Winged Wonders: Mastering Bird Photography With Joseph Saunders
Explore the wonders of nature with our Wild Life course series, inspired by Atlas Obscura's new book Wild Life. Dive into immersive lessons that bring the extraordinary and hidden marvels of the natural world to life!
In this three-part workshop, refine your bird photography skills, both camera work and editing techniques, to capture and enhance the beauty of birds in their natural habitats.
Course Description
Venture into the mesmerizing world of bird photography, where the natural world comes alive through your lens. This course is tailored for intermediate photographers looking to refine their skills in capturing birds in their natural habitats. You’ll master the technical aspects of using a camera and telephoto lens, learning how to anticipate movement, adjust to light, and capture those elusive, breathtaking moments. In addition to fieldwork, you’ll enhance your editing abilities with LightRoom, bringing out the vivid colors and details that make your images stand out.
By the end, you’ll not only improve your technical skills but also foster a deeper connection to nature. In a world where natural habitats are increasingly under threat, your work in bird photography can inspire a greater appreciation for the environment, encouraging others to cherish and protect our planet's wild spaces.
Explore the wonders of nature with our Wild Life course series, inspired by Atlas Obscura's new book Wild Life. Dive into immersive lessons that bring the extraordinary and hidden marvels of the natural world to life!
Syllabus at a Glance
This course includes three total sessions on consecutive Thursdays, each lasting 1.5 hours, starting November 7.
Session 1 (Thursday, 11/7, 7:00–8:30 PM ET) | Technical applications & best uses of our photographic equipment
Session 2 (Thursday, 11/14, 7:00–8:30 PM ET) | Field techniques to maximize your technical skills for the perfect shot
Session 3 (Thursday, 11/21, 7:00–8:30 PM ET) | Post Processing
Between Sessions
Outside of class, students will be encouraged to spend time outdoors engaging with the subjects. (This can include taking photographs—or not!) Your instructor will also provide some suggested reading for students who wish to delve deeper into material touched on during class.
Course Materials
Students should have a camera and telephoto lens. Digital zooms may not benefit from some of the technical aspects of the course, but there will still be benefits related to the field, and post processing.
Pricing Options
In addition to full-price tickets, a limited number of no-pay spots are available for this course. Please note that these tickets are reserved for those who would not otherwise be able to take this course and who expect to attend all sessions. No-pay spots are distributed via a randomized drawing two weeks before each course begins. For more information and to apply for a no-pay spot, please click here. To learn more about our pricing model and randomized selection process for no-pay spots, please visit our FAQ page.
Community Guidelines for Students
Please take a moment to review our community guidelines for students, which aim to share our classroom ethos and help set the stage for the best possible learning experience.
Atlas Obscura Online Courses
Atlas Obscura Courses offer opportunities for participants to emerge with new skills, knowledge, connections, and perspectives through multi-session classes designed and taught by expert instructors. To learn more about our current course offerings, please visit www.atlasobscura.com/online-courses. For answers to commonly asked questions, check out our FAQ page here.
Founded in 2009, Atlas Obscura created the definitive community-driven guide to incredible places across the planet and is now an award-winning company that shares the world’s hidden wonders in person and online.
Once registered, you’ll receive a confirmation email from Eventbrite that will provide access to each class meeting. Please save the confirmation email as you’ll use it to access all sessions of your course via Zoom.
Joseph Saunders is a life-long lover of nature and wildlife. After becoming an adult he began using photography to document his experiences outdoors. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Sociology with an emphasis on inequality. His life goal is to inspire others, and exemplify how compassion, empathy, and integrity directed toward all living things is necessary for the health and wellness of everyone.
Joseph is a member of BlackAFInSTEM, who in 2020 started a movement highlighting Black people in various STEM fields with the first inaugural Black Birders Week. He has appeared on the Ologies podcast. He has been published in the Smithsonian, Discover Wildlife, Audubon, and Bloomberg Magazine. When he is not engaged in social resistance for justice, you can usually find him staring adoringly into the anterior median eyes of jumping spiders, avoiding snake bites, or listening to the cacophony of amorous frogs and toads.
This is an interactive, small-group seminar that meets over Zoom. Students may be encouraged to participate in discussions, work on assignments outside of class, and workshop projects with their instructor or classmates. Due to the interactive nature of this course, we strongly recommend students attend as many live sessions as possible. Within 72 hours after each session meets, students will receive access to a recording of the live session, which they can watch for up to two weeks after the course concludes.
Instructors may use Google Classroom to communicate with students outside of class. While students aren’t required to use Google Classroom, instructors may use this platform to post resources, discussion questions, or assignments. This platform also offers a space for students to connect with one another about course material between sessions.
We provide closed captioning for all of our courses and can share transcripts upon request. Please reach out to us at experiences@atlasobscura.com if you have any questions, requests, or accessibility needs.
There are 30 spots available on this experience.
