Give your portfolio a breath of fresh air this summer in Nova Scotia, a land of dramatic, unspoiled, rugged beauty. Nikon professional photographers Bill Durrence and Wolfgang Kaehler will guide you as you embark on this scenic photographic journey, which promises much more than memories of rolling dune grasses stretching to the sea, lush highlands and secluded coastal towns. Travel with the Mentor Series to this southeastern Canadian province and take away timeless images as well as insider tips and techniques sure to impact your photography for a lifetime!
The trek will begin at the southern end of the peninsula on the shores of Mahone Bay, where there is no shortage of coastal beauty and historic charm. Fill your frame with the quaint fishing village or the clapboard buildings huddled together at the shore as a white church steeple pierces the cloudless blue sky. Continue on to Peggy’s Cove, an idyllic seaside hamlet, famed for its historic lighthouse. The picturesque beacon stands tall at the edge of the granite headland. Take your time to frame it against the sinking sun as the waves crash against the rocks and learn how to best capture the warm light in this dynamic scene.
Traveling across the length of the province to Cape Breton Island, dubbed “Nova Scotia’s masterpiece,” enjoy the opportunity to practice the skills you garnered the day before as you turn your lens to the magnificent scenery and cultural diversity that abounds here. The region boasts breathtaking sweeping vistas, and you will not be disappointed as we peruse one of the world’s most scenic roadways, the Cabot Trail. The byway circles through charming villages, Cape Breton Highlands National Park and glacier-carved valleys. Photograph the Highland Hills as they tower over the clear blue Atlantic Ocean, or the setting sun on the rocky cliffs below.
We will make sure to take in the beautiful anchorages and gentle waters as the sun sets on Bras d’Or Lake. Keep your camera at the ready to catch eagles soaring overhead, moose wandering the path and seals basking along the coast with the emerald highlands as your backdrop. This journey promises to be rewarding from both land and sea, as we head out on the water to capture images of whales along Pleasant Bay or winged inhabitants of Bird Island. Atlantic puffins that populate the area beg for a portrait, and kittiwakes bobbing in the ocean are worthy of a snap of your shutter.
A Mentor Series Trek to Nova Scotia will clearly enchant, inspire, and change the way you approach photography forever. Sign up today!
The picturesque villages and rugged landscapes of Nova Scotia will provide us with numerous opportunities for great photos and doing a little photographic learning along the way. July can be the sunniest month of the year in Nova Scotia, but the average temperature is about 65 degrees F, and there can be wind, rain, and fog. All the potential atmospherics excite me because I think you get some of the most interesting photos in adverse weather, and you are less likely to be sharing the scene with a lot of other visitors/photographers who are not as committed to shooting as we are. But it’s hard to make nice photos when you are physically uncomfortable, so bring a layering of clothes and rain gear so you can add and subtract as necessary from cool mornings to mid-day warmth. Think about how you will protect your camera gear from wet situations. We will be along the shore some and salt water is not a friend of camera gear. One easy, cheap solution is to bring along some 2 gallon size, freezer weight, Ziploc baggies to use for sheltering cameras and lenses while shooting in rain or around salt water spray. It’s also hard to work when you are loaded down with a lot of equipment. Bring everything you think you might want, but have a smaller bag or pack to use when you want to be very mobile, and you can select one or two things to take from your larger kit. Having two bodies if possible is good: if one goes down you can still keep working, and as long as both are fine you can have short and long lenses both mounted and immediately usable, and minimize potential dust-on-sensor problems since you won’t have to change lenses so frequently. Consider having some wide angle, telephoto, and micro capability in your lens choices. Be sure and have plenty of cards for your camera and always have a spare battery charged and in your pocket, just in case. And don’t forget insect repellant, sun block, and comfortable walking shoes. And one more thing—come prepared to take some chances, photographically, because experimenting, and sometimes failing, is the best way to learn something new. Bill Durrence
Workshop fee: $1,399
Includes in-the-field instruction, entrance fees, presentations, digital reviews, and transportation to each shooting location.
Halifax: For the nights of Tuesday the 17th & Saturday the 21st
Four Points by Sheraton
1496 Hollis Street,
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3Z1,
Canada
T. (866) 444-9494
Group Name: Mentor Series
Rate: $160/night + tax, Canadian funds
Cut-off date: June 8, 2012
Cape Breton Island: check in Wednesday the 18th, check out Saturday the 21st
The Inverary Resort
368 Shore Road
Baddeck, Nova Scotia B0E 1B0
Canada
T. (800) 565-5660
Group Name: Mentor Series
Rate: $150/ night + tax (or $160/night + tax, depending on availability) Canadian Funds
Cut off date: June 8, 2012
Weather
We are very casual on the treks. We will be shooting mainly outdoors, so bring a variety of clothing you can layer. Dress comfortably, with good walking shoes. Make sure to have rain gear with you at all times to protect your camera bag and camera. http://www.weather.com/
Travel Insurance
Access America (tel. 866/807-3982; www.accessamerica.com)
Travel Guard International (tel. 800/826-4919; www.travelguard.com)
Travel Insured International (tel. 800/243-3174; www.travelinsured.com)
Travelex Insurance Services (tel. 888/457-4602; www.travelex-insurance.com).
Digital Review Sessions
We will have digital review sessions throughout the workshop. You will be asked to select 5 images for each review session that you will review with your mentor on your own laptop.
Equipment
Bring a camera, lenses, flash, lightweight tripod, filters, lens hoods, lens cloth, battery charger, batteries, storage device or portable hard drives, card reader, all cables, power converters, memory cards and adapters, a rain cover for your backpack and camera, cable release and your cameras manual.
Non-Photographers/Spouse Policy
We would like to notify you that spouses or non photographers of trek participants who travel with them to mentor series trek destinations advertised as part of the mentor series will be charged the prevailing workshop cost. This is because of limitations in the workshop classes, transportation and seating at the many venues we work with on the treks.
Incidentals
You are responsible to pay for all charges to your room when we check out of your hotels. Incidentals such as room service, drinks, phone calls, business services, laundry, etc. are not included.
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