Bird Blast-offs

Years ago I saw a softly blurred image of a flower blowing in the wind. It inspired me to seek out the method in which I could create that kind of art from my camera. I had no idea how to do it but it soon became something that I was determined to teach myself. And I did. I worked hard and just when I thought I had done everything I could, I found that there was even more to explore with this blurring technique. I was hooked!

Bird blast-offs were one of the things that intrigued me about blurs. I experimented with just about everything, moving the camera, holding it still, slowing down my shutter speed to ridiculous speeds, you name it.  I listened to naysayers; I heard just about every negative comment out there. But that just made me even more hooked! I don’t like when others try to infuse their thoughts into mine--that is not what I am trying to do with my art. I want my images to reflect my own personal style.

To this day, even after writing two eBooks on creating blur images in-camera; I am still experimenting every single time I am in the field. I enjoy the challenge of not knowing exactly what I will come up with. It is potluck most of the time but when you get that one that stands out or makes your heart sing—you are hooked.
Join the experiment- Learn some of my techniques to get you started on your own journey. My newest eBook “A Guide to Creative Blurs”, available only through A Creative Adventure has all of my latest tips for capturing and processing pleasingly blurred images.

Catherine d’Alessio

From Catherine:

My Highly Honored African Wildlife picture of the Zebras in the Nature’s Best Exhibit in the Smithsonian this year was taken on Denise’s fabulous Namibian Trip in 2017.

I first met Catherine d’Alessio and her husband Jon on my Namibia trip in 2017. They recently traveled with me again to the UK for Puffins. After my workshop ended, they went on to photograph even more puffins in Iceland. To say that they travel is an understatement! Catherine and Jon focus mainly on photographing wildlife and birds. Jon’s travel blog aptly titled “Where Are They Now” gives a glimpse into their extensive travels- www.wherearetheynow.today

Story of the Shot:

As everyone knows who has been on a photo workshop where Mother Nature is involved, you frequently get thrown a curve ball and that’s what happened on the Namibia Tour in Etosha. Instead of a typically dry spring, there had been unseasonable rains and as a result there were little pools of water throughout the area and no wildlife was to be seen at the waterholes. That’s when Denise and crew went to Plan B and off we went to search them out. We eventually located a bachelor herd of zebra and while watching them I noted one that seemed to go around challenging the others and fighting frequently. I continued to watch him and he came up to another zebra and put his face next to that one and held it for a few seconds then moved away without a fight. It was during that moment that I snapped the picture. I didn’t know for sure if I had captured the moment until I downloaded my pictures.

at The smithsonian

This is a screen shot of Catherine taken from Jon’ s travel blog showing her with her photo at the Smithsonian.

Kenya 2021 Photo Safari Announced!

Kenya, Maasai Mara ~ African Safari
September 21- October 1, 2021/ 10 Nights, $8995.00
Limit: 7 photographers

Join Denise Ippolito and Paul McKenzie in the Mara. We will have a private flight charter so that all of our camera bags can be carried on board. . This photo tour will be an amazing adventure with the very best guides and photographic opportunities.

Unlike many other game parks in Africa and around the world, we do not face restrictions on when we can leave and return to the camp. Even more important is that for the most part, we can drive off-road in the area of the Mara that we are staying in. So we will not have to put up with the excruciating frustration of having to remain on-road when e.g. a Cheetah, Lion or Leopard is in hunting mode far away and we can only see small dots through our longest lenses.

The plan for most mornings is to get up at 5.15-5.30am, have a quick coffee/tea/cookie and then leave the camp by 5.45-6.00am with a packed breakfast and lunch. It is critical that we leave before sunrise to locate the animals that we want to photograph before the sun comes up. Many of the cats are most active in the very early morning. Usually we will try to locate the cats that we have been with the previous evening. Often though, we will chance on wildlife encounters and stick with these. The guides have radios in all the vehicles such that on occasion, we may split up. Our guides are in radio contact with drivers from other camps and lodges. This gives us a good chance to get to wildlife encounters quickly assuming they are occurring near to our existing location.

Vehicles

We will use 3 stretch/modified Toyota Land Cruisers. There will be three rows of seats in each vehicle so that each person has a row to themselves. That way everyone can shoot unencumbered irrespective of what side of the vehicle the action is taking place.

The vehicles are designed so that you can shoot out of the sides or standing, out of the top. The top of the vehicles have two roof hatches which we remove at the start of each day (they rest on the top of the vehicles next to the openings such that they can put back on if it rains or if we need shade.

The side of the vehicles comprise either large roll down windows or roll up, transparent canvass sides. Again, we roll these canvass side up before we go out each day but if it rains, they can quickly be rolled down.

Please be sure to check your calendar carefully and to check out my Workshop Policy Page. Purchasing travel insurance is strongly recommended for all of my tours. *A detailed information sheet will be sent upon sign up. *Single supplement is available for $1200.00 additional.

Deposit Information:
A non-refundable deposit of $3,000 due now to hold your spot. Final payments are due November 30, 2020 via check or wire transfer only, fees on both ends are the responsibility of the participant. Credit cards will not be accepted for any payment other than deposit. Full payments are always welcomed via check or wire transfer . All checks made payable to: Denise Ippolito LLC.

TO SIGN UP FOR THIS WORKSHOP CLICK HERE.

Great Way to Start the Day

I received the email below last week and wanted to share it with everyone. Not so much because of her high praise but because she persevered; she stayed with something and really dug deep and came out a winner. Huge congrats to Carol Shipley!

Denise,

You probably don’t remember me, but I was a participant of your Swan Island Dahlia workshop a couple of years ago. I just wanted to tell you not only how much I enjoyed that time, but also what I LEARNED from that workshop has continued to bless me. I have gone on to score a perfect 15 in my camera club (something that I’ve been striving to do for eleven years.) I did this with a double exposure (which you taught me.) Back to that workshop…I didn’t understand double exposure when you explained it to the entire group. But the next morning I confessed to you that I didn’t understand and you walked around the garden with me for 20 minutes to give me one-on-one until I could do it. I’ll never forget that. Also, on that trip I met a fellow photographer and we have become great friends.

I just wanted you to know how much your blogs mean to me. I feel like I’m going with you on your trips when I read the words. Keep ‘em coming!

Carol Shipley

Carol knocked it out of the park with these images! I love her award winning image above but this pink one directly below—wowza!!!

Image copyright Carol Shipley

Image copyright Carol Shipley

I love sharing images and stories from my clients-if you have won an internationally recognized competition or been published in a magazine with images you captured on one of my workshops/seminar or using one of my techniques and would like me to share your good news, drop me an email-PLEASE DON’T SEND ME A BUNCH OF IMAGES-I will ask for them and let you know the correct sizing if I publish them, thanks.

Saint Paul Island, Alaska - Workshop Announced!

Saint Paul Island - The Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, Alaska, July 23 – 30, 2020

THIS TRIP IS FULL BUT I NOW HAVE A SECOND ONE SCHEDULED FOR 2021

St Paul Island is located in the middle of the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia. It is the largest of the four volcanic islands which make up the Pribilof Islands. It is also a birders paradise boasting over 240 species of birds. Thousands of nesting Horned and Tufted Puffin will be our target subjects for this amazing wildlife adventure, though Blue Fox (an endemic subspecies of Arctic fox) will be high on the list of must see and photograph!

Remote, quiet, natural-- are all words that will come to mind as we explore this out-of-the-way, isolated location. Our time will be spent in the field photographing and enjoying the sights and sounds of the great Alaskan wilderness. This trip is designed for people that love being out in nature and crave alone time with their subjects.

If you love Puffins and want to expand your portfolio to include Tufted and Horned Puffin than this is the spot you need to be. The cliffs are filled with nesting puffins during the summer months. On St. Paul we will have the ability to get close-up and personal for beautiful portrait shots. Flight photography and behavioral shots will be all around us as we sit among these incredible birds.

We will stay at the only hotel on the island and these reservations have been made in advance to assure we have these great dates! Limit 8 photographers.

Price-$5,795.00 all inclusive from Anchorage/including the flight from Anchorage to St. Paul Island, all meals and lodging, all ground transportation.

Dates- July 23-30, 2020, (7 nights)

Single supplements available $900.00

* Price is based on double occupancy

Included

Flights to and from St. Paul Island from Anchorage. All ground transportation,  local guides, accommodations, meals; coffee, tea, soft drinks and water at included meals, Bottled water during sightseeing. Complimentary Internet access and all entrance fees for the St Paul Heritage Museum and The St Peter and Paul Church. Washer/dryer available —though the price of the laundry is not included.

Not Included

Excess baggage charges (each person will be allowed one checked bag up to 50lbs, one carry-on, one personal bag), gratuities to the Tour Director and drivers-approximately $200.00pp . Alcoholic beverages.and personal items.

*A detailed PDF file will be sent upon registration with a full listing of gear recommendations, clothing, etc…

To sign up for this amazing adventure CLICK HERE.

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Species we may see on St. Paul include:

Mammals:

·        Northern Fur Seal

·        Arctic Fox (Blue Subspecies)

·        Reindeer

Birds:

·        Horned Puffin

·        Tufted Puffin

·        Least Auklet

·        Parakeet Auklet

·        Crested Auklet

·        Common Murre

·        Thick-billed Murre

·        Northern Fulmar

·        Glaucous-winged Gull

·        Black-legged Kittiwake

·        Red-legged Kittiwake

·        Red-faced Cormorant

·        Rock Sandpiper

·        Ruddy Turnstone

·        Gray-crowned Rosy Finch

·        Pacific Wren

·        Lapland Longspur

·        Snow Bunting