PRESERVING PATAGONIA
Join Environmental Documentarian Bridget Besaw, in collaboration with Leica for a week amidst her project documenting the preservation and stewardship of the Aysen region of Patagonia in partnership with the Patagonia Sur Foundation, whose objective is to support and promote social and economic development in Chilean Patagonia, in concert with the protection and conservation of the region's natural resources.
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Workshop Details
Patagonia Sur Foundation
Patagonia Sur’s Valle California and Melimoyu sites will serve as home base for participants. Valle California is framed by snow-capped mountains and encompasses more than 10 miles of the El Tigre River, crystalline mountain lakes and neighbors the 118,000-acre Lago Palena National Reserve.
Melimoyu lies at the nexus of the southern edge of the Valdivian temperate rain forest and the northern edge of the sub-Antarctic rainforest. This one-of-a-kind ecosystem is home to a combination of species not found anywhere else on Earth. Equally unparalleled is the area’s marine life: blue whales congregate just off the coast to deliver their young, and plentiful dolphins, penguins, seals and sea lions complete Melimoyu's extraordinary ocean offerings.
From these inspiring settings, workshop participants learn documentary field techniques and put them into practice while creating a portfolio of imagery that tells the important story of the conservation of this vast, pristine, wilderness region—one of the last of its kind in the world. The end result is a portfolio of imagery that participants can be proud of on a multitude of levels.
Photographic opportunities include all aspects of the story of Patagonia conservation:
—Capture the outdoor adventure aspect of wild-land preservation while horseback riding, hiking, river floating, mountain biking, bird watching and fishing.
—Cultural coverage of the foundation’s community projects in traditional arts, sustainable ranching, and organic agriculture initiatives.
—Conservation through the lens of science as we visit the Patagonia Sur reforestation and climate change research sites.
—USD $5,800 includes workshop instruction and guidance, use of Leica camera and lenses, 8 days and 7 nights accommodations (double occupancy), meals and beverages, guided activities integral to the workshop, and transportation between Valle California and Melimoyu from Puerto Montt, Chile..
Collaboration With Leica
Workshop participants have the opportunity to utilize the latest additions to Leica’s storied M-System, the Leica M9 and M9-P. The entire portfolio of M lenses is also available throughout the workshop, including the latest Super-Elmar-M 21 mm f/3.4 ASPH, an amazingly compact super wide angle lens.
"Bridget, thank you for so freely sharing your knowledge, skills and experience in conservation photojournalism. I loved your enthusiasm and energy. And you were a gentle and kind teacher when we needed encouragement. You are the best at what you do, and you are doing it with heart. For sure, you inspired many photographers in the workshop to continue this work. What could be a better way to express love of nature, photography and activism all at once?"
~ Lea Ramirez
More Information & Sponsors
Sample Daily Plan
Monday March 5, 2012—
Morning class: Conservation Photography
How this unique visual storytelling approach plays a vital role in conservation efforts. Project research, planning and shoot preparation.
Afternoon photo assignments:
Preserving wilderness adventure OR Discovering serenity in nature.
Tell the story of how people are enriched by this beautiful place while horseback riding, river floating, fly-fishing, mountain biking, kayaking, or hiking in the Patagonia Sur Nature Preserve.
Tuesday March 6, 2012—
Morning class: Photographing Science
Understanding the science behind conservation so you can photograph it well. How compelling images of science-in-action encourage people to invest in nature.
Afternoon photo assignment: Communicating carbon
Tour the Patagonia Sur Valle California reforestation research site to photograph a healing relationship between science and nature as we illustrate the story of how trees planted in Patagonia will benefit generations to come all around the planet.
Wednesday March 7, 2012—
Morning class: People in nature
Why imagery of the human relationship to protected places is vital to sustainable conservation.
Afternoon photo assignments:
Sustainable agriculture, traditional arts or conservation education.
Spend the day photographing activities in the nearby village of Palena where the Patagonia Sur Foundation is working with residents to support conservation initiatives and promote economic and social development.
Trip Pricing Details
Trip pricing includes round trip transportation between Puerto Montt, Chile and the workshop location. The trip price does not include: round-trip airfare from your city of origin to Puerto Montt, Chile, hotel accommodations outside of your stay with Patagonia Sur, transit and personal expenses. We are happy to work with you to arrange your connecting international flights, as well as your transit hotels in Chile.Group size is limited to 12 maximum. A non-refundable $1,000 deposit confirms your reservation. The full balance of the workshop trip, domestic flights to-and-from Puerto Montt, and any accommodations and transfers beyond your stay with Patagonia Sur are due 120 days prior to departure, or upon registration if signing up less than 120 days prior to departure.
Collaboration with Leica
Leica represents a union of craftsmanship, technology and experience. It is at once an extension of art, knowledge and philosophy, providing a state-of-the-art optical experience in a precision, hand-made photographic instrument. Leica Camera has a simple mission: to provide users with an incomparable experience, an instrument that defines an unsurpassed heritage and sets a standard of excellence for the industry to meet.
“We are very excited to partner with Bridget Besaw for this incomparable travel experience,” said Christian Erhardt, Vice President of Marketing at Leica Camera, Inc. “A Leica in hand, participants interpret and capture fleeting moments to document the planet’s natural resources and the people who work, play and steward Patagonia’s impressive landscape.”
Sponsored by Think Tank Photo
Like Seed Light Workshops, Think Tank Photo believes that storytelling through photography remains one of the most powerful tools for social change. A picture is worth not only a thousand words, it can be worth a thousand minds changed, a thousand votes, a thousand behaviors transformed. To protect the environment we must first educate the species that has the greatest impact on it.