EXPO 2024! SAVE THE DATE: April 11-14. Let the Celebration of Nature’s Wonders Begin!

EXPO 2024! SAVE THE DATE: April 11-14. Let the Celebration of Nature’s Wonders Begin!

EXPO 2024! Save the date, April 11-14, and let the celebration of nature’s wonders begin!

The Georgia Nature Photographers Association (GNPA) is excited to announce the grand celebration of its 15th anniversary at the GNPA EXPO 2024!  Scheduled to take place from April 11 to April 14, 2024 at the Villas by the Sea in Jekyll Island, Georgia. Jekyll Island is known for its breathtaking coastal beauty, driftwood beach, Spanish moss covered trees, historical sites and serene ambiance serving as the perfect backdrop.  This event promises to be an unforgettable four days of inspiration, education, nature’s incredible beauty and most of all, gathering with old friends and making of new friends. 

As a testament to its decade-and-a-half journey in promoting the art and passion for nature, GNPA is pulling out all the stops for this special occasion.  GNPA has been at the forefront of fostering a community of nature enthusiasts, and the annual EXPO stands as a testament to the organization’s commitment to the art and craft of nature photography.  This 15th anniversary celebration promises to be an unforgettable event uniting nature lovers from across our 9 Chapters. GNPA EXPO 2024 will feature an array of captivating activities, including our “Welcome Aboard” opening gathering, meet your Instructors, workshops with the two keynote speakers, instructional field trips, a photo contest “Georgia On My Mind” with 15-1st Place, 15-2nd Place and 15-3rd Place Ribbons, “Best in Show” trophy, enlightening sessions by two esteemed keynote speakers and at the close of the Expo there will be an announcement of the rules and timeframe of the “Post Jekyll Photo Contest” with lots of awards.

Participants will have the incredible opportunity to enhance their skills and broaden their photographic horizons through diverse field-trips conducted by our GNPA instructors.  These sessions will cover various aspects of nature photography from sunrises, sunsets, night photography including the milky way, water in movement, inland & shore birds, creative images and an adventure through the Okefenokee Swamp for sunrise and sunset by tour guides.

One of the highlights of the event includes hearing from two renowned keynote speakers, Lisa Langell and Tony Sweet, acclaimed figures in the world of nature photography.  Tony and Lisa bring with them a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and inspiration that is sure to captivate and motivate attendees.  Special giveaways during their sessions from Lisa & Tony!

“Georgia On My Mind” Competition:
Participants are to submit 1 entry by Deadline-Midnight on Sunday, March 3, 2024.  All 1st Place winners (15) will be afforded the opportunity of a 4-hour Semi-Private Instructional Workshop on Thursday, April 11th, with either Lisa Langell or Tony Sweet (judges).

The GNPA Board, Committee Members, Chapter Coordinators, Instructors and the Keynote Speakers are excited to see you at the 15th Anniversary EXPO 2024!  So mark your calendar (April 11-14, 2024) for this exceptional event.  It will be an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of nature through the lens and be a part of this remarkable milestone in GNPA’s journey.

It’s time to book your room:  Check in: Thursday, April 11th  Check out: Sunday, April 14th, 2024

Villas by the Sea, 1175 N. Beachview Dr., Jekyll Island, Georgia  31527  1-800-841-6262  Mention you are a GNPA Member & give them our Group #537437 for your special rate (deadline for special rate is March 3, 2024)

VillasbytheSeaResort.com    

*Mini Villa/Studio Villa–One Bedroom-Two Bedroom-Three Bedroom*

Registration details and a schedule of events will be posted soon on the website. 

Opening Registration:  Registration Opens Soon at GNPA.org

Closing:  Sunday, March 3, 2024

 

Mission

Georgia Nature Photographers Association is dedicated to helping nature photographers of all skill levels improve their photography, learn and grow, network with outdoor photographers and participate in exciting trips and events. Through our work, we share our appreciation for the natural world and spotlight the value of nature as a photography special interest.

Our goal is to become the Southeast’s premier nature photography club, and we welcome your help guiding and molding GNPA into the amazing future ahead.

5th Annual OIWC/GNPA Photo Contest Winners

5th Annual OIWC/GNPA Photo Contest Winners

The winners of the 5th Annual OIWC/GNPA Photo Contest were announced on October 21st, 2023 at a Photographers Award/Reception event at Oatland Island Wildlife Center.

The winners of the contest were as follows:

Landscape Category

1st – River Dragon, William Harrell (shown above, © all rights reserved)

2nd – Driftwood Milky Way, Morey Gers

3rd – Looking over the Marsh, Marti Shriver

Honorable Mention – Driftwood Beach – Jekyll Island State Park, Caleb Caudill

Honorable Mention – Ossabaw – Main Road, Morey Gers

Honorable Mention – Cypress Splendor, Ruth McCully

Minimalism Category

1st – Adrift, Ruth McCully (shown above, © all rights reserved)

2nd – Sunrise, Jacqueline Bedell

3rd – Weaver’s Web, Ruth McCully

Honorable Mention – Great Egret – Modern Dance, Susanne Swing Thompson

Honorable Mention – Preening Egret, Morey Gers

Honorable Mention – Sticking a Landing, Ray Silva

Found at Oatland Island Wildlife Center Category

1st – The Tree, Morey Gers (shown above, © all rights reserved)

2nd – Window Reflection, Marti Shriver

3rd – Wolf, Lynne Daley

Honorable Mention – Flower on Oatland Island, Jack Watts

Honorable Mention – Pensive Wolf, Morey Gers

Honorable Mention – Showing Off, Jack Watts

Wildlife Category

1st AND Best in Show – Banded Water Snake w/ Blue Dasher Dragonfly, Susanne Swing Thompson (shown above, © all rights reserved)

2nd – Little Blue Family Portrait, Morey Gers

3rd – Tybee Manatees, William Harrell

Honorable Mention – Pelican at First Light, Jack Watts

Honorable Mention – Salacia’s Bonnet, Jill Howard Church

Honorable Mention – Singular, Alyson Betz

A Gallery of all these winning photos was hung at the Oatland Island Wildlife Center. The framed photos are for sale with 25% of each sale going to the Friends of Oatland Island.

To Access the Online Gallery of All Winners CLICK HERE.

To Access the Video Announcement with the Judge’s critiques CLICK HERE.

Thanks to all the participants of this contest. There were so many awesome photos that were entered! Your participation is appreciated.

 

2023 Double Vision – “Water Through Georgia: From Mountains to the Sea” Photo Exhibit and Competition Winners

2023 Double Vision – “Water Through Georgia: From Mountains to the Sea” Photo Exhibit and Competition Winners

Best in Show – Cypress Fog by Barry Vangrov. Article by Kathy Aspy.

 

Each fall, GNPA partners with the Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC) and the Roswell Fine Arts Association (RFAA) for an event in the annual citywide Atlanta Celebrates Photography.  Twenty-four (24) photographic images were selected to be exhibited in the CNC River Resource Gallery in Roswell, Georgia, from over 180 photos submitted by GNPA photographers.  These photos were then given to RFAA be interpreted by their member artists. When brought to the CNC for hanging, the photographic image and the artist’s interpretation were hung side-by-side…thus the Double Vision title.

The theme of this year’s gallery is “Water Through Georgia: From Mountains to the Sea.”

In previous years, this exhibit has been very well received.  From the opening reception for the artists, to the walk-through traffic at the CNC, visitors were very enthusiastic of the concept.

Please come by the nature center and see the full gallery and enjoy some photography while you are there. (https://www.chattnaturecenter.org/)

First Place – Lotus Position – Thomas Yackley

This year winners are:

People’s Choice – Linda Coatsworth

HM – The Mirage- Sara Aspy

HM – Jekyll Sunset – Annamarie Rewal

Third – Fiery Sky Over Lake Lanier – Cory Huntington

Second – Golden Cypress Forrest – Barry Vangrov

First Place – Lotus Position – Thomas Yackley

Best in Show – Cypress Fog – Barry Vangrov

Click here to view all the winning images. 

Friends of GA State Parks Needs You – And Your Camera – On September 23rd!

Friends of GA State Parks Needs You – And Your Camera – On September 23rd!

Featured Image by Lisa Westberry.

Photo Credit: Jimmy Cash

Saturday, September 23, 2023, is National Public Lands Day. As part of commemorating this day, Friends of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites (Friends) hosts Your State Parks Day, a day when volunteers arrive at Parks throughout the state to participate in park projects and give back to the places that offer us a wonderful setting in which to enjoy nature. Friends is a Conservation Partner with GNPA and would love to have a photographer on hand at each park to record the efforts of the volunteers.

This year, Friends are launching a state-wide project to help park guests and volunteers learn about birds, bats, and bees, and the crucial role these and other pollinators provide in our day-to-day world. Projects will include trail clean up, installing bat boxes, beautifying areas around park offices and entrances, sprucing up or planting pollinator gardens, and a variety of other tasks depending on individual Park needs.

Photo Credit: Lisa Westberry

Times may vary from park to park, but most participate from 9 AM to 2 PM. No problem if you have an afternoon commitment and need to leave a bit early. At some parks drinks and lunch will be provided and work usually stops between 12 and 1 when everyone gathers to eat. Entry into the Parks will be free for anyone volunteering and all volunteers will receive a free t-shirt.

Friends is asking for GNPA photographers to take photos of the volunteers at work. Photos will be used on social media, in Friends publications and mailings, and may be archived to promote Your State Parks Day in future years. Our partners at Friends provide full photo credit to both the photographer and to GNPA whenever an image is used.

Photo Credit: Lisa Westberry

GNPA members are mostly nature photographers, not event or portrait photographers. However, Your State Parks Day is an easy event to shoot. Volunteers are glad to be there and love being photographed while they work. No special equipment is needed, just a camera. If you’re not there, someone will be taking photos with a cell phone – great for social media, but not so great for print purposes. Photographing this event is much like taking candid photos of your own family, including the group shots where someone is invariably looking in the wrong direction!

Photo Credit: Lisa Westberry

It’s a no-stress event. Interested?? Please email Lisa Westberry at cons_dnr@gnpa.org to get more information and/or sign up. She can provide more details on how to shoot the event, which park is near you, answer any questions, etc. Mark September 23 on your calendar and bring your camera to a state park for a fun morning!

 

 

 

Photo Credit for above three images: Jimmy Cash

 

 

DEADLINE EXTENDED: FernBank Solar Eclipse and Lunar Blood Moon Photo Exhibit

DEADLINE EXTENDED: FernBank Solar Eclipse and Lunar Blood Moon Photo Exhibit

GNPA has been asked to solicit members for their photos of past Solar Eclipse and Blood Moon events for possible exhibition at the Fernbank Science Center. The exhibit will be comprised of about 40 images. These can be single photos or a set of photos that could portray the waxing and waning of either or both events in 5 to 7 photos.

There is no submission fee.

NOTE: If you submit your images and they are selected, you will be responsible for printing, matting/framing, and delivering framed photos to the Fernbank Science Center on a date yet to be determined.

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Submissions due by Midnight of September 10th.
  • To submit multiple entries, you can zip them up and do a single submission, please use the following naming conventions:
    • Naming convention for JPGs: lastname-firstname-title-number-endnumber.jpg
    • Naming convention for zip file: lastname-firstname-totalnumber.jpg

  • No signatures on photos submitted.
  • Maximum of 1200 pixels on the longest side and not exceed 3 MB in size. If sending a set of waxing and waning photos, please number them in numerical order.
  • Photos will be selected by an independent group of experienced photographers in conjunction with staff from the Fernbank Science Center.
  • Notifications of selection will be made by email no later than September 9th with details about delivering to Fernbank. This is a quick turnaround event.
  • Selected images will need to be framed in black wood frames no more than 1.5″ wide, with single white matting from 1″ to 3″ with longest side not to exceed 26″ and no images less than 16″x16″.

This is not a competition but an opportunity to have your photos selected for exhibition.

Deadline to submit these entries is September 10th @ 11:59 pm.

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