Snowy Owl Photo Workshop in Canada

Introduction of Snowy Owl Photography Workshop

We promise you will be captivated by their mesmerizing yellow eyes and witness the stealth flight and the subsequent attack on the unsuspecting voles and rodents they feed upon. We will get you close enough so that you can shoot with lenses from a 70-200mm to fill the entire frame upon attack of their target, to as long as a 500mm telephoto to capture the acrobatic turns and wing action while in flight. 

This workshop is designed to give you great opportunities to photograph the owls on properties not accessible to the general public. We will take you to the private access locations far away from the local birders and photographers so that we are not disturbed, and we will assist you and your clients with winter exposure, compensation, metering, focus tracking and more.

Snowy owl photography is one of the most challenging conditions you may face, cold winds, blowing snow with a white subject, but we will make sure you are ready. 

Date: Arrive February 18, 2018 – Depart after 5 PM February 23, 2018

Cost of Workshop: $2995USD

Deposit: $1000 with balance due December 15, 2017

Instructors: Kevin Allen Pepper and Jeff Wendorff

Plan your arrival early afternoon on day one and we will meet at a predetermined location. Plan you departure after 5pm on the last day

Included: Shared accommodation for five nights and six days, breakfast at hotels each morning for attendees, Airport drop off via airporter or van.

Not Included: Items of personal nature, international airfare, travelers insurance, anything not listed as included. 

Itinerary

Day One (always a Sunday), If you fly into Toronto airport we will direct you to a shuttle service hat will take you to our hotel. Alternatively, we may pick you up directly.   

Tonight will go through numerous owl photos so that you can identify the photos you want to take.  

We will also discuss possible settings and potential hurdles you will face during our workshop when we are photographing the owls.  

Our goal for that session is to best prepare you for the next week of photography. 

Dinner is included on the first night. 

Day Two We will meet at 7am and head out for a day of shooting Snowy Owls at different farms. Our goal is to introduce you to snowy owls. We will also go and try to find the Barred Owl that we frequently see roaming around the hay barns on these properties. 

We will shoot in the morning, go and grab some lunch and discuss the morning activities.  

We will then prepare you for the afternoon with other birds, and if the morning birds were accommodating, spend more time with them, 

After our afternoon shooting we will head back to the hotel and open up our laptops and go through the images to help you edit and compose the images you took that day. 

Breakfast Included 

Day Three - We will meet at 7am and head out for a day of shooting Snowy Owls at different farms. Our goal is to introduce you to snowy owls. We will also go and try to find the Barred Owl that we frequently see roaming around the hay barns on these properties. 

We will shoot in the morning, go and grab some lunch and discuss the morning activities.  

We will then prepare you for the afternoon with other birds, and if the morning birds were accommodating, spend more time with them 

After our afternoon shooting we will head back to the hotel and open up our laptops and go through the images to help you edit and compose the images you took that day. 

Breakfast Included 

Day Four We will meet at 7am and, if they are in the area, head out for a day of shooting the different owls. 

We will shoot in the morning, go and grab some lunch and discuss the morning activities.  

We will then prepare you for the afternoon with other birds, and if the morning birds were accommodating, spend more time with them 

After our afternoon shooting we will head back to the hotel and open up our laptops and go through the images to help you edit and compose the images you took that day. 

Breakfast Included 

Day Five We will meet at 7am and head out to the location of the owls (if they are in their usual locations... if not, we have other owls we can visit in the area). 

We will shoot in the morning, go and grab some lunch and discuss the morning activities before we depart for our second location in the afternoon. 

Breakfast Included  

Day Six – departures to Toronto Airport will be scheduled and an airporter will come pick you up to take you to the airport in time for your flight home.  

Breakfast Included

If you are ready to come see the silent Ghost of the North? Click on this link to get your questions answered. http://www.kevinpepperphotography.com/new-page-1

2017 Pacific Northwest Photography Workshop

2017 Pacific Northwest Photography Workshop

Step into the land of the “Group of Seven” painters and capture the essence of the Pacific Northwest. Our destination, Tofino, British Columbia.

The Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, typifies the majesty of the Pacific Northwest, boasting flawless natural beauty accentuated by a tapestry of vibrant communities.

This area inspires many renowned artists and artisans, who honor the magic of this land by bringing it into the physical realm. Add to that a climate that summons outdoor enthusiasts from all corners of the Earth and it is clear that Vancouver Island is poised to please the photographer.

Dates of Workshop: September 16, 2017 to September 23, 2017

Please schedule your arrivals so you can be picked up before noon on day one of the workshops. Plan your departure on the last on any flight departing after 4pm on the last day.

Flights should be scheduled into Nanaimo Airport and scheduled out of Nanaimo or Victoria Airport.

Instructors: Kevin Allen Pepper

Payment Information

Price for the workshop: $4995USD for a maximum of 6 people

Single Supplement Fee: $450USD

Deposit to secure your place in the workshop is $1000USD with balance due 90 days before trip runs

What’s Included

All accommodation in two bedroom cabins in Ucluelet, hotels in Campbell River, two ferry rides, meals except that which is not covered in itinerary, all National park entrance fees, all Provincial park entry fees, 23 to 26 hours of wildlife viewing on boats, transportation

What’s Not Included?

Flights to British Columbia, items of personal nature, alcohol, laundry, travelers insurance, extra nights if needed.

Itinerary of Our Workshop

Day One – Saturday

You will be picked up at the Nanaimo Airport or your Nanaimo hotel and taken North to Campbell River. We will pick you up at 2pm.

Overnight in Campbell River at the new Comfort Inn and Suites (Dinner included)

Day two – Sunday

Today we take our first boat tour. Today we will spend 6 hours on the water photographing some of the following species. Humpback Whales, Transient Orca Whales, sea lions, harbor seals, black bear and dolphins

Overnight in Campbell River at the new Comfort Inn and Suites (Breakfast and Lunch included)

Day Three – Monday

Today we spend another 8 hours on the water. Today we will head across the strait to photograph Grizzly Bear. On our way and back you may see Transient Orca Whales and Humpbacks.

Overnight in Campbell River at the new Comfort Inn and Suites (Breakfast and Lunch included)

Day Four – Tuesday

Today we head west to Tofino and Ucluelet. We depart in the morning, taking roads that wind through the interior of the island.

On the way we will stop at Cathedral Grove. Cathedral Grove, located in MacMillan Provincial Park, is one of the most accessible stands of giant Douglas fir trees on Vancouver Island. Here visitors can stroll through a network of trails under the shadow of towering ancient Douglas-fir trees, majestic pillars untouched by the modern world – some more than 800 years old.

We will arrive in Ucluelet in the afternoon and check into our cabins for the next few nights.

(Breakfast, Dinner included)

After we check in walk part of the Wild Pacific Trail. This easy, family-friendly trail traces the edge of reefs where shipwrecks, whales and vistas abound. You will be enthralled by Vancouver Island’s dramatic beauty and helpful interpretive signs will enrich your visit to Ucluelet’s famous 9km trail network. A perfect destination for photographers

Tonight we will visit one of the secluded beaches or inlets for a sunset photo session.

Stay in two or three bedroom cabins in Ucluelet (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included) 

Day Five – Wednesday

Today at low tide we will go and photograph the black bears. Resident bears come down to the beaches at low tide to forage for such beach delicacies as rock crab, starfish and even a bit of kelp. They are an absolute pleasure to watch from the boat and thanks to their poor eyesight they are usually unaware of our presence so long as we keep quiet and a respectable distance up wind.

We will once again walk part of the Wild Pacific Trail and go photograph the area beaches between Tofino and Ucluelet. You will be photographing crashing waves, surfers riding the crashing surf and endless beaches long into the night as the sun sets before you. This is another perfect destination for photographers

During high sun we will spend some time back at our accommodation location and spend some time going through our images.

Tonight we will once again visit one of the secluded beaches for a sunset photo session.

Stay in two bedroom cabins in Ucluelet (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)

Day Six – Thursday

We will leave our lodge after breakfast and head towards Cowichan Bay.

When we arrive in Cowichan Bay you will have the opportunity to wander the seaside town and take photos around the harbour.

After dinner we will head out our first Whale Watching tours to focus on the Southern Resident Orca Whales, Transient Orca Whales, Humpback Whales, Grey Whales and Minke Whales. You will also encounter Sea Lions, Bald Eagles, Harbour Seals, Dalls and Harbour Porpoise as well as a myriad of marine birds on your whale watching eco tour.

Stay in Nanaimo Hotel (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)

Day Seven – Friday

Today is all about the sea life in the ocean around Cowichan Bay. Today we will head out for two Whale Watching tours to focus on the Southern Resident Orca Whales, Transient Orca Whales, Humpback Whales, Grey Whales and Minke Whales. You will also encounter Sea Lions, Bald Eagles, Harbour Seals, Dalls and Harbour Porpoise as well as a myriad of marine birds on your whale watching eco tour.

One tour in the morning light, one in the evening light. – 6 to 8 hours on the water over two outings.

Between our whale photography tours we will spend some time back at our accommodation location and spend some time going through our images.

Stay in Nanaimo Hotel (Dinner included)

Day Eight – Saturday

Today we wake and you will be dropped off at the airport in Victoria by 2pm, or at your Victoria hotel

Are you ready to photograph orcas, whales and bears and stunning seascapes? Click on this link to see more photos and to register, http://www.kevinpepperphotography.com/2017-pacific-northwest-photo-tour

Introduction to the Best of Ontario Winter Workshop

Introduction to the Best of Ontario Winter Workshop

We have created a winter photography workshop in Ontario, Canada... From the urban city of Niagara Falls, to our wildlife, the secluded Amish community, and enjoying wilderness by dog sledding, we have encompassed the highlights we believe you cannot find anywhere else all in one location.

Dates: February 3, 2017 to February 11, 2017

Instructor: Kevin Allen Pepper and Chris Pepper

Price: $4500CAD

A deposit of $750 secures your spot and the balance is due on November 3, 2016

Maximum Attendees: We are limiting this workshop to 8 people. (four spots left)

Included: Single accommodation, transportation, all entrance fees, park fees, breakfasts and dinners as outlined in the itinerary, models

Not Included: International airfare, travelers insurance, all breakfasts and dinners as outlined in the itinerary, any extra nights needed before or after workshop.

Itinerary of Workshop

Day One

Arrive in Toronto and get picked up mid-day and taken to our hotel in Niagara Falls.

On the way we will stop at a few locations along the waterfront of Lake Ontario to take winter scenes that all the local photographers visit during the winter. Waterfalls, frozen piers and an iced lighthouse.

When we get to Niagara Falls we can photograph the falls by night as they are lite up in the colours of the rainbow and then go enjoy the casino or one of the local restaurants.

One cannot visit Ontario without a visit to the falls. Niagara, Canada is one of the most attractive four-season destinations in the world. From the sheer spectacle of Niagara Falls to the region's renowned wine country, from its rich history to its beautiful parks and hiking, Niagara overflows with things to see and do, both inside and out.

Overnight in Niagara Falls (Dinner is included on the first night)

Day Two

We wake up early and photograph the waterfalls at sunrise. Winter is the only time of year that the sun rises behind the falls and is the perfect time to capture a golden hour.

Then from there we head to Simcoe to photograph the following bird species in flight and perched in natural wooded settings... Depending on weather conditions, species will consist of the following species... Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Great Grey Owl, Great horned Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, American Kestral, Red Tailed Hawk or Merlin Falcon.

Some of these birds will be perched on posts and in the evergreen forest, some will fly for us. We will put you in position to capture the best angle of each bird.

Overnight in St. Jacobs, Ontario

Day Three and day four

For the next two days we will photograph Amish in a winter setting driving their buggies across minimalist backgrounds of white show on country roads.

Amish have long lived in Canada, with roots in the country dating to the 1800s. Today Amish number nearly 5,000 in Canada, in over one dozen communities. Ontario is the only province in Canada where Amish are found. Photographing them is an honor because of their deep seated religious beliefs. But as residents of the area, with acquired friendships inside the community, we have been granted access that most will never receive to photograph a small handful of the community.

We will also photograph Amish children dressed in traditional clothing walking down lane ways and posing for your cameras. We will also photograph horse and buggy riding in and out of Canada's oldest covered bridge.

At the end of the day four we drive to photograph snowy owls...

Overnight in St. Jacobs, Ontario

Day Five and Day Six

We spend two full days photographing snowy owls in the wild. Each day from 730 till 430 we will photograph snowy owls in flight and perched on fence lines and on local barns. On each day you will have a minimum of 10 to 15 flights of a snowy owl coming right at you perched from barns, standing on fields, or from fence lines. in between flights you will be presented with an abundance of static image opportunities of owls perched.

We promise you will be captivated by their mesmerizing yellow eyes and witness the stealth flight and the subsequent attack on the unsuspecting voles and rodents they feed upon. We will get you close enough so that you can shoot with lenses from a 70-200mm to fill the entire frame upon attack of their target, to as long as a 500mm telephoto to capture the acrobatic turns and wing action while in flight.

This part of the workshop is designed to give you great opportunities to photograph the owls on properties not accessible to the general public. We will take you to the private access locations far away from the local birders and photographers so that we are not disturbed, and we will assist you with winter exposure, compensation, metering, focus tracking and more.

After our second day is finished we will drive east to the Haliburton area of Ontario.

Overnight close to where the Owls will be located.

Day Seven and Day Eight

We will spend the next two days with the dogs... in the mornings we are at the Haliburton Wolf Preserve to photograph a pack of wolves for three to four hours in the morning. In the afternoon we spend the time on the dog sleds mushing through the Canadian Wilderness in 80.000 acres of forested, rolling hills interspersed with more than 50 lakes and hundreds of wetlands.

We will be winding through the forest on more than 300 kilometers of groomed trails making this a dog sledder's paradise.

Hidden along the trails are a number of small camps and shelters providing scenic locations to have a snack, take photos and warm up.

Overnight in Haliburton, Ontario (dinner is included on the last night)

Day Nine

After breakfast we will drive you to the airport and will have you there by 12:00pm
If you are ready to experience all that Ontario has to offer the photographer in the winter, click on the following link to contact me, http://www.kevinpepperphotography.com/contact-me

Fall Colors in Canada photography workshop

Autumn Colors in Canada

Join me on my fall color in Canada workshop in our backyard, Ontario, Canada.
Together we will travel from the Great Lakes, visit the Waterfall Capitol of the World and head north to the Iconic Algonquin Park. You will be introduced to some stunning scenery and some of our local wildlife such as owls, red fox, bald eagles, Moose, Elk and Pine Marten.

Dates of the Workshop: October 16th, 2016 to October 22nd, 2016

Instructors: Kevin Allen Pepper and Chris Pepper

Maximum Attendees: 8 photographers maximum

Price of Workshop is $3750CAD and a single supplement of $400 to get a single room.

Deposit to secure your spot is $750 with the balance due on July 15, 2016

Included: park entrance fees, entrance fees for Raptor center, junk yard. Shared accommodation, transportation, two dinners and breakfast each day.

Not Included: International airfare, four dinners, items of personal nature, laundry, VISA fees if applicable.

Day One: You arrive in Toronto and will be picked up in the afternoon and we will drive you right to our hotel in Burlington, Ontario. That night we will gather for a group dinner and discuss the weeks itinerary and locations. Then, after dinner, head to the waterfront in Toronto to shoot the Toronto skyline from the Golden hour into darkness.

Hotel in Burlington. Dinner Included.

Day Two: We will visit the Raptor Conservancy and you will spend the morning photographing a variety of local birds in flight and posing in natural settings. Species list can include any of the following birds. A Harris’ Hawk, Red Tailed Hawk, Broad-winged hawk, Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl and Bald Eagle. Static birds could include an Eagle Owl, Swainson’s Hawk, Peregrine, Aplomado Falcon.

Our falconer is excellent with his birds and really understands the needs of wildlife photographers and natural looking images are what we always try to achieve.

In the afternoon we will drive towards our first half day session at the Waterfall Capitol of the World. Hamilton is home to over 100 beautiful waterfalls, which is how it got the title of Waterfall Capital of the World. Most of the waterfalls/cascades are located on, or near, the Bruce trail. The Niagara Escarpment, which the Bruce Trail winds through, is equipped with the perfect ecological conditions for natural waterfalls to occur.

Hotel in Burlington. Breakfast Included

Day Three: We start the day along the shores of Lake Ontario at one of our favorite locations, 50Pt Conservation Area. an area of broken piers along the shores of Lake Ontario. From there we head back to the area waterfalls for the balance of the morning.

In the afternoon we will visit a 100acre junk yard that spans the property of a farm. Over 3000 vehicles in various states of decay line the cedar forests, the rolling fields of this photographers paradise. Imagine vehicles as old as Edsels all the way to 1990 era vehicles and heavy equipment entangled in fall color, vines and even some with trees growing out of the engine compartment.

Hotel in Burlington. Breakfast Included

Day Four Five and Day Six. Its time to change gears and head north towards one of Canada's most iconic fall color areas, Haliburton and Muskoka. From the afternoon of day four, into the night of day six we will be solely focused on the fall colors that surround hundreds of lakes, waterfalls and streams in Ontario.

Fall is a spectacular time to visit this area. Thousands of visitors from around the world are attracted by the outstanding fall colour viewing opportunities, but there are many things to see and do, including the animals such as the song birds, fox, and moose that will be in the rut, making them more accessible for photographers close to the road.

The spectacular colours of the Sugar and Red Maples from mid-September to mid to late October. While hard to determine the exact peak of fall colour, it is typically the middle of October is peak time for the sugar maple canopy and the change in the aspens, Tamaracks, and Red Oaks.
Hotel in Huntsville, Breakfast Included and dinner on day six is included.

Day Seven. We will wake one more time and catch a sunrise along one of the local lakes that have fall colour along the shoreline. After our morning shoot we will return to the hotel and check out.
You will be driven to the Toronto airport at lunch. The drop off at your hotel or airport will be at 3pm. You can schedule your flights home no earlier than 5pm on day seven.

Are you ready to see natures canvas painted with reds, oranges and yellow? Contact me here... http://www.kevinpepperphotography.com/contact-me