A classic Bosque sunrise. I liked this version without the birds better than the one I shot with the birds-go figure!

Bosque Trip Report

December 10, 2019

My time in Bosque del Apache, New Mexico was fantastic! Every year I anxiously anticipate my time in Bosque and this year did not disappoint. I also had a wonderful group. None of them, with the exception of one, had ever been there before. They were like I was on my first visit about 10 years ago; I was amazed at the amount of birds and the quality of light. Every year I come away with images that are unique to that year.

It was nice to meet up with lots of old friends and new acquaintances while I was there. I saw several folks that had signed up for future workshops and it was nice to meet them in person! The refuge is a wonderful place to drive around even if you don’t photograph. Watching the Snow Geese blast off again and again just never gets old.

Temperatures were relatively warm during my stay with only a couple of cold mornings. This was also the first time I ever saw any rain at the refuge. We had one sunny day and the rest were cloudy/partly cloudy. Lots and lots of geese and it appeared that the crane numbers were down. A Bobcat stole the show this year as just about everyone was looking for it and lots of folks got pictures of it.

One of my favorite mornings was the enormous fly-in we had at the crane pool. We arrived early and set up. The sky was dark and we were not expecting any color- and to be honest, I was doubtful we’d see any geese since I kept hearing all this chatter about no birds at Bosque. Well, someone should have given that message to the geese, because as we waited, I heard a huge flock coming over the ridge directly behind us. It sounded like a train coming at us FULL FORCE. After that large group landed, skeins and skeins just kept appearing from out of the clouds. It was magical. And yes, they blasted off all at once…the oohs and aahs from the photographers put a huge smile on my face!

Here are some of my favorites from this trip. I had a large group so I didn’t photograph too much but I did manage to squeeze in a few <wink>. I head home after a final morning shoot with my group. Then home for the holidays with my family—can’t wait!!! Then Death Valley here I come.

I’ll be doing another Bosque del Apache, New Mexico workshop next year (late Novemberish) if anyone would like to get on the interested list jut leave a comment below or email me, thanks.

All Day Event-Save The Date-eh!

December 6, 2019

Registration Opens January 11th, 2020 to the general public

To sign up for this workshop or to learn more about it- CLICK HERE.

B&H PHOTOS

Thank you all for your continued support of my blog and for using my affiliate links. These links, especially my B&H link allow me to continue to bring you up to date information about products and gear. Have a wonderful holiday season, hugs, denise

China Trip Report

December 3, 2019

China

I just returned home from my recently concluded Fujian China trip. Fujian is a coastal province with a long seafaring history. I have always wanted to go to China but never made the time. The tour was nothing like I had expected or even imagined China to be like. For some reason I pictured armed guards and huge crowds that moved like a flowing river. When I first landed it was the usual hustle and bustle that you find at most airports. Customs was a breeze and not one of my bags was ever checked or opened.

I had another wonderful group of photographers on this trip, most of them have traveled with me before and everyone got along really well. Our two bi-lingual guides more than met my expectations. They were attentive, thoughtful and extremely talented; they really went out of their way to make sure that all of our needs were met.

The one thing that stood out to me as odd was that no one spoke English-anywhere! And yes, the Chinese love their tea-not coffee. It is so hard to find good coffee-wait any coffee in the small towns. The big cities all have Starbucks, etc.. but small villages only have tea. We did locate a new fave of mine, a coffee/bakery shop named 85 degrees.

I loved all the fishing villages with the infinite amounts of nets and poles in the water (shown below). I could have spent the entire time photographing just the repeating lines. At each and every stop we had lots of chances to photograph models in different costumes and outfits as shown in some of the images above. Our guides worked tirelessly to ensure that we got the photos we wanted.

On one of our days we visited an incense factory. We were allowed inside to photograph the workers, as they applied the die to the incense sticks (they were actual workers--not paid models). It was fascinating to watch and photograph the tossing of the die. We had so much freedom to walk around. I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I am. It is such hard work and it can’t be good to breathe that incense dust in on a daily basis, year after year. My favorite (processed) images from those two shoots.

Tianluokeng Tulou Cluster

On one of our last days, we visited this UNESCO World Heritage Site-shown on the left at sundown. The Fujian landmark is comprised of 5 clay buildings, with a square Tulou at the center which is surrounded by 4 circular Tulous.

All of our hotel accommodations were very nice, some even exceptional. But the one I liked best was a family owned B&B style hotel, located inside of a small village. It was very clean and comfortable. The food was great and the people were friendly. It felt like we stepped back in time. After breakfast on our last morning we walked the quaint village-it was a perfect ending to a fabulous trip. I will miss my time in China and I am already putting together a return visit in April-May of 2021, I’ll post the exact dates and itinerary as soon as I get them.

Puffins, Puffins and more Puffins!

November 16, 2019

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

Join multiple award winning photographer Denise Ippolito for what will be an amazing Puffin extravaganza! If you love these colorful billed birds and the elegant look of Gannets, this trip is for you. It is on of my favorite trips that I offer every year. I enjoy the seaside village and cottages. The restaurants and of course the photography. Who wouldn’t want to be within feet of a Puffin or Gannet. This trip is usually booked up by this time but this year I have some openings. The cut-off date for signing up for this trip will be Dec. 15th.

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.

To sign up CLICK HERE.

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.

Included: 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. There is a washer and dryer in the cottage.

Not included: Flights to and from EDI. personal items, laundry detergent, desserts and all beverages (except for bottled water) as well as all snacks are not included.

Deposit Info
A non-refundable $2,000 per person payment 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 February 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.

The Power of Suggestion

November 13, 2019

The power of suggestion is real and can be an influential factor in how we perceive things, especially our photographs. When someone plants a seed, good or bad, we often subliminally respond to that suggestion.

If you post an image online and the first response or reaction is that it is a bit dark; in some ways that can influence other people’s thoughts about the image. I was a moderator on an online photography forum for years and I saw this happening all the time.

In many ways I feel the same is true when we head out into the field to photograph something. The people we are photographing with can influence our photography. This can be a plus or minus.

All of the iconic shots, have been interpreted by other photographers, making it hard for someone to see these with truly fresh eyes. When visiting these locations, we are influenced to some degree by what others have presented. So for me, if I am planning a trip somewhere iconic, I try really hard to avoid looking at images from that location before going. With social media and the internet this is hard to do as we are all curious and as photographers we enjoy seeing how others view different scenes and situations. I am not saying that I avoid all images created by others-I am simply trying to free my mind of other’s viewpoints before going to that specific location.

When no one else is around and we have no preconceived ideas about what we are viewing— this is when we are forming our very own thoughts. Thoughts that are free from the power of suggestion, free from other ideas of how it could or should be presented.