“This was my 3rd workshop with Chris and as always Chris improvised to make it happen for us. Anyone who photographs outdoors and especially wildlife knows that weather and lighting are key to having good results. We can’t control the weather but we can adjust to the lighting we’re given. What Chris did on all three of my trips is adjust to both of these for every morning and afternoon shoot. The Osprey trip was a perfect challenge - the first two days wind and storms prevented us from being on the lake to photograph the ospreys so Chris shifted our location for both the morning and afternoon shoots to minimize the weather impact of rain and wind. Not to say we didn’t have to wait out a deluge of rain for an hour but 20 minutes after it blew by we were back out for the last 45 minutes of perfect light. For the first two days we got to shoot a wide variety of cranes, spoonbills, egrets, storks, anhingas, limpkins, ibis, hawks, swamp hens, terns and stilts. Both days we were treated with the brilliant roseate spoonbills flying in towards us to pick up nesting material. But then the prize for me was Friday morning on the lake at sunrise for the osprey. In a mile and a half stretch we saw over 100 nests and at least 150 osprey. Between Chris and the boat owner they held the boat at the best angle for the osprey to be lit perfectly. After filling 2-1/2 128GB cards it was time to leave the perfect osprey shoot. In the last 20 years of my photography this was by far the most photos I’ve taken over a three day period. If you want to get your absolute best excellent bird photography opportunities I highly recommend the Birds of Pelee and Ospreys of Florida. I own the 300,400 and 600mm lenses but I used the Sony 400-800mm lens for both trips and the zoom capability, excellent stabilization and weight make it the perfect lens for both these workshops. Thanks Chris!”
— Tony Pianalto | Kansas, USA | Ospreys Galore Photography Workshop