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As many of you
already know, one of my primary passions in nature photography is
waterfalls. Each is unique in its visual character and can usually be
found in some of the most beautiful of settings. Coupled with a desire
of creating a workshop/trip around this theme, I have been scouting
locations for some time now that would provide a “target rich”
environment as well as photographic variety.
Dominica
located in the
Windward Islands
of the southern
Caribbean
is an ideal spot to feed my passion and serve as a great location to
teach you about the artistic side of waterfall and landscape photography.
With the exploratory trip of 2010 now completed I have located a wide
variety of waterfalls that will serve as our subjects for this workshop.
All are set in beautiful surroundings that will allow us to work on
compositions on a grander scale. A number of the falls also end in
emerald green pools in which you can swim after your photography work is
finished.
OVERVIEW:
Dominica
(pronounced
DOM-IN-EE-KA,
and not to be confused with the
Dominican Republic),
is sparsely populated with around 70,000 people inhabiting its 289.5
square miles. A significant portion of the population lives in and
around the capital city and two smaller towns which leaves the remainder
of the island an arcadia of unspoiled nature. Preserved in the form of
three national parks and two forest reserves, tropical forest covers
almost
two thirds of the island.
Dominica
is also the location of the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the
eastern
Caribbean.
While the island is only 29 miles long and 16 miles wide, it contains
365 rivers and over 29 named waterfalls (and counting). It volcanic
origins still manifest themselves in the form of hot springs and pools,
hot and cold running rivers, and fumaroles that give rise to steam vents
and a boiling lake. Weather at the time of the workshop is in the
mid-80's with humidity levels in the 60% range. For those living in the
snow belts of the world it is a perfect place to spend a
mid-winter break. The waters in both pools, rivers, and ocean are warm
making our photograph sessions and time on the beach rather pleasant. A
number of compositions can be accomplished actually standing in the
middle of the river. There is a high probability of daily rain for short
periods so having clothing that dries quickly (not cotton) is advisable.
All
of the waterfalls (whether well known or “undiscovered”) we will visit
are accessible via trails and a number of them include river crossings
(read wet feet). Hikes to the waterfalls can range from 10 minutes to
around an hour. The trails are across uneven ground that ranges from
rocky to dirt and winds up and down hills. The trails range from
moderately easy to moderately difficult. To have an enjoyable experience
on this trip you should be at least in average physical condition as you
will be required to carry your own camera gear and tripod while on the
trail. Good foot ware is probably more important than your physical
conditions. The foot ware should have good traction (lugs are better
than simple trend), have heal support, and or of a type that are
designed for getting wet or you do not care if they get wet. Flip-flops
and basic Teva's are not advised. This last year I took an old pair of
walking shoes with lugs and they worked very well as they gave me good
support and traction for both trail and river.
At this
time of year there are a number of flowers in bloom in the rainforest so
opportunities for some macro work may also present itself. The
opportunity to photograph wildlife in the rainforest is minimal as the
animals tend to avoid people. The small lizards/geckos are very
photogenic and provide their own opportunities and photographic
challenges. The island is also home to agouties, and bush pigs as well
as a number of snakes (non poisonous). The birdlife in the rainforest
can be extensive in some areas but will mostly heard rather than seen.
In many cases you will be serenaded on the trail by all of the bird
songs (the Mountain Whistler was the 2010 group's favorite).
The 2011 workshop will be a full lecture-, field shoot-, and
critique based similar in format to the Oregon and Teton/Yellowstone
workshops. You will need to arrive in Dominica by the morning of
the first day of the workshop as a lecture is planned for that
afternoon. For the rest of the trip we will be photographing at least
one if not two waterfalls each day and (time permitting) an opportunity
to review your work back at the lodge followed by a formal critique.
Field shoots will all be mentored by me as I will be working with each
of you on site to hone your photographic skills and compositions. There
are also two (weather permitting) sunrise shooting sessions planned on
one of the local beaches and I have also set aside a half day of beach
time where you can relax, swim/snorkel or work on your tan.
 
Our base of operations is a eco-lodge in the
Hibiscus
Valley
(see left image inset) on the east (wet) side of the island located not
far from the
Morne
Trois
Pitons
National Park
and the Carib Territory.
Your rooms are twin bungalows (two per structure with two beds each, a
veranda overlooking the valley, en-suite solar-heated showers and
toilets. Our meals are taken in an open dining area and prepared by a
local chef serving local dishes. I also want to set aside some time to
take in some of the local culture (the island still is home to the
pre-Columbian Carib Indians).
Come join me in an
opportunity to improve your photographic skills on one of the jewels of
the Caribbean. Waterfalls, emerald pools, rainforests, white and black
sand beaches all present you with photographic challenges that will help
you improve your image making while experience one of the last
undeveloped islands in the Caribbean.
RESERVATION INFORMATION:
ON-LINE
REGISTRATION
Workshop costs Include:
Lodging, breakfast and dinner. Ground
transportation service while in Dominica; applicable entrance fees; taxes
and service charges.
Not Include:
Activities not indicated on itinerary;
travel/baggage/accident/cancellation insurance; Dominica departure
taxes; gratuities; guide tips (~$50 USD/person for our main guide); personal use
items such as phone, laundry, etc.
Airfares:
Air fare costs for flights from participants home city to Dominica
are not included. Participant is responsible for making their own
arrangements for an arrival in Dominica for the start of the trip.
A $500.00 USD deposit
is
required at the time of registration with the balance due prior to 120
from the start of the trip.
Reservations:
As I am taking a very limited number of participants, making an early reservation is recommended. You can reserve a place by
either
registering on-line or by calling
Wildlight Photography at (612) 804-7377 during the weekday office hours of 9:00 am-4:30 pm CST.
We accept credit cards, or we will hold your
reservation for seven days, while awaiting your personal check or money
order. Make checks payable to "Mark Lissick/Wildlight Nature Photography".
Payments can be mailed to Mark Lissick/Wildlight Nature Photography, 4501 Oak Drive, Edina, Minnesota 55424.
For international residents: Please contact Wildlight
Nature Photography to discuss payment arrangements.
Cancellation Policy:
Per person charges for cancellations received 120 days or less from the
trip start date are as follows: 120-101 days - 35% of trip cost; 100-81
days - 50% of trip cost; 80-61 days - 65% of trip cost; 60 or fewer days
prior to departure - 100% of trip cost. We recommend that you purchase
cancellation insurance as this policy is strongly adhered to. Note: In
addition of cancellation fees, deposits required to guarantee hotel
rooms or local air transportation may be nonrefundable. The purchase of travel insurance
covering baggage, accident/life and trip cancellation is highly
recommended. Wildlight Nature Photography reserves the right to cancel
any group due to insufficient registration. In the even of such
cancellation, those with reservations shall be notified as soon as
possible and a full refund of trip payment will be given. Wildlight
Nature Photography is not responsible for additional expenses incurred
in preparation for a trip.
Payment represents an acceptance of the
following terms and conditions: Wildlight Nature Photography, its
affiliates and all cooperating airlines and agencies act only in the
capacity of agents in all matter of transportation and tour operation, and
their liability is limited to the terms of the airline tickets, boat, and land
accommodation contracts. They are not responsible for any delays,
inconveniences, accidents, expense or mishap of any kind whatsoever
resulting entirely, or in part, from the negligence of others or from
causes beyond their control. They can accept no responsibility for losses
or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services,
sickness, weather, strike, riot, war, quarantine or other causes. All such
losses or expenses must be born by the participants as program rates
provide for arrangements only for the time stated. The right is reserved
to substitute hotels of similar category for those indicated and to make
any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary or caused by changes
in air schedules, weather or naturally occurring geological events.
Baggage is at owner's risk entirely. No refund can be made for unused
hotel rooms, meals, sightseeing trips or tours unless arrangements are
made at the time of booking. The right is reserved to decline to accept or
to retain any person as a program member for any reason which affects the
operation of the program or the rights, welfare, or enjoyment of the other
program members, and refund or the recoverable land program services is
the limit of the liability of Wildlight Nature Photography and its
affiliates.
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