Photo Program

INFORMATION PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

Please be informed that it’s MANDATORY to register for our Photo Workshops. Send us an email or call us to register.

During our workshops, we will teach you a number of aspects relating to photography including the following: use of manual settings, dealing with shifting light in an uncontrolled environment, working fast with unpredictable subjects, using simple field techniques in natural and urban settings.

We’ll encourage shooting “outside the box”, being creative and thinking differently.

Handouts will be provided for most of the workshops.

A follow-up critique through email by Nina will be provided after each workshop.

In summary, we will help you to become a better photographic artist.

Equipment you will need for these workshops:

  • Any digital camera/DSLR camera with a telephoto and a wide-angle lens, or zoom lens equivalent. Also, photo enthusiasts with smaller cameras, mirror-less, non-DSLRs, point & shoot/Bridge Cameras will also benefit from our workshops.
  • Tripod or some sort of camera support, especially for night/indoor photography.
  • Cable release or remote control, especially for night/indoor photography.
  • A pop-up or external flash will come in handy
  • Rain protection for the camera

2024 Tours & Workshops

Do you want a Local private or semi-private photo session? Not a problem at all and we’ll gladly arrange that for you. Topics can be anything from landscape to wildlife, including safari parks like Parc Omega in Quebec. A private session for photography is $150, HST included and lasts for 2-3 hours depending on topic.

A full day private photo outing to for example to Amherst Island or Algonquin Park is $300 per person per day, DVP/ferry, accommodation, transportation and food not included. NOTE: if your session can take 3 participants (you included), the price will be cheaper. We might be able to find a person or two to join your photo outing. Contact us for more info.

An indoor private session, for example, a portrait session with the use of lamps and backdrops is $300, HST included. 

Transport, food, accommodation, park entrance fees etc are not included in the price. Contact us at [email protected] for any inquiries, questions or bookings.

We’ll encourage shooting “outside the box”, being creative and thinking differently.

Handouts will be provided for most of the workshops.

A follow-up critique through email by Nina will be provided after each workshop.

In summary, we will help you to become a better photographic artist.

Upon request: Zoom photo editing sessions

Time: We agree to a date & time that suits us both – $85.00 per person HST incl.

Contact Nina at [email protected] to set up a date & time for a two hour long Zoom photo editing session. Nina will have prepared a session uniquely tailored to your needs and will demonstrate in a one-on-one setting how to professionally make an edit to an image – this can be wildlife, pets, people, landscapes etc. The session will be recorded and the student will have access to the recording for two weeks to maximize the training. The student will need Adobe CC with Bridge, Camera Raw and Photoshop. We also recommend getting the NIK Collection Plug-in for more creative editing. For any questions, please contact us.

Saturday Feb 24: Amherst Island – FULL DAY

Time: 5:45 am to 7-8 pm – Meet at the Hwy 416 & Bankfield Park-n-Ride – https://goo.gl/maps/2cPiYGvtgGP7TVRn9 – $135.00 per person HST incl.

This trip will be ideal for photographers as well as birders. Most winters Amherst Island is a haven for overwintering raptors. Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, American Kestrels, Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks can be common. Snowy and Short-eared Owls are usually present in the open fields of the island. All these different birds of prey visit here in winter to take advantage of the abundant Meadow Vole population. The open spaces sprinkled with small, sheltered woodlots make this area ideal for predators that hunt for small mammals & birds. The surrounding waters also attract good numbers of waterfowl like Redhead and Long-tailed Duck. With luck, we might find 3 species of swan. There are usually other birds of interest as well, including Northern Shrike, Ring-necked Pheasant, Red-bellied Woodpecker or any number of unusual species. If necessary, we will split the group into two where one group hikes into the famous “Owl Woods” while the rest continue along backroads looking for open-country raptors. To maximize photo opportunities, we’ll focus on cooperative wildlife and scenery while avoiding anything at a distance (too far for the camera). Option: Sleep over in Kingston and meet us at the ferry dock in the morning. Registration is to [email protected]

Friday March 1st ~ Winter Photo Adventure to Parc Omega

Time: 8:30 am to 4-5 pm – Meet at Coliseum Theatre (Cineplex Cinema) – 3090 Carling Ave: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mGrETi6d4YYk2P2W9 – $90.00 per person HST incl.

Parc Omega is a perfect place to practice wildlife photography while enhancing our compositional and technical skills. We will cover topics like camera operation, interpreting natural light and composing images, especially with wildlife as the main subject. Winter photography presents many challenges. We’ll teach how to overcome them with the prime objective of creating many awesome images of the various tame animals in the park. Much of the day will be in a vehicle. With open windows, we will take photos of animals while driving the road loops through the park. However, if the weather cooperates, we will spend time walking around the various outdoor facilities like the Wolf Pen, Trading Post and Visitors Centre. A telephoto lens and a wide angle lens are recommended for today. Not included in the price: park entrance fee, transportation, refreshments, carrots for the animals. Let us know if you need help booking your park entrance ticket. Please chip in on gas to the person you’re driving with. This workshop will be cancelled/postponed if we encounter bad weather like an ice or snowstorm. However, if only light snow fall, we will go ahead as planned. Any changes to the time and date of the workshop will be announced per email to registered participants. CONTACT US FOR REGISTRATION AT [email protected]

Sat/Sun March 9-10: OVERNIGHT EXCURSION to Algonquin Park

Time: 6 am – Meet at Coliseum Theatre (Cineplex Cinema) – 3090 Carling Ave: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mGrETi6d4YYk2P2W9 – $260.00 per person HST incl.

Algonquin Park is famous for its extensive northern forest habitats. Its large stands of spruce and pine often attract a variety of finches and raptors. It also harbors several northern residents that are considered rare on the rest of the continent. While in the park, we’ll look for Spruce Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Gray Jays, Red Crossbill, Pine Grosbeak, Pine Siskin, Evening Grosbeak and Black-backed Woodpecker. With luck, we might encounter Boreal Chickadee, White-winged Crossbill, Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Golden Eagle, or American Goshawk. Besides the birds, we might come across some unusual mammals including North American Beaver, Moose, American Marten, Fisher, or Eastern (Red) Wolf. A mixture of frozen lakes, bogs, boreal and hardwood forests, this is Ontario’s most accessible northern wilderness. From our starting point in Ottawa, we head straight for the park, spending a few hours exploring the east side before we have lunch somewhere in the park. In late afternoon, we check into our accommodations (note: you have to book your own accommodation in Whitney) just outside the East Gate. We will have a relatively early dinner. If conditions warrant, we’ll head back into the park for dusk where we’ll listen for owls and maybe even wolves. The following morning, we go into the park immediately after breakfast. We will spend the entire day there, hiking some of the leisurely trails through northern forests. Depending on wildlife activity, we plan to leave around 3:00 or 4:00pm. We should be back in Ottawa before 8:00pm on March 10th. Registration is to [email protected]

Please join our “Photo & Birding Club” on Facebook: Always An Adventure Inc Photo & Birding Club!
Contact us for more information at [email protected]

Field Trip Guidelines & Useful Info:

  • Note that customers of Always an Adventure Inc. are responsible for making their own arrangements for accommodation, transportation and payments for such arrangements is at their own expense.
  • Transportation will be by personal vehicle. Due to Covid, we do not encourage carpooling.
  • All transportation costs, ferry costs, park fees, food, accommodation and refreshments are not included in the price.
  • During times of hot weather, insect repellent and sunscreen lotion come in handy.
  • It’s mandatory to register for our photo workshops. Register by email
  • Payment is by cheque, PayPal or e-Transfer. Make cheque payable to “Always An Adventure Inc” and contact us for payment by PayPal. We prefer payments by eTransfer.
  • Always An Adventure Inc. is not to be held liable for any unforeseen circumstances that might arise during workshops and all participants must sign a liability, damage and injury release waiver.
  • Always An Adventure Inc. expects all participants to follow local Covid guidelines at all times.
  • participants must accept and sign the Always An Adventure Inc. trip waiver to join our overnight trips

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