Workshops
We offer photography workshops for photographers of all calibers. Whether you simply want to learn how to use your digital point-and-shoot camera, take your DSLR abilities to the next level, learn the special techniques involved with wildlife and macro photography or how to edit your photographs to make them stand out from the crowd we will have a class for you.
South Texas Pro-Am Tournament (Pro-Am Us™)
Join Jeff at the Tacubaya Ranch
May 17-21, 2011
Join Pro-Tour Photographer and award-winner, Jeff Parker, on our historic 3,200-acre Tacubaya Ranch as he leads an Images for Conservation Pro-Am Us™ Tournament in the Rio Grande Valley during spring migration.
The Pro-Am combines a workshop and a fun photo contest into one power-packed 4-day, 5-evening event and is open to anyone with a digital SLR camera.
As Jeff coaches you, he’ll:
1) educate you about the South Texas wildlife you’ll see.
2) teach you new photo techniques.
3) show you the special tricks pros use to win photo contests.
Jeff & us at the Tacubaya Ranch have four main goals in mind:
1) You’ll leave a better photographer.
2) You’ll benefit from the competitive experience.
3) You’ll experience amazing South Texas wildlife (& not just birds).
4) You’ll have a fantastic time!
Experiencing a Pro-Am with Jeff
Pull it all together – great coaching, plenty of learning opportunities, the cooperative competitive experience, the professionally prepared set-ups at our historic South Texas ranch, lots of fun and you have a nature-photography experience like no other!
Join Jeff’s Pro-Am Us™ and you’ll be a proud member of a Pro-Am Tournament team as you and your teammates battle against another Pro-Am Tournament team located on another South Texas ranch.
We kick things off on Thursday, May 17th, with an Opening Night Party. Relax and get to know Jeff and our family, the Chavez’s, who still run the Tacubaya Ranch today, a century and a half after the King of Spain granted this land our ancestors. You’ll also get a chance to meet the folks from the team on the other South Texas ranch against which you’ll wage friendly competition. Take this chance to ask questions about the procedures, rules, etc., so that when you get to the blind for the morning shoot you’ll be completely at ease.
Friday morning, May 18th, begins with a morning shoot and ends with an evening shoot, both perfectly timed to catch the sweetest light and the most animal activity. So, too do Saturday, May 19th and Sunday, May 20th. On Monday, May 21st, Jeff promises a morning shoot but, due to the Closing Night Party, can’t promise an evening shoot (he’ll try for one, though!).
Each evening (except the first and the last), Jeff will work with you and the others on your team as you choose submissions for the competitive portion of the Pro-Am Us™. Each day ends with excitement when you enter the image you’ve chosen for judging via Internet.
As you head into the blind the next morning to enjoy a new day of photo adventures, you and the others find yourselves exhilarated. With the approach of lunchtime the wondering begins: “Will I be one of the winners from the day before?” Mid-day brings growing anticipation as the time draws closer to discover how everyone fared from the previous night’s judging.
That evening, before submitting that day’s entry, Jeff will work with you and the rest of your group and discuss the winning images from the day before. As he critiques them, he’ll help you understand: How did the other entries compare to mine? What can I do to make my next image better? How have I already improved? In addition, you and the others discuss these very questions amongst yourselves and, as you also learn from one another, you realize how many dimensions there to the competitive experience as a terrific learning tool.
The Pro-Am Tournament ends with a Closing Night Party, dinner and awards’ ceremony. After 4 days of fun and 4 exciting nights of judging, total scores are tallied for Grand Prize, Second, Third, and Honorable Mention awards. Also, throughout, daily winners have also been announced.
But what about prizes?
Pro-Am Tournaments aren’t high-stakes photo competitions. Instead, to keep the emphasis on what can be gained from the experience, Images for Conservation derives the prize-pot from the total of registration fees collected so the actual amount of cash awarded depends upon the number of participants. That means a fully-booked Pro-Am Us™ has a total prize-pot of $720. (This is based on the current registration fee of $60 per participant.) In addition to overall Pro-Am Tournament winners, there will be token individual daily winnings of 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
In other words, don’t do this for the money. Instead, do it for better reasons! Fun, raising your skills to a new level, new experiences and the sort of learning that comes from a cooperative competitive environment are even loftier goals.
Space is limited to six (6) participants. For more information email Jeff at jparker@JeffParkerImages.com or register now at www.JeffParkerImages.com.
Cost: $1560
The 4 Day/5 Night Pro-Am Tournament costs $1500 plus a $60 registration fee.
Lodging, meals (except for two dinners) and transportation to the workshop not included.
Lodging and all meals can be added for only $500.