by Tammy Cash | Jul 27, 2022 | SHOOT WITH US
Two Dates:
July 29 @ 7:00 am – 10:00 am (Bonus opportunity – a little Lensbaby tutelage)
August 3 @ 7:00 am – 10:00 am
Summer is for sunflowers, so let’s meet at the sunflower field at Henderson’s Lakeside Farms in Cumming and photograph sunflowers. On the July 29th trip bring your Lensbaby if you have one, and we will have a few to borrow (Nikon and Canon mounts) if you just want to try one out under the tutelage of Anna Destefano. Anna will be available to help you get started and/or to answer any Lensbaby questions.
You must be a dues-paying member of GNPA to attend this event. Not a member? Go to www.gnpa.org to learn more about our organization and to join. We look forward to meeting you! Current member may click here to register.
Henderson’s Lakeside Farms
3055 Pilgrim Mill Road
Cumming, GA 30041 (Forsyth County)
Website – https://www.hendersonslakesidefarm.com/
Note: Apple maps may initially show this address as Suwanee.
Directions from metro Atlanta area: SR-400 North to Exit 16, Pilgrim Mill Road. Turn right on Pilgrim Mill Road (toward Lake Lanier). The sunflower field is on your left in just under 2 miles.
We will meet in the parking area at 7:00AM. At least some areas remain shaded until around 10AM, so we should have at least 3 hours to shoot.
Bring a short zoom lens, maybe a longer telephoto, a macro, a lensbaby … You can probably find a use for just about any lens here. A tripod will be useful if you plan to do any focus stacking.
Admission is $25 per car. Photographer pricing listed online and on social media refers to photographers bringing in clients to photograph with the flowers.
Group size: 25
Accessibility: The ground is soft, grassy, and very wet in the early morning.
Restroom availability: porta-potties on site
Bring water, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a hat. If rain is forecast, bring rain gear for you and your equipment, although you will not be far from your car. The ground is very wet early in the morning, so waterproof footwear is recommended.
To learn more and to register visit https://gnpa.org/calendar/
by Tammy Cash | Jul 21, 2022 | SHOOT WITH US
Join GNPA’s dragonfly guru Tom Wilson at Arrowhead WMA for a morning of dragonfly photography on Monday, July 25th.
Arrowhead Wildlife Management Area consists of 338 acres of lakes, managed ponds, and wetland habitat, which attract waterfowl and, more to our purpose on this trip, multiple species of dragonflies and damselflies. Tom has photographed more than 30 different species of Odonata here, including Two-striped Forceptail and Flag-tailed Spinyleg.
You must be a dues-paying member of GNPA to attend this event. Not a member? Go to www.gnpa.org to learn more about our organization and to join. We look forward to meeting you! Member can click here to register.
Bring your longest telephoto lens that also allows you to get a good maximum reproduction ratio, one with vibration reduction if you will be hand-holding. You may also want a carrying strap or a monopod or tripod. For example, Tom uses a Nikon D500 with a 200-500mm zoom lens and a Black Rapid strap for carrying it.
IMPORTANT: A GA Lands Pass or fishing or hunting license is required to access this property. The least expensive option is a fishing license. You must purchase your license prior to arrival. You can purchase at a local retailer or online at www.gooutdoorsga.com . Use the GoOutdoorsGA app and you can keep your license on your phone. An annual fishing license is $15 and is good for accessing any WMA land.
We will meet outside the N.W. Region Department Headquarters of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Game Management, which is adjacent to Arrowhead Environmental Education Center. The Center is not open to the public, but we will meet in the parking area for the Georgia DNR offices and then head back to the parking area for the ponds.
2592 Floyd Springs Road
Armuchee, GA 30105
Accessibility: Gravel road may not be suitable for wheelchair or scooter access
There are no restrooms available at this site. If you travel through Adairsville on the way, that’s a good place to stop.
Wear shoes or boots that can get muddy. Insect repellent for mosquitoes and ticks is a must. Also bring sunscreen and a hat. Bring plenty of water and/or Gatorade, maybe a snack. It will be hot.
For questions contact Tom Wilson at communications@gnpa.org.
by Tammy Cash | Jun 21, 2022 | SHOOT WITH US
Join fellow GNPA photographers for a Sunday morning photo shoot at Gibbs Gardens hosted by Jenny Burdette and Horace Hamilton. We will find roses, hydrangeas, magnolias, waterlilies, day lilies, and canna lilies, in addition to a host of annual flowers and other perennials. Photography opportunities at Gibbs include intimate landscapes, macro, sweeping views of blooms, and reflections in the numerous ponds.
Park and meet the group in the parking lot, outside the main entrance.
You must be a dues-paying member of GNPA to attend this event. Not a member? Click here to learn more about our organization and to join. We look forward to meeting you!
Lenses that may be useful include a short telephoto lens, a long telephoto lens (especially if you want to photograph the waterlilies), a macro lens, a wide-angle lens, and a Lensbaby. You may also want to bring a monopod or tripod, a circular polarizing filter, a neutral density filter, and extension tubes.
Tickets may be purchased online prior to your visit or in person on arrival. If you have a season pass, bring your pass and photo ID.
Ticket prices: $20 + tax, $18 + tax (65 and older)
Maximum number of participants: 20
Accessibility: The Valley Gardens (Japanese Gardens, Grandchildren’s Sculpture Garden, Waterlily Gardens) are wheelchair or electric scooter accessible. The Wildflower Meadows, Manor House Gardens, and Inspiration Gardens are not accessible. After periods of heavy rain, consult Gibbs Gardens’ website to check conditions prior to your visit.
According to Gibbs website, Uber and Lyft will drop off but NOT pick up at the Gardens. Once you arrive at Gibbs, there is no cell service. Please be sure that you will have transportation when it is time to leave.
As of now, the Tram is NOT operating.
Restrooms are available in the Visitor Center.
The Arbor Cafe is open from 10-4 and serves snacks, sandwiches, and drinks. The Cafe takes cash or credit cards.
GPS directions often take you about a mile past the main entrance. If you are driving north on Yellow Creek Road, turn right at the first sign for Gibbs Gardens, about 3.5 miles north of Old Federal Road and possibly a mile or so before your GPS thinks you are there.
Bring water, comfortable walking shoes, insect repellent, sunscreen, a hat, and rain gear for you and your camera.
Group size: 20
To register and learn more important details click here.
by Tammy Cash | May 27, 2022 | SHOOT WITH US
Join the GNPA’s Coastal Chapter for their June field trip at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta, Georgia! Time permitting there will also be a visit to Audubon’s Silver Bluff Sanctuary and Brick Pond Park.
We hear the possibilities for bird photography in these areas are huge! Dr. Bill Lutin who lives in the area and is an avid bird photographer will be our guide.
“Our mission is to provide leadership for sustainable watersheds and economic vitality through research, education and by connecting people with nature. The vision of Phinizy Center is that every community will have a healthy environment that includes clean water and watersheds.” ~Phinizy Center for Water Sciences
To register and learn more click here or visit https://www.meetup.com/Georgia-Coastal-Chapter-Georgia-Nature-Photographers-Assn/events/285963937/ . Registered members will meet in the parking lot of Phinizy Swamp Nature Park at 7:30AM. The address is 1858 Lock and Dam Rd., Augusta, GA. Call 912-659-7064 if you are going to be late or can’t find us.
It is about a 25 minute drive from Phinizy Nature Center to Audubon’s Silver Bluff and another 25 minute drive from Audubon’s Silver Bluff to Brick Pond Park.
Bring your preferred lenses. Suggestions: A long lens for photographing wildlife, and a shorter lens or wide angle lens for landscapes or macro. Tripods will also be very helpful.
There will be no fees for Phinizy Center, Silver Bluff or Brick Pond Park.
There are restrooms at Phinizy Center Nature Park.
Bring water, snacks, comfortable walking shoes, rain gear for you and your camera, insect repellant and hat if needed. Check the weather forecast beforehand and dress for the weather and come prepared.
Group size: 15 max. GNPA Field Trips are for PAID GNPA MEMBERS ONLY.
Not paid up? Visit: https://gnpa.org/membership-join-us/
by Tammy Cash | Apr 25, 2022 | SHOOT WITH US
By: Bill White. Image by John Heinhold.
Join the GNPA team on Saturday, April 30, 2022, as photographers from Georgia and Tennessee will descend on Dallas in Paulding County to participate in the North Georgia Camera Club Council (NG3C) Thirteenth Annual Shootout photography competition.
The event will be held at the Chattahoochee Tech Paulding Campus location on Nathan Dean Boulevard in Dallas, GA starting at 8:00 a.m. Participants will be tasked with photographing subject matter illustrating randomly chosen topics from five photographic categories: Technique, Composition, Nature, Architecture, and Conceptual Photography. Following the assignment of topics, photographers will spread out into the community to create images for the competition.
Each club will submit its best entries to NG3C by 2:00 p.m. There will be lectures and door prizes through the afternoon whilst the images are being judged and ranked. The winning photographs and the photographers along with their clubs will be announced at an awards program held at 5:00 p.m.
Email president@gnpa.org to join the team.
by Tammy Cash | Apr 16, 2022 | SHOOT WITH US
Join the Coastal Chapter on April 23rd for their field trip to tour Bear Island WMA, Donnelley WMA, and the Old Sheldon Church Ruins (pictured above). The group size is limited to 20. To learn more and register, click here.
“Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, owned by the SC Department of Natural Resources, is managed to provide quality habitat for wintering waterfowl and other wetland wildlife including threatened and endangered species such as woodstorks and bald eagles.”
“Donnelley WMA is named in honor of the late Gaylord Donnelley and his wife Dorothy for the contributions they made to the ACE Basin Project and conservation across the continent. Donnelley WMA is owned and managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Ducks Unlimited, The National Wild Turkey Federation, US Army Corps of Engineers, The Nature Conservancy and other conservation interests participated in establishing the property.”
“Sheldon Church, formerly known as the Prince William Parish Church, has a tumultuous and eventful history. From its first service in 1757 to its present peaceful setting, the church has followed the travails of our nation’s history. It is one, if not the first church built in temple form in the United States.”
Bring your preferred lenses. Suggestions: A long lens for photographing the wildlife, a shorter lens or wide angle lens for landscapes, and a macro lens for macro. Tripods are also helpful. Use filters if you know why (what effect) you are trying to achieve with them.
There are no fees for Bear Island, Donnelley, or the Sheldon Church Ruins. GNPA Field Trips are for Paid GNPA Members only. Not a GNPA member? Visit: https://gnpa.org/membership-join-us/
