E3: Monday, 25th May 2009 to Saturday, 30th May 2009 - 5 nights

Join acclaimed Canadian photographer Darwin Wiggett for this spring photography event. Discover the many splendours of Bighorn Country and the central parts of Banff and Jasper National Parks in spring - a great time to beat the crowds of summer and enjoy our wildlife and flowers. Darwin and your host will accompany you to some of their favourite locations, so you can experience and capture the rewarding spring scenery and natural attractions found in the lower elevations of the Rocky Mountains. We will be touring in the foothills, front or main ranges, including diverse scenery such as Kootenay Plains, forests, canyons, creeks, waterfalls, reflecting ponds, glaciers and more. Wildlife and close-up subjects are abundant at this time of year.

Again, as with our other photo tours, this is not a seminar style workshop but rather an opportunity for like-minded nature lovers / photographers to get together and discover the beauty of the Rocky Mountains at a lesser known time of year, in a small group, leaving lots of time for picture taking and exploring. Share your experiences and techniques with other participants or allow Darwin to answer your questions and help you with specialised techniques. You should be fit enough to hike for up to two hours on some days with your gear, which will leave plenty of time for photography. For more information on Darwin Wiggett please visit www.darwinwiggett.com.

Any media (digital or film) or format are acceptable, and you should be reasonably familiar with your camera to benefit from the field trips. Those requiring no guidance will be happy to explore the vast variety of excellent locations to shoot, whereas others can learn from Darwin and some of the more experienced participants. Sharing ideas by looking at other participants' approach is one of the benefits pointed out in our past events.  Rather than guaranteeing certain locations and visiting the "icons of the Rockies", the choice of where to go each day is agreed between the organisers and participants on a daily basis, taking into account local weather, subject, lighting or trail conditions. The tour is quite intense in that participants will often be out and about from before dawn (5 am) to after dusk (10 pm), in order to capture the best light. In other words, we intend to spend maximum time in the field! In case of inclement weather, we will be working on "assignments" in the lodge, post-processing digital images taken in the field or learning from Darwin about his own techniques and approach to mountain / landscape photography.

Package includes:

• Five nights accommodation at Aurum Lodge, single occupancy
• Five dinners, five breakfasts and five packed lunches
• Excursions in the area (car pooling with own vehicles)
• Personalized instruction and shooting experience with one of Canada's premier nature photographers. We will spend most of our time in the field to create stunning images and Darwin will be there to guide and assist you in developing your own personal photographic vision.
• C$ 1579 per person. All taxes, meals and tuition included.
• Limit 6 to 7 participants
• In the evenings there will be time to discuss the interests of the participants who are encouraged to bring along a portfolio of their own works to share with the others (slides, digital on CD or prints).
• Workshop starts at 5 pm on the Monday and runs until lunch (about 2 pm) on Saturday. If you wish to arrive earlier or later to maximise your time in the area, extension nights are available at C$ 149 per night plus tax for room with meals.