March 2009 News

March 2009 News from Cardinal Photo
Specialists in Nature & Travel Photography

Trip Insurance in Uncertain Times
2009 SE Asia Safari News
Death Valley, Spring 2010
Cardinal Photo News
 

Spring!

Death Valley, California, is spectacular in spring.  I spent several days shooting there earlier this month and found it nothing short of magical.  Great light, stunning vistas and no crowds.  Interested in shooting with me in March, 2010?  I'm putting a trip together, so pencil it in on your 2010 calendar and email safaris[at]cardinalphoto.com if you're interested.

Thinking about joining us this year?  We still have room on our Texas and Alaska photo safaris.  If you're watching the economy like we are, consider trip insurance that covers employer termination. 

We've confirmed pricing and extensions for our 2009 Southeast Asia Photo Safari. 

Custom Photo Safaris

Quite a few clients have said they'd like to go on another trip with me, but their schedules don't fit the trips we offer. So for groups of six or more, we're pleased to announce that we can construct custom photo safaris to Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, and Alaska. Even if not everyone in the group is a photographer, all of these destinations offer plenty of sites and activities. These trips can be a perfect family experience or a great idea for several couples or individuals who enjoy traveling together but want to have most of the logistics work done for them and make the most out of their hotographic opportunities. Please contact us at safaris[at]cardinalphoto.com.

South Texas Bird Photo Safari April 12-18, 2009
(maximum 6 photographers, just 1 opening left; sold out in 2008)

Based on the continued success of the Lens and Land ranches in the Rio Grande Valley and the great trips we all had this year and last year (a sold out safari with a full set of satisfied participants), I'll be leading another photo safari  in April, 2009. We'll have 5 days of shooting (including several days at the premier Dos Venadas Ranch which is only open to guided groups) and other nearby Lens and Land and other private ranches. South Texas is a unique location and the best place I've ever found to photograph those elusive North American woodland bird and raptor species that have eluded your "life photo" list.

Our host for our annual April South Texas Bird photo safari, Hardy Jackson, won First Place in the very competitive Valley Land Fund photo contest last year! We're looking forward to shooting with him again in April, 2009. If you'd like to join us, there is still one spot open.

Some highlights from our April, 2008 trip.

Alaska Grizzly Bears & Puffins Photo Safari July 2009

Week 1: July 8-15, Week 2: July 14-21 (maximum 6 photographers per week, only a few openings left)

Our July, 2008 trip was our best-ever Alaska Grizzly Bear and Puffin Safari. Everyone got some great images. You can check out some of our favorites  here.  We're ready to go back in 2009 for our tenth year of photographing these amazing creatures. These safaris sell out every year, so please don't delay in contacting us now if you're interested.

Cardinal Photo News

Trip Insurance in an Uncertain Economy: We've heard from a number of our prospective clients that they'd like to go on a trip with us this year but are concerned about the job market.  We recommend that our clients consider getting trip insurance for all our safaris in case of medical illness or other issue.  As part of their trip cancellation insurance, Access America's employer termination benefit  reimburses the purchaser if they, or their traveling companion are terminated or laid off through no fault of their own after the effective coverage date.   Check into Access Ameria's services.  We hope to have you shooting with us this year.

Spring Cleaning Time: You clean out your closets.  Give your PC a tune-up too.  See David's article on Spring-Cleaning Your PC in PC Magazine.

Annie Leibovitz: I heard photo legend Annie Leibovitz speak last week on life behind the lens.  See my short blog on what hit home for me.

 New Web Design:  In the spirit of spring and all things new, we've redesigned our Cardinal Photo website. Let us know what you think.

Infrared Photo: Read David's article on Infrared Digital Photography in PC Magazine Online.

Online photo sharing and book publishing applications continue to be hot topics among our clients.  You'll find great info in our DigitalPro Shooter newsletter. We now offer a tutorial on making your own photo books using Blurb on all our safaris.   Take a look  at what some of our Alaska 2008 clients did with Blurb.

Make Photos Sharp: See our review of nik Sharpener for terrific photo sharpening.

Photo Tips: See our Intermediate Photo-editing tips: Beyond Red-Eye in PC Magazine.

More Spring Cleaning:  Do you have ideas on what to do with your old gear?  Please share them with us in our  Photo Tools Forum.

Botswana Wildlife Photo Safari November 14-26, 2009 (maximum 8 photographers, 4 openings remaining; sold out in 2008)

There is nowhere else in the world that compares to a small group, specialized photo safari to the private concessions in Botswana. We return in 2009 with our seventh Botswana Wildlife Photo Safari. Not only is the wildlife abundant, but the camps are gorgeous. Most importantly there are strict limits on the number of people and vehicles in each concession--and for our photo safaris, a strict limit on the number of people per vehicle. Many days we may not see anyone except the handful of people from our group.  Every trip we've seen not just plenty of lions, hippos, giraffes and antelopes but also cheetahs, leopards and wild dogs. Truly a special trip.

Like most of our Botswana trip, this one sold out and everyone had a great time and got literally thousands of photos. The optional afternoon "tech talk" sessions before the afternoon game drives on topics including auto-focus, panning, and composition were nearly as popular as the evening slideshows and image critiques.

We not only saw all of the "big 5" but spent hours watching wild dogs and gawking as a pride of lion stalked a herd of buffalo with plenty of back and forth action. 2009 should be as good or better as we've really got an excellent system with cooperative camp managers and guides who are always excited to see our "digital photo groups" show up and help us get great images.

Here are some highlights from our May, 2008 trip.

Southeast Asia Temples and Cultures
December 4-17, 2009 (maximum 8 photographers)

Southeast Asia is one of the world's most exotic destinations and one of the most photogenic. The great monument sites of Southeast Asia are unique in their variety and scale. Taken together, sites in Siem Reap (the Angkor Wat temple complex and surrounding sites), along with Yangon, Bagan, and Mandalay in Burma (Myanmar) offer the opportunity of a lifetime to discover the legacy of several of the important cultures which form the Southeast Asian mosaic, as well as the chance to capture stunning images of lasting interest. Optional extension to Inle Lake in Burma or Vientiane and Luang Prabang in Laos.

A recent Wall Street Journal article on travel to Burma provides a nice overview which is sure to increase tourism to this wonderful country.  The experience and local contacts that Cardinal Photo safaris has in Burma ensures that our clients avoid the crowds, see the local color, culture and people and get the shots. Please join us!

Here are some images from our 2008 trip.

Interested in a safari? You can read a sample of participant feedback and testimonials from our past workshops and safaris. You can sign up online for any of our trips, give us a call at +1.650.851-8350 or email us at safaris[at]cardinalphoto.com.