Taking Your Photography to the Next Level

Come to this great workshop to learn how to take your photography to the next level! This is great for anyone who is aspiring to get their work "out there." 

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP VIII - Taking your photography to the next level

Saturday, March 16, 2013

10:00  A.M. to 12:30 p.m. with Nick Palmieri

Workshop 8 is a geared to those photographers who want to bring their skills to the next level. The program begins by reviewing the value of competition photography, and how the skills used to create winning images can greatly improve your own creative photography. We examine the philosophy of competition, how to capture the images, how to process the images, and finally how to manipulate the images in order to make them stand out. We conclude by discussing how to use image critiques to improve your own photography and how to understand when processing stops and manipulation begins. The programs is geared to photographers at all levels.

Cost: $12 NJ Audubon members $25 nonmembers

Pileated Woodpeckers at Scherman Hoffman

 

  Male Pileated Woodpecker by Stephanie Punnett, Program Director

Female Pileated Woodpecker,  photo from NJ Audubon Collection

Male Pileated Woodpecker by Stephanie Punnett, Program Director

For the past few days, a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers has been actively drilling holes into a large Sassafras tree located at the New Jersey Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary. Within the holes, the woodpeckers find carpenter ants and other food sources.

The pair consists of both a male and a female. The easiest way to distinguish between the genders is to look at the red feathers on the bird’s head. For males, they have a red crest at the back of the head as well as a red forehead. There is also a red streak that runs from the bill towards the back of the head and is commonly called the male’s “moustache.” Females only have the red crest at the back of the head.

Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest species of woodpecker in New Jersey and can be found in the state year-round. If the pair is drilling in the tree at the Sanctuary, they can’t be missed. The Sassafras is located on the right side of the driveway, right before the gate. They are most active in the early morning, but have been seen at other times too. Many birders and wildlife photographers have been frequenting the Sanctuary to observe and photograph the Pileated Woodpeckers.

The Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 11 Hardscrabble Road in Bernardsville. For more information about the Pileated Woodpeckers, please call 908-766-5787. More pictures of the bird can be found at the Scherman Hoffman Facebook page. To learn more about Scherman Hoffman visit www.njaudubon.org/centers/scherman.

Bag It Screening at the Sanctuary

The Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Bernardsville will host a screening of the environmental documentary Bag It, followed by a discussion lead by Lindsey Kayman and Bainy Suri, Esq. of the New Jersey Environmental Lobby. The event will take place on Sunday, March 10 at 2pm.  

Bag It follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier as he takes a closer look at America’s cultural love affair with plastic, particularly plastic bags. Although his quest starts out small, Berrier soon learns that the problems with single-use plastic bags extend past landfills to oceans, rivers and ultimately human health. 

The average American uses about 500 plastic bags each year, for about twelve minutes each. This single-use mentality has led to the formation of a floating island of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean more than twice the size of Texas.

The film explores these issues and identifies how daily reliance on plastic threatens not only waterways and marine life, but human health, too. Two of the most common plastic additives are endocrine disruptors, which have been shown to link to cancer, diabetes, autism, attention deficit disorder, obesity and infertility. 

After the film, Kayman and Suri will speak about the state’s efforts to lessen and eliminate plastic bag use. They are both involved with Sustainable Princeton’s BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) Project, an initiative that encourages people to eliminate single-use plastic and paper bags while shopping. 

Suri is the Director of Strategic Alliances with the Bloomberg BNA. She is a Princeton local and is involved with many different organizations, including various environmental groups and initiatives. Suri serves as the Volunteer Special Events Coordinator for Sustainable Princeton, Board Member for the Princeton Environmental Film Festival, and is a member of the New Jersey Environmental Lobby. 

Kayman is the Director of Environmental Health and Safety at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is also a member of Sustainable Princeton and is a Board Member and Membership Chair at the NJEL. 

Bag It has received awards from 12 environmental film festivals and over 500 community screenings of the film have played since January of 2011.

This event is co-sponsored by New Jersey Audubon, New Jersey Environmental Lobby, and the Environmental Education Fund. It is free and open to the public. 

Great Horned Owl Spotting

Just this morning a Great Horned Owl was spotted here at the Sanctuary! The Great Horned Owl is New Jersey’s most impressive owl. Standing 18-25 inches tall, with a wingspan of 48 to 60 inches, it is indeed a powerful and fearless bird of prey. Its distinguishing characteristics are long feather tufts, large bright yellow eyes, and a white “collar” around the throat. Its deep-pitched, booming notes, “Whoo-whoo-whoo”, repeated three to eight times, can be heard for miles on a still night. We had spotting scopes trained on this beautiful bird and were delighted to see so many people come out to see the owl!

If you are interested in learning more about the Great Horned Owl and other birds please join us at one of our spring programs. Learning the Birds by Song is a birding by ear workshop for birdwatchers of all levels. March 13^th and 20^th will cover the winter resident birds, April 3^rd and 10^th will cover the early migrant birds, and April 17^th and 24^th will cover the summer resident birds.  This workshop is run by, former board member and long-time NJ Audubon volunteer, Randy Little. Randy learned birding as a youngster under the wings of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s founders, and is a master at recording bird songs for the Cornell Lab. For the kids, we have an upcoming workshop on February 9 called Give a Hoot!

Photo taken by Joseph F. Pescatore:

 the spring 2013 featured photographer at the SHWS Wild Life Gallery

Photo taken by Dorothy Smullen

Photo taken by Dorothy Smullen

Some Great Upcoming Programs!

Beat the winter doldrums at Scherman Hoffman this February!

Winter Animal Signs and Tracks

Digital Photography Workshops

New Jersey Audubon has always been an organization that has helped people learn about and experience nature. However, for a long time we have also been a place where people can come to learn about art. We have our natural crafts for the home series, the Isobel Wayrick Wildlife Art Gallery, and we also offer our own digital photography workshop series. 

If you are looking for a way to beat the winter doldrums and learn more about nature photography, the digital photography workshops at Scherman Hoffman will do just that. Although they are a series, you are not required to attend every one, and you can start attending at any time. 

Here are the 2013 workshops. Pre-registration is required and you can call 908-766-5787 to sign up. You can also sign up for multiple workshops at one time. You can learn more about them at co-instructor Dave DesRochers' website.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP VI - Night Photography

Saturday January 12, 2013

10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with Roman Kurywczak

Workshop 6 will focus on techniques of photographing the night sky.  Roman Kurywczak is nationally known for his striking night photography, and will share his methods for this work, many of which he has covered in his instructional ebook, available at http://www.roaminwithroman.com/ebook.html.

Pre-register by January 5. 

Cost: $12 members, $25 nonmembers.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP VII - Landscapes

Saturday February 23, 2013

10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with Dave DesRochers

Workshop 7 will focus on techniques used to photograph landscapes, from the majestic scenery of the American West to the hidden treasures in your own back yard.  In addition to reviewing equipment selection and use, the topics of time of day, weather, composition and light will be covered.  Students will also be introduced to the methods used to create panoramas.

Pre-register by February 16.

Cost: $12 members, $25 nonmembers.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP VIII - Taking your photography to the next level

Saturday, March 16, 2013

10:00A.M. to 12:30 p.m. with Nick Palmieri

Workshop 8 will focus on in camera composition and digital editing techniques to help beginning and intermediate photographers take their photography up a level.  Nick Palmieri will discuss visualization, composition, and editing methods that will lead to more images that participants can enlarge, print, or enter in photography club competitions.

Pre-Register by March 9. 

Cost: $12 members, $25 nonmembers

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP IX - Bird photography
Saturday, April 27, 2013
10:00A.M. to 12:30 p.m. with Jim Gilbert

Workshop 9 will focus on bird photography. Birds present special photographic challenges. Most are small, distant, and rapidly moving much of the time. This workshop will deal with both the field craft needed to approach birds closely enough to photograph, as well as the technical aspects of lens and camera setting selection. The workshop will emphasize knowing the habits of your subject. .

Pre-register by April 20.
Cost: $12 members $25 nonmembers

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP X - Creative nature photography
Saturday, May 4, 2013
10:00A.M. to 12:30 p.m. with Jacki Dickert

Workshop 10 will focus on creative nature photography. Jacki will delve into “the art of seeing,” incorporating elements of design into our images, awakening the imagination, and using the camera to its fullest to create special effects. In addition, we will cover some Photoshop effects and techniques that will allow us to create unique works of art from our photos.

Pre-Register by April 27.
Cost: $12 members, $25 nonmembers.