Wildlife Photography workshop - regular sessions

WHY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP?

Wildlife photography as a career used to sound like a dream a couple of years back. Lucky had been those who could persuade their profession and passion simultaneously. For most, wildlife and wildlife photography remained as a childhood passion and one amongst the many lost dreams condemned by our professional pursuits.

Today more and more people have started thinking differently; many have started taking serious interest in learning photography and adopting wildlife photography as a full time carrier. In this market driven economy, today, we can see endless opportunities for a wildlife photographer from print media to graphic designing, from exhibitions to stock photography, from travels and tours to organized wildlife camps, from organized field trips to sponsored projects – options are too many.

However, building a career in wildlife photography definitely demands the photographs to stand amongst thousands and hand holding and personalized knowledge sharing helps one to improvise and excel – and hence Wildlife photography workshop.

WHY DR CAESAR PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP?

In the country, there are maestros in wildlife photography who have taken Indian wildlife photographers to an international platform. These masters are making their best efforts to disseminate knowledge amongst the new comers. Many wildlife photography workshops are being conducted in the country but this is still focal in some major cities, viz. Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. Charges for such workshops range from Rs 4000 to Rs 10,000 because it involves hiring experts for lectures, hiring costly gadgets and infrastructure. Budding photographers and amateurs are enthusiastic about the art but the cost of it becomes a major challenge.

This is for the first time someone in the country, has made a bold attempt to dissipate knowledge in a non profitable way which will help the budding photographers immensely. We, as a team, are putting our honest efforts to make wildlife photography learning available to the enthusiasts and amateurs at an extremely affordable cost.

I wish to thank you all for the motivation and appreciation extended since www.drcaesarphotography.com has gone live. It gives me an immense pleasure to announce the launch of two Wildlife Photography courses… enriched, interesting and interactive. These modules have been conceptualized, designed and drafted based on the various feedbacks received from the fan followers. We aspire to be better every day and we hope we shall definitely be able to meet upto your expectations.


COURSES

1. Wildlife photography basics – one day workshop
2. Wildlife photography post processing techniques – one day workshop


WHO CAN ATTEND?

1. Anyone who is enthusiastic to learn wildlife photography can attend the basic course. No qualification criteria / no age limits / no skillsets mandatory.

2. Amateurs and hobbyists who wish to improve their work can attend both basic workshop or the advanced workshop on digital post processing techniques – depending on the need..


WHAT TO CARRY?

1. Better if you have a digital SLR camera. However, having a Digital SLR is not mandatory. You can do wonders with your point and shoot digital camera as well.

2. For Wildlife photography post processing workshop, we advise you should carry a laptop, if you have one. That would make the hand holding easy for us. However, carrying laptop is not mandatory. You can carry your best digital images in a CD or pen drive and rest will be taken care of.


WORKSHOP DURATION: Full day – 9 am – 4 pm with breakfast, lunch and tea breaks


REGISTRATION INQUIRIES: Call 9819839821 / 09920772965


REGISTRATION CHARGES: Rs 1500 per head for each course


PAYMENT MODE

The online payment mode is still under the developmental stages and hence we request you to please send a cheque or opt for an account transfer to account in the name of CAESAR SENGUPTA, Account no. 061010100128452, Axis Bank, Naupada, Thane


COURSE DETAILS

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY BASIC COURSE

Session 1: 9 am – 1 pm - Photography Basics

1. Know your camera
2. Exposure control
3. Shutter Speed
4. Aperture
5. ISO
6. Exposure & Exposure settings - Histogram
7. Depth of field
8. Focal length
9. Tones and contrast
10. White Balance
11. What is Pixel
12. Metering
13. Auto focus
14. Field tips
15. Different types of camera
16. The Digital SLR
17. Different types of lenses
18. Storage Media (Cards), File Types
19. Accessories
20. Camera Care

Session 2: 2 pm – 4 pm – Post processing basics

1. Colour
2. Contrast
3. Saturation
4. Sharpening
5. Blurring
6. Cloning
7. Noise Reduction
8. Layers
9. Framing
10. Presenting your images

This is followed by a one hour interactive Session (Q & A)


WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY POST PROCESSING WORKSHOP

Session 1: 9 am – 1 pm - Post processing live Demo

1. Brightness and contrast
2. Levels and curves
3. Exposure control
4. Color balance
5. Hue and saturation control
6. Photo filters and channel mixers
7. Sharpening, blurring and smudging
8. Cloning, burning and dodging
9. Usage of gradient tool
10. File types, image size, crop tool
11. Playing with layers
12. Framing and presenting your images

Session 2: 1 pm – 4 pm - Post processing – Practical – this session will focus on hands on experience on editing your own photographs in your laptops using the image editing software you prefer to use.

This is followed by a one hour interactive Session (Q & A)

Wildlife Photography workshop - Session 2

A very Happy New Year to all my friends.

2010 had been a year of learning and I thank you all for the motivation and appreciation extended since www.drcaesarphotography.com has gone live.

It gives me a great pleasure to announce yet another session of Wildlife Photography workshop and this time it would be much more enriched, much more interesting and much more interactive. This module has been conceptualized, designed and drafted based on the various feedback received during the last workshop. We aspire to be better every day and this time this workshop is focusing on post processing magics.

We have organized this Wildlife Photography workshop in two parts

1. The first is on 9th January, 2011 and this is a field trip to the beautiful Matheran, Maharashtra, located on the Western Ghats range at an elevation of 2625 feet above the sea level.

2. The second workshop is in Mumbai on 16th January, 2011. This is an advanced workshop and will be focusing on post processing tips and tricks to enhance your images.

Registration enquiries: Call 9819839821 / 09920772965

Please take a note of the following details:

9^th January, 2011 – Matheran

Matheran offers a variety of flora and fauna to the photographers. Bird attractions include White cheeked Barbet, Vigor’s Sunbird, Nilgiri Flowerpecker, Malabar Parakeet, Orange headed Thrush, White-rumped Shama, Gold-fronted Leafbird etc. Butterflies found include Blue Mormon, Blue Oakleaf, and reptiles like Green Vine Snake, Bronze Backed Tree Snake and Deccan Banded Gecko. There are also pretty good chances of sighting the Indian Giant Squirrel, the state animal of Maharashtra.

Meeting point – Dasturi Naka at 7 am

Transport to Matheran – To be arranged on your own – 90 km from Mumbai and 120 km from Pune.

Team led by - Mr Amit Rane and Dr Caesar Sengupta
Basic necessities – your interest to learn photography
Additional requirements – Carry along your digital camera
Activities - Light trek to the various spots, on field photographic guidance
Package includes - Lunch at camp site and entry fee to Matheran.

16^th January, 2011 - Mumbai

Venue: Hotel Sharanam, Eastern Express Highway Service Road, Near New R.T.O. Thane West - 400604

Session 1 (9 am – 1 pm): Post Processing – Live Demo - will focus on tools of Photoshop and tips and tricks to enhance your photographs.

Session 2 (1 pm – 4 pm) : Post Processing – Practicals - will focus on hands on experience on editing your own photographs.

Basic necessities – your interest to learn photography
Additional requirements – Carry along your best photographs (digital image) and your laptop if you have
Duration – full day – 9 am – 4 pm with breakfast, lunch and tea

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve trip report by TripWOW

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Sept 2010 Slideshow: Caesar’s trip to Nagpur, Maharashtra, India was created by TripAdvisor. See another Nagpur slideshow. Create a free slideshow with music from your travel photos.

Lens review on Canon 400 mm published in Smart Photography, November 2010

Dr Caesar – it seems you have got a new Canon 400 mm f/5.6 - I would love to hear your views on the lens.

In one word - awesome. I had taken hundreds of feedback from seniors and contemporaries before buying this lens and I thank all those who advised me to go for it. I don’t think I could get anything better than this for my needs and in my budget.

What do you like most in the lens?

Canon 400 mm f/5.6 is known as a birding lens. My basic genre is bird photography and the lens is of great use for me. It is the lens made by Canon for birds in flight. The best part of the lens is the amazing clarity and sharpness of the pictures. I had a dilemma between Canon 400 f/5.6 and Canon 100 – 400 mm zoom before I actually went for this one. Today, after using both - I would rate 400 mm f/5.6 far ahead over Canon 100 – 400 mm in terms of sharpness.

I also like the sturdiness of the lens… its lightweight,, sleekly designed and very solidly built. Infact I banged it against the jeep rod during my last trip in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve… and all was well.

It is a relatively fast lens… although many would not agree to it. For my needs, I find it quite fast and the fast focusing is due to the ring USM (Ultra Sonic Motor) that it has in it.

I haven’t noticed any chromatic aberration or vignette. Color, saturation and contrast output are just excellent. The background blurring is simply superb. I am really feeling the difference a prime lens can create.

What do you dislike about the lens if any?

Many said this doesn’t have IS and hence is not advisable. I have clicked animals from a distance of 70 feet handheld and have got razor sharp pictures. So if the light condition is good, I don’t think lack of IS is a minus point from any angle. Yes – one disadvantage that any prime lens would have is lack of the flexibility that a zoom lens has. Especially when you are in field shooting mammals, you may land up shooting all close-ups when you would actually have preferred to shoot a few habitat shots. For me it didn’t make much difference though.

What was the long lens you were using earlier and how does the new one compare against the old lens?

I have been using Sigma 170 – 500 mm. I don’t think it is wise to compare it with this lens as they are not in the same bracket. Yes… I have used Canon 100 – 400 mm and I was simply surprised with the quality improvement it brought to my images. So, when I was planning for a new lens, I was confused between these two. Canon 100 – 400 mm comes for a higher price, for the IS that it comes with. I think I took a wise decision by choosing Canon 400 mm f/5.6.

Is hand-holding possible?

Very much. Take a look at my image of the Sambar in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve – that was shot handheld from a distance of 70 feet… the picture says it all.

How sharp is it wide open?

Look at the same image of the Sambar - this image is shot at f/5.6 at 1/800s shutter speed and ISO 400. I think the lens rocks !!!

Do you look back and feel that an IS lens would have been better?

Absolutely no. This is just perfect. Handheld pictures are absolutely fantastic if the light conditions are good. Even in low light conditions, using a stable tripod can give simply great images using the lens. I am happy without the IS and I wouldn’t prefer to pay some bucks more for an IS to it.

Do you feel that a filter (UV, Skylight) degrades its sharpness?

No – I don’t think so… I use a UV / Skylight filter and I don’t think it has hampered any of my images. Using a good quality UV / Skylight filter is rather advisable at least as a protective measure from any accidental damage.

Do you feel that the collar base is strong enough or is that its weak spot?

It is strong enough but yes it could be stronger… you are right

Is the lens equally sharp at close distance, mid-distance and far away distance?

I think yes.

Would you recommend the lens to your best friend?

Ofcourse (I would have gifted if lenses were a bit cheaper – ha ha)

How does it stand up in flare causing situations?

Quite good in handling flares. I have encountered situations in my last trip to Tadoba with direct sunlight hitting the lens with very minor reduction in contrast

Do you find any difference in image quality in similar shots taken with and without the lens hood

I believe you are referring to pictures takes in overcast / soft lighting, where many people don't bother to attach the lens hood. It wouldn’t matter according to me.

Overall a fantastic buy… value for money. The lack of IS didn’t matter for me. The sharpness I got using the lens is simply amazing. It has given a tremendous improvement in my images – a great buy any day.

Glimpses of the first Wildlife Photography workshop

Wildlife photography as a carrier used to sound like a dream a couple of years back. It remained as an expensive hobby for years. For the enthusiast, the call of the wild always posed a subtle magnetism but he always found it difficult to be serious about it. But I see today more and more people are taking interest in learning photography and adopting wildlife photography as a full time carrier.

In India there are maestros in this field. But I sense a lack of systematic knowledge distribution / channelization. Wildlife photography workshops are being conducted only focally in some major cities, viz. Bangaluru and very occasionally in Delhi and Mumbai. Charges for such workshops range from Rs 4000 to Rs 10,000 because it involves hiring experts for lectures, hiring costly gadgets and infrastructure. Budding photographers and novices are enthusiastic about the art but the cost of it becomes a major challenge.

This was for the first time someone made a bold attempt to dissipate knowledge in a non commercial way with an intention of helping the budding photographers. There are plans to take this ahead to all major cities if not free but definitely at an extremely affordable cost in a non profitable manner.

The workshop was conducted on the 10th of October, 2010 in Hotel Sharanam, Thane. Mr Amit Rane obliged to be an invited speaker.

Since it was a free workshop, we had to keep the availability of the seats limited. Although there was a huge list in the waiting – a count of 15 participants were finalized. The crowd was a mixed one. There were enthusiasts who are planning to take up wildlife photography seriously and there were amateurs who are already well versed with the basics of a DSLR. Hence the challenge was tougher to simplify as much as possible and impart knowledge as much as possible. There were participants who travelled from Solapur to Mumbai and they deserved an appreciation for the keen interest shown.

The workshop was conducted in three sessions. The first session was on PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS from 9 am – 11 am. The highlights of this session was knowing your camera well, exposure control, what is shutter speed, what is aperture, what is ISO, exposure settings – histogram, depth of field, focal length, tones and contrast, white balance, what is pixel, metering etc. Practical examples of composition and framing were demonstrated – the session was appreciated by all and it ended with useful field tips on wildlife photography.

Second session was on gadgets. Different types of camera, the difference between compact and digital SLR, different types of lenses, choices available and commercials, various storage Media (Cards), file types, accessories, camera care were discussed. It was an overall interactive session and the participants were happy to have a one to one interaction in this session.

Following the lunch break, the third session was on post processing techniques. This proved to be the star attraction. It was conducted as a live demo and step by step image processing was demonstrated live on screen and this was highly appreciated. Various modules discussed included controlling Contrast, Saturation, Sharpening, Cloning, Noise Reduction, Framing and presenting your images and more.

The session ended with an interactive session – overall satisfactory

Wildlife Photography basics - one day free workshop

Date: 10th October 2010

Venue:

Hotel Sharanam, Eastern Express Highway Service Road, Near New R.T.O. Thane West - 400604

Registration enquiries: Call 9819839821 / 09920772965

Registration charges – free workshop – limited seats available

SESSION 1: PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS: 9 am – 11 am

Introduction

1. Know your camera
2. Exposure control
3. Shutter Speed
4. Aperture
5. ISO
6. Exposure & Exposure settings - Histogram
7. Depth of field
8. Focal length
9. Tones and contrast
10. White Balance
11. What is Pixel
12. Metering
13. Auto focus
14. Field tips

TEA BREAK: 11 am – 11:15 am

SESSION 2: CAMERA AND GADGETS – LIVE DEMO: 11:15 am – 12:30 pm

1. Different types of camera
2. The Digital SLR
3. Different types of lenses
4. Storage Media (Cards), File Types
5. Accessories
6. Camera Care

LUNCH BREAK: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

SESSION 3: POST PROCESSING – LIVE DEMO: 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm

1. Contrast
2. Saturation
3. Sharpening
4. Cloning
5. Noise Reduction
6. Framing
7. Presenting your images

INTERACTIVE SESSION (Q & A) 3:30 pm – 4 pm

Note:

This is a free workshop – limited seats available
Basic necessities – your interest to learn photography
Additional requirements – Carry along any camera (Digital compact / SLR)
Duration – full day – 9 am – 4 pm with breakfast, two teabreaks and lunch

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve - a trip report

“Good night” – Amit said. I looked at my watch. It was 2 am. I set the alarm at 5 am. Was feeling thirsty… finished the water left in the bottle and I switched off the light….

Silence… ! not pindrop though – some insect was making a screeching noise somewhere. Amit must have been fast asleep. Wasn’t feeling sleepy though… closed my eyes and tried to sleep… felt irritated … what a rush ! Tried to close my eyes again but sleeping seemed to be a remote possibility. Recalled the last evening rush hour … I had probably faced traffic like this for the first time in my seven years in Mumbai. Had started off from home by 3:30 pm and it was 7:30 pm when I realized that I was still stuck in the traffic and I had missed the flight.

Tried to sleep again – Ah ! Recalled a few mails received during the day, which couldn’t be answered easily before the weekend was over! … a flow of passing thoughts … closed my eyes tight in a desperate attempt to sleep – it must be 2:30 am. Remembered Kavita was upset for no reasons when I left… Oh God ! It was really difficult to sleep. I am just left with one and half day to explore the forest of Tadoba and I wasn’t sure whether I’ll get up tomorrow morning or not.

I don’t remember when I slept - but the old habit got me awake by 5 am sharp. The jeep was ready. Manish greeted “Good morning”. I must say, the morning was refreshing enough to make me forget everything back home.

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, “the jewel of Vidharva” - is Maharashtra’s oldest Tiger reserve. Tadoba was established in 1935 and was declared a National Park in 1955. Andhari Wildlife sanctuary was notified in 1986 and the Park and the sanctuary was unified in 1995 to declare it as Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). It is one of the 28 Project Tiger Reserves of the country and is one of the best of these 28.

TATR till date is less known amongst the tourist; least commercialized and thus maintains the pristine eco-system of the rich bio-diversity of the forest. Apart from Tiger, Leopard, Gaur and Sloth Bear, the forest hosts a number of other mammals which are uncommon to be seen in other forests – viz. Rusty Spotted Cat, Ratel, Indian mouse deer, Spotted deer, Sambar, Wild Boar, Four horned antelope and Wild dogs. Not only mammals – there are 195 species of birds identified in the Park and it is a heaven for the avid bird watcher. Grey headed fishing eagle and Crested Serpent Eagle are two of the most well known raptors of the forest. Seventy four species of also make the Park rich in entomological resources. Reptilian fauna is no less. Tadoba lake harbors quite a number of crocodiles. Also found are Indian Python, common Indian monitor and the poisonous Russel’s viper.

The Park is situated in the Moharli hills of West Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. It is 623 km² in area, the biggest amongst all Naional Parks in Maharashtra. On north and western boundaries of the forest are hills with dense forest. To the southwest is a huge lake.

It is a southern tropical dry deciduous forest with Teak as predominant species. The bamboo forest defines the typical tiger territories. This is one Tiger Reserve in the country which is open throughout the year. Summer is the best season to visit the park as the wildlife remains around the sources of water. However, Tadoba has its unique charm of Tiger in the rains !!! Immediately after the monsoon, the grass is green and sighting a tiger with a green background is a photographic delight to the wildlife photographer. The Park remains closed on every Tuesday.

The name Tadoba comes from ‘Taru’, the local God and Andhari gets its name from Andhari river which flows through it. Legends say that Taru was a village chief who was killed in a legendary battle with a tiger. A shrine dedicated to Taru still exists near the Tadoba lake. Local villagers are mainly Gond tribals – they speak Marathi and Gondi.

We were left with three safaris only and I had kept my fingers crossed for at least a glimpse of the tiger …

Safari 1:

We planned to explore the Moharli region for some time. The jeep kept moving back and forth round the same location. “The cubs were spotted here last evening” – our guide said. One unique thing to be noted while visiting a Tiger reserve immediately after the rains is – you don’t get to hear ‘alarm calls’. Normally in forest, when the Tiger moves, deer and monkeys start making alarm calls. That’s the most convenient way to spot a tiger. But immediately after the rains, the grasses are thick and long. The beast remains completely hidden and the slightest movements go un noticed and hence spotting a tiger cannot be done using alarm calls. When we didn’t spot one for 1 hour… we thought of moving to Tadoba gate and suddenly … Amit said –“Leopard”! Our first subject for the day – clicked a dozen photograph may be – the light condition wasn’t very favorable though… my first photo of a leopard in the wild … even Amit’s. Next few hours were uneventful. While coming back, I tried my new 400 mm f / 5.6 handheld on a Sambar around 70 feet away and I was so happy to see the results.

Safari 2:

The evening safari was again in Moharli to begin with. Saw a vehicle stopping ahead. They were pointing towards a small stream. I couldn’t see anything as we reached. Guide said – “they must be around”. Within no time – we saw the male tiger coming out of the forest to the main road – Yeda Anna !! The famous male tiger of Tadoba. Anna posed for my camera for a few moments but he was keener on showing his back to me. Soon we could spot the cubs. One – two – three – oh ! there were four of them… playing around… they crossed the road. Unbelievable … there were hardly three vehicles and four tigers. They came close, posed, played around… for more than 40 minutes. I kept changing lenses, kept doing experiments … I said – Oh God ! This is heaven !

Safari 3:

“Thoda aur wish karo” – Amit said. I was hoping – if only I could get a photograph of a tiger in water. I regret I should have wished more. All four cubs again. They were so playful – so lively. There was a small water body… all the cubs kept playing and splashing water. I had no use of my 400 mm there. Had to change to 18 – 55 mm to capture the entire action sequence… one of the memorable moments of my wildlife experience.

Tadoba gave more than I expected. Much more. I fell in love with the forest… came back with wonderful memories of the lovely, cute Moharli cubs …

Facts and figures

Langoor - 2770
Spotted Deer - 2039
Wild Dog - 1758
Indian Bison - 1052
Sambar - 669
Barking Deer - 512
Blue Bull - 228
Wild Boar - 195
Mongoose - 184
Sloth Bear - 165
Four-hornedAntelope - 145
Jackal - 79
Jungle Cat - 44
Tiger - 43
Porcupine - 22
Leopard - 15
Hyena - 5
Indian Pangolin - 2
Ratel - 1

How to reach Tadoba

Nearest Airport – Nagpur, Maharashtra
Nearest Railway Station – Chandrapur, Maharashtra
Accommodation – MTDC resort

Contact person – Manish Varma – 08055920303