Fresh Start Photography Group

Quarterly Critique:

This will be our formal critique with an emphasis on critiquing photos for submission to the Library Photo Show in August.A facilitator will review each photo and offer comments and suggestions. Members will also have a chance to offer comments about each image. We will make adjustments to the critique format as necessary.

This will be a friendly and supportive critique. Please upload four photos to the photos section of this meeting at least seven days prior to the meeting. It's not mandatory that you upload photos, but it's strongly suggested.

Please follow the guidelines & instructions below for uploading photos:

Hone your butterfly and macro photography skills at Lewis Ginter Gardens in their new butterfly conservatory and expanded gardens! After visiting the new butterfly conservatory, you can explore the gardens at your leisure, photographing seasonal flowers and insects, orchids inside the Conservatory, and landscapes. Visit with the group for lunch at the garden cafe after the meetup.

Our mission: To create beautiful close-up butterfly shots and stunning well-lit flowers and/or insects

What you need to know before you go:

We will have a brief discussion before we photograph to review settings and compositions for butterfly, macro (with or without a flash), and landscape photography (specifically without a tripod).

Please note that this is not a meetup to initially set up your flash for macro photography. You should already have a working flash associated with your camera.

We will start with only our cameras at the butterfly conservatory, then return to the car for other equipment to photograph the gardens (backpacks and tripods are permitted in the gardens, but not inside the butterfly conservatory).

At the end of our meetup, you are welcome to stay and eat lunch with the group at the garden cafe before heading home, or returning to the gardens for more shooting.

What to Bring:

Lewis Ginter allows for many different types of lenses depending on what you want to capture.

Macro Lens/Flash/Diffuser - For close-up flowers and insects, you'll want a Macro lens and if you have one, a flash. The flash can counteract harsh shadows on a sunny day, but can also enhance light on your subject in the shade or on a cloudy day. Using a diffuser over your flash will give you more realistic looking photo.

Telephoto Lens (200mm or longer) -A telephoto lens is essential in the butterfly conservatory. This lens allows you to get a close-up shot without disturbing the butterflies...or other photographers shooting the same or nearby butterflies.

*24-120mm Lens or Similar - For landscapes or larger areas, a mid-range zoom is a practical choice. Keep in mind that cloudy days usually result in better photos than sunny, contrasty days.

*Note that landscape photography is not our focus for this meetup, but you are welcome to stay in the gardens after the meetup and continue to shoot.

Schedule:

Let's meet just inside the gardens when you exit the main building after you purchase your tickets at 9:00am.

Remember that the pathways are narrow, and too many people can make it difficult for other visitors to maneuver around us.

When you are ready to leave, feel free leave the gardens, but please remember to share your pics on meetup! I'd love to see them!

Tripods are allowed as long as they do not block the walkway.

Admission prices vary, so please refer to the following link for details:

https://www.lewisginter.org/visit/hours-admissions/

To view a map of the gardens, click the following link:

https://www.lewisginter.org/visit/gardens/map/

Lewis Ginter has touchless refillable water stations for refillable water bottles. If you want to take advantage of this, don't forget your water bottle! All other food and drinks must be paid for inside the gardens.

Please let me know if you have any questions in the Comment section below, and hope to see you there.

Please read our disclaimer for this event in the link below. By sending an RSVP and joining this meetup event hosted by the Fresh Start photography Meetup, I agree to abide by the rules and regulations in this disclai

We will meet at the Visitor's Center end of the parking lot. Look for my red Toyota Highlander with the Shenandoah National Park tags.

Huntley Meadows Park has some of the best wildlife viewing in the Washington metropolitan area. From the ½ mile wetland boardwalk trail and observation tower, you have an excellent view of beavers, muskrats, frogs, dragonflies and herons. Huntley Meadows is well known as a prime birding spot, with over 200 species identified in the park.

We will be starting 6:30 am, sunrise will be at 6:02 am. It's about a ten-minute walk to the half-mile long boardwalk through the marsh. The reason for the early start is to be there when wildlife is usually most active. We also want to avoid the majority of visitors who tend to show up after 10:00 AM

You will probably want to bring your longest lens, although at times you can get pretty close. A tripod or mono-pod are optional. With any kind of nature photography, you never know what you will find until you get there.

While there is a 10:30 AM end time for this meetup, you can stay as long as you like.

The visitor center and restrooms will be open at 9:00 AM.

Huntley Meadows Park Information: