Woodstock

I spent the other morning enthralled in a program titled ““Woodstock: Three Days that Defined a Generation”. The story of Woodstock was told through personal accounts and flashbacks. For those of you that are unfamiliar with Woodstock, it was a famous music festival held in upstate New York back in August of 1969. This peaceful gathering, bragged over a half a million strong; it was a true American experience to be remembered and celebrated. Even with the passing of the 50th Anniversary, folks are still passionate about their recollections. This immense gathering lasted for three solid days and to my knowledge has never been recreated in such a way.

Woodstock came at a time when the country was in turmoil with generations divided. War in Vietnam was tearing families apart as not everyone believed in free love and hippie power. Even so, their overwhelming message of peace. love and harmony shined through rain, hunger and some adverse conditions. The venue location was in no way prepared or equipped to accommodate the masses that flocked to the small dairy farm known as Yasgur's Farm in Bethel NY.

Helicopters were used to bring in musicians, as the roads were backed up with cars and eventually became one giant parking lot. But musicians were not the only thing that was brought in by air. Forty five doctors came without pay from the US Army to care for everyone from rat bites to overdoses—BTW there was only one death from overdose. This is remarkable given the amount of people in attendance and the drugs that were available. There were “freak out tents” that were erected along the perimeters of the festival for folks having a bad trip.

Food was collected and brought in by the entire Bethel community. Neighbors and organizations like Hog Farm worked tirelessly to feed festival goers. People were coming together - sharing everything- peace and love had surely been found.

I was too young to have attended this event but I enjoyed the aftermath of music left behind. I envy those of you that attended. If you were one of the lucky ones, please share your thoughts here. Thanks.

Two Canadians-Eh!

Laurie Thomson

Image copyright Laurie Thomson - “Early Morning Run”

Two years ago Laurie Thomson attended one of my Camargue/Provence workshops. I am delighted to announce that her high-key capture titled “Early Morning Run” won an honorable mention in a CAPA competition in Canada this May . It was an annual individual competition with the topic reflections. HERE IS THE LINK..

Laurie has been on several of my workshops and tours. Her fun spirit keeps everyone on their toes. Laurie is an exceptional horse photographer and enjoys her time with her camera, travelling the world in search of that special shot.

On Laurie’s website (link below) she displays her prints in a variety of tastefully decorated rooms and the prints on the walls are hers! Very clever and creative!

Laurie’s website

---

Focus On Frogs

An Illustrated Guide to Great Frog Photography

by Andrew McLachlan

Focus on Frogs is a comprehensive guide to photographing frogs and toads. In the wild; in the tropics; in home-made terrariums; and at set-ups. Andrew covers it all: camera systems, bodies, and lenses (of all focal lengths!), the use of polarizers and graduated ND filters, how to dress for frog photography, the essentials accessories that will save you time and money, the use of flash, keeping you and your gear safe, in-the-field tips and techniques, finding the best perspective, Photoshop tips and techniques, frog conservation concerns, all aspects of froggy habitats, getting the right exposure, frog biology and behavior, creating attractive set-ups, over-under frog photography, and artistic renderings. The book ends with a spectacular Webfoot Gallery to inspire you. This eBook contains 246 pages and approximately 250 photographs and is available for $50.00.

UK Puffins & Gannets 2020 Photo Workshop-Announced!

UK Puffins & Gannets Photo Adventure with Denise Ippolito
June 26- July 3rd, 2020: $4999, 7 nights. Limit 8 photographers

This UK trip offers unparalleled opportunities to photograph Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Razorbill, Shag, and Gannet. As well as Arctic, Sandwich, and Common Terns. On one of the islands that we stop at Arctic Tern chicks line the pathway. Black-headed, Lesser-Black-backed, and Herring Gulls are constantly harassing the Puffins trying to grab their fish that they bring in by the mouthfuls. This makes for some great photography. But don't worry the Puffins are quick to slide into their burrows.

Itinerary
During this photo adventure we will have 5 scheduled Puffin landings at two of the Farne Islands. We also have one Bass Rock Landing scheduled. Bass Rock is one of the world's largest gannet colonies with over 150,000 gannets at peak season. To land on "The Rock" is truly a special event. You will have the opportunity to walk through the colony and see the interaction at point blank range. These large seabirds will most likely be on eggs during this time. There will be many different types of behavior to capture including; mating, squabbling, landing with nesting material, nest care, eggs being warmed by their feet, sky pointing and more... We will be briefed by one of the Bass Rock caregivers before landing and they will be there to assist us while we are there. Please keep in mind this landing is weather permitting and the boat captain will have the final say as to whether or not the boat will sail on the scheduled day. Participants wishing to sign up must be in good physical condition -able to climb a flight of stairs.

There is a beautiful castle nearby and we will go there one evening after dinner to capture a sunset shot of the castle from one of my favorite spots. We may also visit a second castle if the schedule permits.

Details
Fly into Edinburgh International Airport (EDI) on the first morning of your trip on June 26th. I will meet you at the airport and we will drive to our cottages from there. Group meeting time will be in the detailed PDF file so be sure to book your flights accordingly. In the PDF I will also go over gear selection, clothing selection as well as electrical outlets, currency and much, much more...

We will be staying in upscale country cottages that are lovely with beautiful views of the countryside and sea. The cottages boast a large living area and lots of open space for informal image sharing and Photoshop sessions. The shared rooms are nice-sized, each with a private bathroom. There are also two laundry rooms, so no need to bring loads of clothes! Single supplements are limited, please inquire within.

All ground transportation including a group transfer to and from the airport is included. All boat fees, national trust fees, and permits are included in the price.

All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included. All boat lunches will need to be prepared by you in advance, taken with, and consumed at your leisure. I usually eat mine on the short boat trip from one island to the other. There will be at least one or two nights of take out and one fish and chips dinner. All other dinners will be at local restaurants. Desserts and all beverages as well as all snacks are not included.

Deposit Info
A non-refundable $2,000 per person deposit is required to save a spot. Please be sure to check your schedule carefully before committing to the trip and see the travel insurance info below. Your balance will be due on January 9, 2020. Please make all checks payable to “Denise Ippolito LLC”. Overseas folks can pay their balances via wire transfer; the registrant is responsible for the fees on both ends. If I do not receive your check for the balance on or before the due date above I will try to fill your spot from the waiting list. If your spot is filled, you will lose your deposit. If not, you can secure your spot by paying your balance. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Travel Insurance
Travel insurance for big international trips is highly recommended as we never know what life has in store for us. I strongly recommend that you purchase quality insurance. Travel Insurance Services offers a variety of plans and options.

*All scheduled landings are weather permitting.
*Do not purchase your airfare until the trip is a go, each trip needs a minimum of 5 people.

TO SIGN UP CLICK HERE.

Midway Atoll

Midway Atoll is a 2.4-square-mile atoll in the North Pacific Ocean between North America and Asia. It is an unincorporated territory of the United States and is now referred to as a National Wildlife Refuge. There is a fascinating history attached to Midway, I suggest looking into it. Midway is also home to the largest breeding colony of Laysan Albatross and at one time photo groups were allowed there. I was on one of those scheduled groups, however while I was on a ship in the Southern Oceans, I got word that the government shut Midway down— it has not reopened.

The “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” is a massive floating island of plastic, now 3 times the size of France. It is located between Hawaii and California. A bulk of that plastic washes up on Midway; the birds then ingest it and are dying from it.

If the thought of that plastic makes you sick, then the mouse problem on Midway will gross you out. Biologists and volunteers have discovered (in 2015) that house mice are attacking and killing Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses on the atoll.

I first learned about how mice jump onto or burrow into the heads of albatross and literally eat them alive, after talking to a seasoned ornithologist. He said when mice are on their heads they are helpless as they can’t get them off, the birds have no defense. The mice also attack their chicks right in front of them, they don’t know what to do—they just watch. To say that I was shocked was an understatement. It hit me hard and stayed with me. But never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that the albatross on Midway would fall victim to this!

It has gotten so bad that the Washington Post wrote an article on the deadly rampage. The images and videos online are gruesome. This page shows a lot of the carnage and is very graphic-so don’t click on it if you are not willing to see it. Nat Geo has an article HERE. Midway has their own page that describes in detail the US Government’s plan for eradication. Talk about paradise gone wrong… ugh.

I recently read a short article by Frans Lanting on Facebook, special thanks to both Frans and Chris Eckstrom for alerting me to this mouse problem and supporting the eradication efforts. If you would like to get involved please visit their site HERE. Please share.

Girls Who Click

Yesterday I presented a program to 16 young girls through the Girls Who Click organization along with Ashleigh Scully. Ashleigh is 17 years old and did a great job with her presentation, she also assisted everyone in the field. Aside from being very talented, Ashleigh is also a really sweet young woman. Thanks also to my friend Jim Fennessy for coming along and offering his assistance to the girls.

The workshop was held at the Raptor Trust in Millington, NJ. The Girls Who Click offers free programs for young teen girls around the country and are mentored by more established female photographers. Their vision statement: Girls Who Click is empowering teen girls to enter the male-dominated field of nature photography and use their work to further conservation efforts around the world. If you would like to get involved with this on either end, please visit their website.

Despite being 89 degrees and humid we all had a great day with the birds. The Raptor Trust offers all kinds of educational programs on their website HERE and all are encourage to visit and support their efforts.

The young girl above is Guinevere, she is the granddaughter of one of my clients-that is how she heard about the program. In the image above, she is viewing her camera screen and evaluating the histogram before taking another shot. Her pictures were sharp and well exposed, I think her knowledgeable grandmother may have had something to do with that!! Thanks again Deb for sending the pictures and coming out!!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize