Pro Tips Shoot: $50.00 per person
“Some Models Have Runways, Ours Have Perches”
Photographers of every level will enjoy the unique and up close experience of a private raptor photo shoot. Wildlife educators CLAWS, Inc. will bring their amazing birds for you to photograph in the park’s natural setting. Register for either the general photo session or the professional photographer-led session. Bring your cameras; we'll bring the experts and the wildlife!
Animals can be extremely difficult to film in the wild and this is especially true of birds. During this photo shoot you will be able to take images of captive models but in a natural setting. Using Little River Regional Park as the backdrop, you can create dynamic and compelling images for personal or professional use.
· Small groups - ensure a quality experience for beginner and advanced photographers
· Unique photographic opportunities - from portraits to birds in habitat
· Local professional photographer - share their knowledge so you can sharpen your digital photography skills
Details
Photographers meet at the park’s Small Shelter and separate into groups for a brief introduction. Groups will then be led by a CLAWS volunteer around the paved trail to four different bird stations. Each station will feature a different family of bird. Groups will have 30-40 minutes at each station. Animal handlers will position the birds for a variety of shots. After photographing all four stations, we will break for lunch (not provided). During the break, new birds will be brought to the stations and when lunch is finished, groups repeat the circuit.
Pro Tips: For those who want a little help with their digital photography skills, one group will have a local professional photographer available to answer questions for an additional fee.
Please bring a lunch. Coolers will be available for storage. A water cooler and cups will be located at the Small shelter.
A limited number of carts will be on-hand for wheeling heavy equipment around the trail.
Please follow the instructions of the animal handlers. Each bird may react differently to having people and cameras so close. We want you and the birds to enjoy this experience and be as safe as possible.
Your Subjects: CLAWS are one of only 17 licensed raptor educators in the state of North Carolina. They incorporate information about each species including native habitat, environmental adaptations, behavioral traits, dietary habits and their status in the wild.
You will be photographing a variety of bird species including*: American Crow, Barred Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, Great Horned Owl, American Kestrel, Coopers Hawk, Black Vulture, Merlin Falcon, African Raven, Barn Owl, Red-tailed Hawk, and Red-shouldered Hawk.
*All species of birds may not be available the day of the photo shoot. CLAWS staff will make a final determination the day of the photo shoot based on the health and well-being of the animals.
Your Time Frame: There will be an orientation meeting at 10am in the Small Shelter where we’ll review the subjects of our photo shoot, sort into groups and go over the day’s activities.
Each group will then proceed to one of the bird stations located along around a wide, paved walking trail that meanders through the woods. There are four stations, each with a different family of bird: corvid, hawk, owl and falcon. There will be at least two birds at each station. CLAWS volunteers will position the birds so that photographers can take a variety of shots with different backgrounds. Groups will spend 30-40 minutes photographing the birds at that station and then proceed to the next station. After completing all four stations, groups will take an hour break for lunch. A new set of birds will be brought to the stations and photographing will resume after the break. If time allows, groups may have an opportunity at the end of the day to revisit certain birds.
Your Professional Photographer: S. P. Murray literally cannot remember a time when she didn’t have a camera in her hands, and her amazing relationship with light has led her on some fantastic journeys working for everyone from North Carolina’s Our State Magazine to The Boston Globe to National Geographic Traveler Seminars.
She is the grand prizewinner of the prestigious 2016 National Press Photographers Women in Visual Journalism competition and she never forgets what a privilege it is to try to give a voice to someone else's story in one brief moment of captured time.
Benefits of this photo shoot: If you are a professional photographer this photo shoot will provide you with quality, saleable shots. For those photographing as a hobby or for amateur photo competitions, this photo shoot can provide you a wide range of subject matter.
Those who sign up for the Pro Tips Photo Shoot have the added benefit of professional guidance on things like composition, lens choice and exposure.
Food: Please pack a lunch or snacks as there is no vending or concession sales on site. Restaurant options are a 20-30 minute drive from the park. There are several gas stations within a three-mile radius of the park that carry your typical convenience store fare. There is a refrigerator on-site that will be available to store lunch items. Please clearly label what you bring. We will provide water and cups at the Small Shelter.
Directions: Little River Regional Park is located off Guess Road a mile past the Durham/Orange County line. The address is 301 Little River Park Way, Rougemont, NC 27572.
From Durham, take the Guess Rd exit north from I-85. The park entrance is approximately 7 miles on the right.
From Hillsborough, take Hwy. 57 north approximately 7 miles to Guess Rd. Turn right on Guess Rd and travel approximately 3 miles, the park entrance will be on your left.
Portfolio Sharing: If you use your photos for professional purposes, please consider attributing CLAWS in your photos. The exposure you give to them helps the educational and rehabilitation work they do.
Rain date: If the weather on the 16th forces us to cancel the photo shoot, we will retry on October 21st. Same rules apply.
Downtime in the event of rain: Should showers hamper our photography, we will convene under the Small Shelter until we can continue our tour. Depending on the forecast, we may bring the birds to the shelter and set up lighting for some intimate raptor shots and some question and answer time with our professional photographer and CLAWS volunteers.
Register
Online registration is available through the Orange County Parks Department:
Fees:
Program #: 914101-A - General Photo Shoot: $35.00
Program #: 914101-B - Pro Tips Shoot: $50.00
Photo Shoot Minimum/Maximum: 15 min/40 max
Register early to ensure the program meets the minimum number.
Registration Deadline: September 9, 2017
A tutorial on using the WebTrac online registration system can be found here: Using WebTrac
If you have questions about the photo shoot or registration, please call the Little River Park Office: 919-732-5505.
If you have questions about the animals being brought to the photo shoot, please contact CLAWS, Inc. at 919-619-0776.
September Park hours: 8am - 7pm
(Not So) Still Life Photo Shoot Pre-registration required! 
