Bryan's Calendar of Events
Events and seminars are "still developing." So check back here now and then.
Naked in the Lake
The largest freshwater lake on the planet is the stage for Bryan Pfeiffer and Ruth’s Einstein’s canoe trip on Lake Superior, where ancient rock and crystalline water conspire for some of the most beautiful paddling anywhere. Along the way you’ll discover Ojibwa legends and pictographs, thick fog and big waves, rare wildlife and some the most dramatic territory on the continent. Where else can you drink straight from the lake as you swim? This is another in Bryan and Ruth’s popular “Naked in …” series specifically created for North Branch Nature Center's Naturalist Journeys series.
Pushing Buttons (and Dials and Menus)
Begin a new relationship with your camera by understanding how to push its buttons, turn its dials and select from its menus. If you're stuck on AUTO mode, if buttons bother you, if icons infuriate you, this is your session. After all, you won't easily get great images until you unleash the full potential of your camera. It's all there at your fingertips. In this session, Bryan can also offer advice on choosing the right camera for you. Open Enrollment: No need to pre-register; just charge your battery and show up with your camera at North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier.
Field Photography for Naturalists and Biologists
Get the most from your camera in a single comprehensive session. We begin with fundamentals: light, shutter, aperture and ISO. Then we move to the challenges of motion and depth of field. From there we cover metering and other essentials for getting the best shot in most any situation. We'll shoot together in "scenarios" to help you photograph wildlife, landscapes, plants, portraits or your own subjects. This is Bryan's signature workshop. Register with an email to Bryan »
Point-and-Shoot Photography for Birders
Discover how to capture sharp and stunning images of birds and other wildlife — even with a point-and-shoot camera. We'll spend the day in the field photographing birds with whatever camera you've got. You'll learn the secrets for approaching wildlife and for dialing your camera settings for the best possible shots. Although any birder and camera are welcome, this workshop is mostly designed for ordinary birders who want better photos (rather than photographers with big SLR gear). You'll be amazed at what you can pull off with a mega-zoom point-and-shoot. Register with an email to Bryan »
Nature Macrophotography
Learn to shoot insects, flowers and other small things in nature. This course begins with assigned readings on light, metering, depth of field, composition and other hot topics in macrophotography. We'll put it all into practice in the field shooting insects and plants (with an optional nighttime session with moths). Limited to six people, the course includes written materials, a two-hour indoor session on June 14 and a full day in the field on June 15. Register with an email to Bryan »
Moths and Butterflies – A Field Course
Designed for students at virtually any level of expertise, this seminar is five days of Lepidoptera immersion in the lab and in the field. Moths, in terms of diversity and abundance, dominate the course. But with two instructors, we adapt to the aspirations of any student — from beginning butterflyers to experienced lepidopterists looking to advance with a particular moth taxon. Here’s lots more information »
The Audacity of Monhegan Migration
Unlike the rest of us, birds make the journey to Monhegan Island under their own power and tenacity: two wings and a prayer. And when migrating songbirds pour from the skies here every spring and fall, islanders get to witness one of nature’s greatest spectacles. But it turns out that birds and humans aren’t the only migrants seeking refuge on Monhegan. Butterflies and dragonflies visit as well: four wings and a prayer. For more than two decades, Bryan Pfeiffer has been chasing life in flight on the island. With vivid images and wild tales, Bryan will reveal the audacity of migration on Monhegan in a talk sponsored by Monhegan Associates.
Getting Gulls
They can be elegant or brutish, ambitious or lazy. And even as they pose for us in plain sight, they can be notoriously hard to identify — but not any more. During this one-hour session you’ll learn the best time and place and system for gull identification. You’ll discover how to look beyond feathers to identify gull species with confidence. We’ll even begin to demystify one birdwatching’s great challenges: immature gulls. With my images, videos and system (and strange sense of humor), among gulls you shall become a better birdwatcher — maybe even a better person.
