Cayman Brac 2020

Join yours truly on the Caribbean island of Cayman Brac from February 17 to February 21, 2020 for my second land-based photo tour of this rugged tropical paradise.

I was pleased to have world famous bird photographer Arthur Morris attend my first-ever photo tour on Cayman Brac. What did Arthur have to say about the trip;

“A friend and I had the pleasure of attending Andrew’s Cayman Brac workshop in February 2018. With his extensive local knowledge and local contacts he was able to put us in great position every morning and afternoon. Andrew was great at helping this old man with his gear. And he was punctual and cordial as well as knowledgeable. We made a zillion great images of Brown Boobies doing all sorts of things from flying to courting to copulating to sitting on eggs to tending and feeding chicks sized from tiny ones to big ones. You can see the Brown Booby images by visiting www.BIRDSASART-Blog.com, typing either “Cayman Brac” of “Brown Booby” in the little white box on the trop right of each blog post page, and then hitting the search icon.”

The main objective of this photo tour will be photographing nesting Brown Booby however, epic sunrises looking out over the Caribbean Sea at the base of the 140 foot bluff will not be over-looked, nor will the abstract opportunities inside many of Cayman Brac’s caves. During this time of year it is also possible to photograph numerous species of herons, endangered West Indian Whistling Duck, endangered Cayman Brac Parrot, as well as the critically endangered Cayman Brac Iguana.

During the mid-day hours when conditions are not particularly suitable for land based photography participants can explore the island on their own, grab some rest and relaxation, or accompany me on snorkeling excursions at numerous shore diving sites. These snorkel excursions are a great way to try your hand at underwater photography. I can provide advice on how best to get your gear into the water for those that are interested in this option.

Participants are expected to have a good understanding of their camera system and should be prepared for walking distances at some locations of 1-2 kilometres. While much of the terrain we will be walking over is easy it is important to note that there are other sections where it is uneven due to Cayman Brac’s eroded limestome coast. In some areas the eroded limestone is quite jagged and not for the faint of heart. You are responsible for your own safety at all times. Please do not hesitate to inquire if you have any concerns.

Please note that all fees for this photo tour are indicated in US dollars.

Photo Tour Rate

• $1275.00 US Currency ( a signed waiver of liability form must accompany payment)

Accommodation and meals (aside from the farewell dinner) are not included with this Photo Tour. I will be using the Carib Sands Condominiums as my home base and do recommend that participants book there accommodation there as well, although you are welcome to explore other rental opportunities on the island. With condominium rentals you are also responsible for your own toiletries, etc. Indicated below are the rates for condo rentals through Carib Sands (contact info will be provided to those interested in registering):

• Per night in a one bedroom condo US$200

• Per night in a two bedroom condo US$260

• Per night in a three bedroom condo US$385

Itinerary:

February 17:

6:00 p.m. meet and greet at the Carib Sands Pool

February 18 to 21:

6:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. morning session for sunrise and bird life (various locations depending on weather conditions)

9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. free time or complimentary snorkel excursions

3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. evening session for sunset and bird life (various locations depending on weather conditions)

February 21

Farewell Dinner at 7:00 p.m. (rough time estimate – to be confirmed the day of)

What’s Included:

• In-the-field photographic instruction

• Transportation for photo tour participants during excursions (departing from Carib Sands)

• In-the-field image review

• Farewell dinner on February 21

• Complimentary snorkel excursions for interested attendees

• Free WiFi at Condominium

What’s Not Included:

• All flights to and from Cayman Brac

• Accommodations

• Meals

• Drinks

• Transportation outside of the photo tour excursions (folks attending daily snorkel excursions will be provided transportation based on availability)

• Masks, Fins, and Snorkels

Cayman Brac 2020 is open to a maximum of 4 participants. No minimum number required.

To reserve your spot in this photo tour your payment of $1275.00 USD is due now. At the time of booking a signed waiver form will be required and will be emailed to interested participants so that they can return the signed forms with their cheque made payable to: Andrew McLachlan. Please contact me via email by clicking here to reserve your spot today.

Cancellation Policy (Photo Tour Rate Only):

120 days prior to tour date full refund less cancellation fee of $500 US

Less than 120 days no refund. It is recommended that you purchase trip cancellation insurance.

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Frogs of the World Photographic Workshop Report

Phyllobates terribilis – captive bred

Yesterday, Saturday June 8th Understory Enterprises and yours truly hosted another sold out Frogs of the World Photographic Workshop at the Crinan Community Hall near West Lorne, Ontario. Everybody had a great time and captured many stunning images of the numerous species that were featured. We had two new species to highlight during this recently concluded workshop. An Argentine Horned Frog and a Madagascar Painted Frog.

Madagascar Painted Frog – captive bred

 

Argentine Horned Frog – captive bred

 

Ameerega bassleri – captive bred

 

Fringed Leaf Frog – captive bred

 

Phyllobates terribilis – captive bred

 

Epipedobates anthonyi – captive bred

 

Argentine Horned Frog – captive bred

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Exploring the Sydenham River with the Laowa 12mm Zero D Lens

On my drive home from the recently concluded Bruce Peninsula Photography Workshop I made a brief stop at Inglis Falls Conservation Area. It has been many years since I visited this location. I was also a little disappointed as I personally think the area has suffered some decline due to government cutbacks. Nonetheless, I made my way downstream from the falls to scenic sections of the river that I have long wanted to explore with the Laowa 12mm Zero D Lens.

I carefully made my way out onto to a small 2 foot sized rock mid-stream to first, and foremost, get myself away from distracting shoreline elements and to put the viewer into the river. If you are not accustomed to entering a ragging river I do not encourage trying this. I have been doing so for several decades and always take extra precautions when doing so.

Each of these images were photographed with no filtration. I accidentally forgot to grab my polarizing filter for the Laowa 12mm lens before I made my decent into the river gorge. I was on limited time and figured that the overcast conditions and the fast flow of the river would provide sufficient exposures to achieve the amount of  blur I like. I was not mistaken.

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Bruce Peninsula Workshop Report

Halfway Log Dump on Georgian Bay, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

Earlier this week I held my first-ever Bruce Peninsula Photographic Workshop with fabulous participants in attendance.The Bruce Peninsula is on the Niagara Escarpement, which is designated as a UNESCO World Biosphere.

We began the workshop with a visit to Halfway Log Dump on Georgian Bay and were greeted with a rather pleasant sunrise. The endless cobblestone beach at Halfway Log Dump has always been one of my favourite sights in Ontario.

Our next stop was at Indian Head Cove and the Grotto. The water levels on Georgian Bay are quite high this year and have submerged much of the foreground elements at Indian Head Cove however, there were many stunning vistas to capture, particularly when using wide angle lenses to exaggerate the rugged details along the small cliff face at this location.

Indian Head Cove on Georgian Bay, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

 

 

Indian Head Cove on Georgian Bay, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

As the end of day approached we ventured over to Dorcas Bay / Singing Sands to photograph sunset. Our first sunset opportunity was thwarted by rain, but on the second night we did have glorious conditions for sunset with pastel tones in the western sky and nice clouds to the east.

Dorcas Bay on Lake Huron, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

 

Dorcas Bay on Lake Huron, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

Our second morning outing was cancelled due to heavy rain so we opted sleep in, have breakfast, and hold a Photoshop class until conditions improved to get back outside. After lunch the rain had subsided and our trip to Little Cove was a go. A light fog had developed along the Georgian Bay shoreline which was quite pleasing.

 

Little Cove on Georgian Bay, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

The timing of the Bruce Peninsula Workshop was scheduled to coincide with the newly emerging leaves of the forest trees, which tend to present all shades of green for very pleasing forest imagery as well as intimate photographs of the new growth.

New Growth on Aspen Forest, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

Sadly there are many abandoned homes on the Bruce Peninsula, but some of them make wonderful images, especially for applying creative edits such as I did with Topaz Impression for the abandoned homested below.

Abandoned Homestead on the Bruce Peninsula, Ontario

Our final morning was a return trip to Halfway Log Dump for a second chance at sunrise photography. This morning proved to be a better sunrise than the first morning, hence the reason I do make repeated visits to the same locations for sunrise photography. You will NEVER be presented with the same conditions as you had the day before 🙂

On this morning there was heavy cloud cover, but as the sun rose it found enough of an opening to illuminate the pre-dawn sky. After the sun had risen it was blocked out by much of the cloud cover, however, there were numerous shoreline scenes worthy of photographing and some of them would be prefect for creating black and white conversions.

Halfway Log Dump on Georgian Bay, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

 

Halfway Log Dump on Georgian Bay, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

 

Halfway Log Dump on Georgian Bay, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

 

Halfway Log Dump on Georgian Bay, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario

We will be offering the Bruce Peninsula Photography Workshop again in 2020. To ensure you do not miss out on this opportunity please do send me a note by clicking here to be added to my workshop contact list.

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