On June 1st, HFWA hosted our first-ever wildlife photography workshop! The event was held at Harriman State Park in Island Park, and the group was favored by warm weather and beautiful blue skies, creating the perfect backdrop to practice photography.

We had 15 individuals who participated in the class led by Adam Brubaker of Tied to Nature and Steph Magee of StephMageePhotography. Adam and Steph are talented photographers from eastern Idaho who volunteered their time to teach at the workshop. Tracy River, an HFWA board member, and local photographer from Island Park, also assisted in instructing.

The workshop started with a classroom portion taught by both Adam and Steph. They each had a slideshow presentation covering the fundamentals of taking a good photo. Some topics discussed included ISO, aperture, shutter speed, the rule of thirds, and composition.

Adam led a discussion about the ethics of wildlife photography and emphasized that photographers should never disturb wildlife’s natural state.

Participants were then led outside for hands-on photography practice. Adam, Steph, and Tracy went individually to each participant, helping adjust their camera settings and giving them tips and tricks for taking the perfect photo. On the lawn at Harriman, the group had perfect shots of the Henrys Fork, the Grand Teton range, and dozens of birds who call Island Park home.

After some good outdoor practice, the group enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by the Blue Buffalo Grill and participated in a group Q&A session with the three photographers. The event concluded with some final hands-on practice at Silver Lake. Several ducks, geese, swans, and other birds were on the lake for participants to practice their newfound skills.