Don Parsons

Don Parsons

With a wealth of photographic subjects available in the J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, you might want to learn to shoot from an expert. And if you have plans to do that, we suggest you book a room at West Wind Island Resort in May, June or July. We are the Sanibel beach resort nearest to the Refuge, where Tarpon Bay Explorers’ Don Parsons is offering half-day photography workshops in May, June and July.

Each workshop will cover basic camera settings for the best quality pictures, exposure considerations, lighting, macro equipment choices, and techniques for getting close-up images. According to Parsons close-up photography is available to anyone with a camera and, with today’s technology, it doesn’t have to be expensive.

The first workshop is May 18, with subsequent workshops on June 16 and July 20. The sessions are available for anyone 13 and over. But a maximum of 30 people can be accommodated in each workshop. To reserve a place, which is required, call 239-472-8900. The fee is $40 per attendee.

The three-hour workshop is designed for digital single lens cameras, but Parsons feels that point-and-shoot cameras often have the necessary capability for close-up photography. If you sign up, you should plan to bring a camera, extra camera battery, digital storage media with lots of capacity, an external flash, a tripod, towel or pad to kneel on when shooting close to the ground, and any macro lenses or filters you may have. You can also use what you learn to shoot subjects on the West Wind Island Resort beach, the koi pond or the butterfly garden.