April Showers - Already Here

It’s been raining now for two days in NJ and I expect we will get much more before May comes. The wind last night was so intense that I could hear my windows rattle throughout the night. I was thinking that a tree might come down with one of the gusts that sounded like it was 60mph. It ended up that only a few branes fell…

Last week when I went to Longwood Gardens I photographed some Cineraria and wanted to share them here. Cineraria is part of the Aster family, Longwood, has a hybridized blue strain that they have been displaying annually in their Conservatory since 1912. I adore any daisy type flower. I also like Osteospermum aka African Daisy with their bright color palette.

Below are some of the colorful blooms that I photographed during my visit to Longwood. All photographed with my Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera and the Voigtlander 42.5 Macro lens with an f/0.95. Handheld, manual mode, manual focus, natural light. I kept the first bloom a bit dark when processing as I preferred the darker blue tone.

Himalayan Blue Poppies

I went to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania yesterday with a friend/client to see the annual display of Himalayan Blue Poppies. They only bloom for about 2 weeks and once word gets out it is usually swamped. This year with Covid the gardens did a great job reducing the number of visitors at one time with their timed tickets.

I was slightly disappointed as the Orchid room and attached green houses were closed for renovations as well as the gift shop. The main room in the conservatory was open but I felt slightly limited with my photo options. There were beautiful flowers on display as usual and there is always something special at Longwood.

There is now table seating (instead of the buffet line) with a limited menu. The mushroom soup was as good as I remember!

Longwood no longer allows tripod use in the Conservatory and they have very strict guidelines in place making photography almost a thing of the past at Longwood…

However, the blue poppies are always worth a visit in my opinion!

12-40mm Olympus lens @f/5.6

Voightlander @f/0.95

For all of the images above I used my Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera . I knew I would be handholding and light gear was the ticket. Plus Olympus has the 5 axis image stabilization and fully articulating screen that I love so much. I did find it hard to photograph with a mask on-I kept fogging up the viewfinder so all of these were created using the back screen and manual focus-as always.

I used two lenses while I was there - my go-to Olympus ED 12-40mm f/2.8 and the extreme shallow depth of field Voigtlander 42.5 Macro lens with an f/0.95.

Photoshop Editing Workshop

I have decided to add a third Photoshop Editing Workshop-details below:

Photoshop Editing Workshop via Zoom. This will be an intense one day class geared towards how I use Photoshop Layers & Masks, Lightroom/ Adobe Camera Raw selectively and apply my own Photoshop Quick Tips to my nature images.

Date- Wednesday April 7th, 2021.

Time- 10:00am EST to 4:00pm EST with an hour lunch break.

Requirements- participants must have basic knowledge of Photoshop to attend. Must download or already have Zoom on their computer. Zoom has a free program and that is all that is needed.

Class size will be small -limit 12 with a minimum of 8.

All participants will be given an image file with a homework assignment (something we covered during the program) at the end of the workshop that they can share their finished assignment with the group.

Hand-outs will be given after the workshop.

To sign up for this workshop CLICK HERE.

Bear Catching Salmon Tour!!

July 25-August 1st, 2021

This trip is a definite go!! I just spoke to our outfitter and he told me that everything was A-OK and the staff was awaiting our arrival!

Our adventure begins at our remote, riverfront lodge- deep in bear country, accessible only by bush plane. Each morning we will head out via boat to photograph wild coastal brown bears as they fish for salmon on the shoreline.  We will be visiting at the height of the salmon run which translates to a plethora of photo opportunities. During this time it’s possible to see over 20 bears in a single day as well as a variety of other wildlife including moose, seal and walrus, beaver, wolverine, porcupine river otter, fox, caribou, wolves, eagles on nests, etc..

Our back country lodge sits on 160 acres of prime river frontage in an iconic section of the Alagnak River known as the upper braids. This river runs through Katmai National Park. Katmai is one of the most prized destinations for wildlife viewing in Alaska, with the highest population of brown bears in the world.

All guest cabins, including the main lodge (where we will have our meals together) have spectacular views of the Alagnak river ,making this a true wilderness experience.

I will work closely with each of you a well as our guides to make sure that we maximize our photo opportunities each day; this will require us to be flexible. On all of my nature workshops I never have a set itinerary, since we are working around wildlife and local conditions.

Included: 8-days, round trip bush flights to lodge from King Salmon Alaska, all meals while at the lodge, all accommodations at the lodge are double occupancy cabins.

Not Included: Flights to/from King Salmon via Anchorage. Tips for the driver/guides/housekeeping, laundry, alcoholic beverages.

Dates: July 25-August 1st, 2021

Price:  $7895. dbl occupancy

Deposit Information:
A non-refundable deposit of $2,000 due now to hold your spot. Final payments are due April 30, 2021 via check or wire transfer only, fees on both ends are the responsibility of the participant. Credit cards will not be accepted for any payment other than deposit. Full payments are always welcomed via check or wire transfer . All checks made payable to: Denise Ippolito LLC.

Please be sure to check your calendar carefully and to check out my Workshop Policy Page.

Note: Purchasing travel insurance is strongly recommended.

*A detailed additional information file/ gear list will be sent out once our entire group is together. Please do not book flights until you have heard back from me that the trip is a go.

*World-class fly-fishing available-inquire within.

• You are required to arrive in King Salmon by 10 am on the 25th and depart from King Salmon back to Anchorage after 3 pm on the 1st of August.

TO SIGN UP-CLICK HERE.

The bears are waiting for us…

Olympic Peninsula Photo Tour ~ May 2021 Announced!

Olympic Peninsula Photo Tour - May 11-15, 2021

5 Full Days: $1899.00/Limit 8

Join Denise Ippolito and local naturalist Roy Kropp for a five day photo adventure through three distinct ecosystems; Rain forests, coastal beaches and glaciated peaks. We will experience forests covered in moss and ferns, Big leaf maples, Douglas firs and Sitka spruce. Roosevelt Elk frequent the rain forests and are visible from the trails. Waterfalls and cascades galore. On the coast we will photograph sunsets, ocean sea stacks, and tide pools.

Participants will learn to “embrace the chaos” as many of the scenes can feel overwhelming at first. Learning to recognize and extract a good composition will be paramount for this trip. Another great lesson on this workshop will be to “fear no light” — learning how to see light in the forest and use it to your advantage takes a bit of getting use to.

Our schedule will need to be flexible and may include locations such as: Sol Duc Falls, The Hoh Rain Forest, Ruby Beach, Rialto Beach and Lake Crescent, Hurricane Ridge, Salt Creek, Madison Falls, Upper Dungeness, Marymere Falls, Moments in Time Trail and more.

Participants should be physically fit and able to walk at least two miles at one time, most trails are level and easy with some being a little but more rugged but still very doable. We will not be walking at a fast pace since photography is our goal-not hiking. Photoshop and image sharing sessions via Zoom during the workshop - weather permitting (if it's cloudy we'll opt to shoot in place of Photoshop).

A detailed PDF file will be sent upon registration. Please check your schedules carefully before signing up, I have rearranged my schedule to conduct this workshop and will not be able to issue refunds or credits for cancellations. Thank you for understanding.

Meet & Greet 7:00pm at our hotel on May 10th. (address and details given at sign-up).

Our bases for this trip are: Port Angeles and Forks, Washington. Participants should plan to fly in and out of Seattle Washington and drive to Port Angeles, Washington. It is best to plan your flights home in the late afternoon of the 16th.

*Please note meals, lodging, park fees and transportation are not included in the price of the workshop.

*For the health and safety of all participants, proof of vaccination or a negative PCR viral COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of departure is required.

TO SIGN UP CLICK HERE. unless you have a credit you would like to use—then email me.