I’m starting this from scratch but maintaining older posts. I should be back soon.

Despite all the obstacles thrown our way by the management at the refuge, the festival was a rousing success. We had an estimated 160 attendees, a record-breaking amount by a lot. Each year we’ve shown an increase in attendance. It’s very gratifying for Don, Kevin and me. Big thanks go to NYC Audubon for sponsoring the event, supplying a bus to both bring and return 50 or so people to their offices on W. 23 Street. Thanks to the American Littoral Society including Elizabeth Manclarke and Dylan Edmonds for their tireless efforts helping us in so many ways.

Some of the highlights were American Avocet, American White Pelican, Baird’s, White-rumped, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers plus Stilt Sandpiper. There were lots of shorebirds and we had fabulous leaders to help everybody learn and observe all the birds. They were Tom Burke, Gail Benson, Scott Whittle, Glen Davis, David Speiser, Harry Maas, Peter Post and John Rowden. Of course Don Riepe, Kevin Karlson and I were out there as well. We better have been since we’re the organizers.

We also had slide show presentations by the 3 of us plus John Rowden (NYC Audubon) and Robert Gallardo from Honduras.

I’d love to hear your comments and suggestions for next year’s event. Don’t be shy.

This is the cover of a new book by Kevin Karlson, Scott Elowitz and me. It will be available July 28 or sooner. Here’s a link on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Visions-Earths-Elements-Nature-Photography/dp/0764340751. We’re all very excited and proud of the book’s outcome.

Summer Workshop Schedule

Nickerson Beach and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Instructional Photo Workshops

 1)    Outdoor Photography Workshop – ( maximum 14 people) Jamaica Bay, 3:30 PM to dusk – August 26 $100.00 per participant.

Focus on Various Digital Camera Settings; Lighting Basics; Composition; and Techniques for Capturing Birds in Flight or Action

Join professional photographers Kevin Karlson and Lloyd Spitalnik on this small, interactive photography workshop to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge’s East Pond. Join these two bird experts to experience and photograph some of Jamaica Bay’s special birds.

Topics covered during this short session include basic and artistic composition of both the subject and surrounding scene; basic awareness of lighting principles and how to compensate for white or dark birds; different camera settings to shoot the same subject or scene; how to best capture flight and action of birds using panning or stationary techniques, and the best camera settings for this type of motion photography; different perspectives on the same scene to get the most out of each photo situation. Kevin and Lloyd will give personal attention to each participant, and only take pictures themselves to compare camera settings and exposure readings.

2) Outdoor Photography Workshop: Flight and Action Photography Taken to the  Next Level – (Maximum 14 participants) (about 4 hours in length)   Nickerson Beach  6:30 AM to 10:30 AM August 26. $125.00 per participant.

 This comprehensive interactive workshop takes the instructions and tips from Kevin’s indoor Flight and Action photography handout (provided upon payment) and puts them to use in a field situation. Professional photographers Kevin Karlson and Lloyd Spitalnik explain the principles of flight and action photography  and show how these techniques work in field situations. Topics covered include the basics of flight and action photography, including handheld technique; proper exposure; subject acquisition; subject tracking; and importance of practice, practice, practice. Each participant will get individual attention on how to best capture flight and action wildlife images. If you want to take your action photography to the next level, this is a good workshop for you. This workshop is good for beginners to advanced.

If you have questions you can contact me 917-301-8744 email lloyd@lloydspitalnikphotos.com   or Kevin at karlson3@comcast.net

You can send payment to Lloyd Spitalnik 445 East 77 Street, NY, NY 10075

 7th Annual Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

 Saturday, August 25, 8am-5pm -  A partnership program with NYC Audubon, Gateway National Recreation Area, and the American Littoral Society

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is internationally renowned for its fall shorebird migration as thousands of birds from over 35 species regularly stop at East and West Ponds during their southward flight. Peak numbers usually occur in August. Join the 7^th Annual Festival to learn from the experts about biology, behavior, and how to identify shorebirds.

8-8:30am  Coffee, Juice, bagels and Donuts  ( paid for by Joe and Debbie MCManus )

8:30-10:30am   Shorebird identification hike to West Pond

10:30am-11:30   Issues, research, and management of Jamaica Bay’s Wildlife Refuge (Don Riepe)    Shorebird Photography (Lloyd Spitalnik)

11:30am-11:50  NYC Audubon Shorebird Research (John Rowden:

11:50am-12:10pm  Birds of Honduras – Robert Gallardo (Guest author)

12:1-pm-1  Lunch (bring your own or buy locally)

1:00pm- 4   Shorebird identification hike to East Pond

4pm-5 -  Shorebirds of North America (Kevin Karlson)

The program is free and open to the public on a reservation basis. (A $20.00 donation is requested to defray expenses and pay some travel for speakers.)  Bring water, lunch, and binoculars and wear boots or sensible shoes.  For more information and reservations, please contact Don Riepe at (718) 318-9344 or donriepe@gmail.com.

If you missed my radio interview Sunday on Bird Calls Radio the archive will be available starting Tuesday morning   http://birdcallsradio.com/2012/07/17/birdcallsradio-lloyd-spitalnik/

Wikipedia: In common usage, an expense or expenditure is an outflow of money to another person or group to pay for an item or service, or for a category of costs. →

All meeting are from 6:30 – 8pm. There is a minimal $6.00 charge at the door for Audubon members or $35.00 for the complete yearly series. We plan 9 sessions a year.You can pre-register at the NYC Audubon offices. Their phone # is 212-691-7483

For the first meeting David and I will present a slide show of our work just as an introduction. We encourage you to either send me or bring with you up to 5 images of yours to present to the group as well.This is my e-mail. If you like we can do a very gentle critique on any of them.  We will also talk about “Ive taken a photo, now what do I do?” where we’ll show you how to get the photos into your computer and suggestions on file management.

Please remember that beginning photographers are more than welcome. At the end of the series our hope is you will have a learned a lot and have become a better photographer.

 All Workshops Cancelled due to flooding

August, 2011 – Sponsored by New York City Audubon Society

Contact Lloyd Spitalnik (lloyd22@nyc.rr.com) (917-301-8744) or Kevin Karlson (karlson3@comcast.net) (609-465-2138) for details

1) Shorebirds Made Simpler – ID Field Trip at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge ($50)

August 21, 2011 (1 pm – 5 pm);  August 28, 2011 (8 am – 12 pm) (Maximum 20 people)

Join author and professional field trip leader Kevin Karlson and New York’s own Lloyd Spitalnik as they share a simple and more effective approach to shorebird ID as highlighted in Kevin’s bestselling book The Shorebird Guide. With initial focus on basic impressions of size, shape and behavior, a more effective ID starting point is achieved. This outdoor workshop is suited for beginning birders who want to build a solid ID foundation, and for advanced birders who want to take their shorebird skills to the next level. Two experienced leaders will give both groups personal attention.

2) Outdoor Photography Workshop – Birds of Jamaica Bay’s East Pond

August 28, 2011 (4 pm – dusk) – (Maximum 10 participants) ($100)

Enjoy the magic of waterbirds at Jamaica Bay’s East Pond with professional photographers Kevin Karlson and Lloyd Spitalnik. This small photography workshop features basic instruction on how to get the best possible bird or wildlife photo, and advanced techniques for capturing birds in action or flight. Topics include artistic composition, low angle shooting options, lighting basics and camera settings for action and portrait photography, and personal instruction for hand-held or tripod panning techniques.

Join Lloyd Spitalnik and Denise Ippolito for a half- day workshop at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens NY. We will visit the East pond in the early morning where we will be photographing a variety of shorebirds in a birder’s paradise. Jamaica Bay is a birdwatchers heaven, a stopover on the Atlantic Flyway that provides a resting and feeding place for thousands of migrating shorebirds. In addition to the migrating shorebirds Yellow Warbler and American Redstart warblers, Willow Flycatcher and sometimes cuckoos are all breeding at the refuge. Lloyd Spitalnik has been photographing at Jamaica Bay for 15 years. Last year Lloyd gave a slide show presentation at the Jamaica Bay Shorebird Festival. He knows the best places to be and is very familiar with the species that frequent JB. Denise Ippolito co-led Arthur Morris’ Jamaica Bay IPT (Instructional Photo Tour) last year and together they will lead a great hands on workshop.

Date: August 13th
Rain date: August 14th
Morning session: 6:00am – 9:30am
Bring your longest lens and a sturdy tripod.
Cost: $195.00
e-mail me for more info.