brochures are available on this page by clicking on the appropriate Brochure button. Call Dixie directly at (812) 350-0799 to enroll.
John has been using his first mirrorless camera - the Canon R5 since October of 2020! It is fabulous! In 45 years of professional photography, the Canon R5 along with the new RF lenses are the best photo gear I have ever had! Never did I think cameras would let me so easily capture the images I seek.
We had to cancel the 2021 hummingbird photo workshops due to the border being closed from the Covid threat. Things now look like Covid will be less of a threat going forward and we fully expect to run all of our workshops from now on. We have a couple spots remaining in each of our 2022 hummingbird workshops now, so grab them while they are available. And judging by all the folks enrolling in our workshops, many others feel the same way. If you wish to join us in the next two years, enroll now. All of our upcoming workshops scheduled for 2021 and 2022 are listed below. We are planning to add some new offerings and will let everyone know through our free newsletter when a new program is ready to promote. Subscribe to our newsletter and you will be among the first to learn of our new classes.
We look forward to being with you and teaching you a whole lot about photography this year!!!!!
John & Dixie
WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS
Grand Tetons National Wildlife and Landscape Photo Workshop
Nov. 28 - Dec. 4 * Dec. 5 - 11 * Dec. 12 - 18, 2021
The rugged Grand Tetons tower above the forests, lakes, and rivers. This workshop is timed to coincide with superb winter scenes of the Grand Tetons and lots of wildlife. Moose and bighorn sheep are especially likely to be photographed.
Limit of 8 Participants
Your hotel room, all meals, and transportation are included in the tuition!
Yellowstone National Park
Jan. 23 - 29, 2022
Jan. 30 - Feb. 5, 2022
John began leading photo tours during Yellowstone's quiet winter season during 1991. Learn to make superb landscape and wildlife images amid the snow in the best places found in Yellowstone. We spend five full days photographing the interior of the park. Selecting photo destinations to fit the prevailing weather is crucial for success! We are experts at doing that.
Birds and Landscapes of Arizona
Feb. 12 - 18, 2022
Spend 3 full days photographing the wildlife at the Desert Photo Retreat just north of Tucson, plus birds at local hotspots on other days. And photograph the giant saguaro landscapes around Tucson. Limited to only 4 participants
Birds of South Texas Photography Workshops
March 1 - 6, 2022
March 6-8, 2022 Whooping Crane Extension
April 16 - 21, 2022 (We know this weekend falls on Easter, but it is a super fabulous time to photograph the birds at the ranch!)
Photograph the unique birds of South Texas at the Laguna Seca Wildlife Photographers Ranch
Green jays, Long-billed Thrashers, Crested Caracaras, and many more are attracted to the permanent blinds with small ponds.
Hummingbirds at the Bull River Guest Ranch
British Columbia
May 15 - 21, 2022
May 22 - 28, 2022
May 29 - June 4, 2022
Learn to photograph hummingbirds with multiple flash and natural light. The swarms of hummingbirds let you shoot 20,000 images or more. It is incredible!!!!
Floating Blind, Yellowstone Landscapes and Wildlife, Macro Photo Workshop
July 10 - 16, 2022
July 17 - 23, 2022
July 24 - 30, 2022
Join us for an intensive week of wildlife photography in Yellowstone and in our floating blinds, plus learn landscape and close-up photography.
only 3 participants
Grand Tetons Autumn Color Photo Workshop
Sept. 24 - 30, 2022
The rugged Grand Tetons tower above the forests, lakes, and rivers. This workshop is timed to coincide with superb autumn colors and wildlife activity. The Tetons are a landscape and wildlife photographers dream.
Northern Michigan Autumn Color Photo Workshop
Oct. 3 - 9, 2022
October 10 - 16, 2022
We will take you to magnificent landscape spots that are ideal for the prevailing weather conditions. The colorful reflections in the many lakes there and the Lake Superior vistas offer splendid photo opportunities.
Great Smoky Mountains Autumn Photo Workshop
Oct. 22 - 28 or Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, 2022
Explore and photograph the Great Smoky Mountains while enjoying the stunning autumn colors. This workshop is perfect for landscape photographers who wish to be inspired by beautiful scenes and learn cutting-edge landscape photography techniques. The mountain vistas and wonderful streams are a delight to photograph.
Grand Tetons National Wildlife and Landscape Photo Workshop
Nov. 27 - Dec. 3 * Dec. 4 - 10 * Dec. 11 - 17, 2022
The rugged Grand Tetons tower above the forests, lakes, and rivers. This workshop is timed to coincide with superb winter scenes of the Grand Tetons and lots of wildlife. Moose and bighorn sheep are especially likely to be photographed.
Your hotel room, all meals, and transportation are included in the tuition!
Instructional Photo Articles
The Birds of South Texas
We enjoy warmer temperatures in March and April and love photographing birds. Photographing birds in south Texas is wonderful. The birds are colorful, varied, and unusual to us as many species barely make it across the border with Mexico here. This is a pyrrhuloxia and our article describes some of the birds we photograph along with some key photo techniques we find effective. Please join us on a photo workshop down here! The photography at the ranches is incredible!
Shoot Sharp Wildlife Photos
I have had many questions about how I make such sharp images of wildlife. So, I starting writing about this topic and it grew and grew and grew. I cover 25 key points that cover the things I do that make it so easy to capture sharp wildlife images consistently. The focus of this article is on wildlife, and I realize I will need to write a similar article about how I shoot sharp close-up and landscape images as many of my techniques are different for those subjects. Enjoy the article and may your wildlife images sharpen up considerably.
Exposure Methods we are Using Now
Our exposure methods have changed over the years and they continually to change a little as new exposure aids are added to cameras. No doubt our methods will continue to evolve over time. This detailed article describes what we do as of March 2021. It is fast and delivers well- exposed images consistently that you see here on this site.
AF Microadjust your Camera and Lens
Learn how we adjust the autofocus on our Nikon and Canon DSLRs. By using the AF microadjustment tools in our cameras, we make sure our autofocus is right where it should be. To eliminate variables like wind and mirror slap that contribute to less sharp images, we light the focus target with flash set to 1/8 power to use the short flash duration to negate image-softening factors so we can precisely check autofocus accuracy and make it accurate if it is off. This is a crucial step for DSLRs!
Telephoto Lens Options for Wildlife
Photography
One way or another, you need a long lens to photograph most wildlife well. This article explains the many choices you have to get the magnification you need!
Floating Blind Wildlife Photography
I have used a floating blind to closely approach wildlife living on the water or along the shoreline for more than 20 years. It is tremendously easy to do, super fun, and relaxing. Read this article to learn all about it. For the first time, we are offering a floating blind workshop at our Idaho home for three lucky participants.
Get more reach for wildlife with a Teleconverter or In-camera crop, or Both?
Since getting the new Canon R5 in Nov of 2020, I shot over 100,000 wildlife images by May of 2021. This article explains what you must do for best quality.
Use Dripping Water to Photograph Birds
I suspended a tiny tube to drip water in a natural rock cavity in the aspen forest near my home. I hoped it might draw some birds to within camera range. Little did I know how well it would work during the autumn migration. Since early August, migrating birds flock to it and provide terrific photo opportunities. I suspect this technique will work for you too!
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Exposure Mode Options we Prefer
We use manual exposure and Auto ISO most of the time. But, for those who have trouble with manual exposure or prefer to always use an automatic exposure mode, aperture-priority does work well in certain situations. This article covers the when and how of our exposure mode options.
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