Hummingbirds in Dallas

[PEC]

I am headed to Costa Rica in a couple of months and would like to practice locally around here in the Dallas (North) area with multiple flashes etc...

Any ideas?

[Teddington]

Can't help with hummingbirds in Dallas but I'm curious if you are going on your own or with a group. Where are you staying while there?

[PEC]

Actually just looking for a place to go and thought it would be fun to shoot with some others :)

[Teddington]

Paul, I can't speak from personal experience but Linda comes highly recommended by some PRO's that I trust. I'm not gonna say that Linda created multiple flash photography for hummingbirds but she seems to do it as well as anyone I've seen. Here's a bunch of info from Arthur Morris' newsletter:

UPDATE: LINDA ROBBINS’ HUMMINGBIRD TRIPS

Guango, Ecuador, NOV 7-13, 2009. (Limit 6: openings: 2). 3 FULL and 2 HALF-DAYS of photography: $3,000. Non-photographer spouse or friend: $1,000.

Guango, Ecuador, NOV 13-19, 2009. (Limit 6: full, pending group deposit). 3 FULL and 2 HALF-DAYS of photography: $3,000. Non-photographer spouse or friend: $1,000.

Guango, Ecuador, JAN 10-16, 2010. Co-leader: Arthur Morris (Limit 6: openings 6). 3 FULL and 2 HALF-DAYS of photography: $3,000. Non-photographer spouse or friend: $1,000.

Guango, Ecuador, JAN 16-21, 2010. Co-leader: Arthur Morris (Limit 6: openings 1) 3 FULL and 2 HALF-DAYS of photography: $3,000. Non-photographer spouse or friend: $1,000.

Tandayapa, Ecuador, Extension JAN 22-26, 2010. Co-leader: Arthur Morris . (Limit 4: Sold Out): 2 FULL and 2 HALF-DAYS of photography: $1,600. Non-photographer spouse or friend: $600.

For the past two plus years Linda Robbins has worked very hard to become one of if not the best high speed flash hummingbird photographers around, and in the process, taught me to make some great hummer images. She wrote and published (with a bit of help from me) “The Hummingbird Guide – How to Photograph Hummingbirds Using High-Speed Multiple Flash by Linda Robbins.” Learn more and see some great images here: http://www.birdsasart.com/hummingbirdguide.htm. As above, she is now running her own tours; the first four are to Guango Lodge in Ecuador. On some hummingbird trips you are required to bring your own set-up. Ugh! On some hummingbird trips you take turns on a single set-up while sharing with 6-8 other photographers (while the so-called leader is photographing on his very own set-up. How nice.) That means that you get chance every three or four hours if you are lucky. On Linda’s trips she provides all of the equipment. She routinely travels with 30 flashes, 21 light stands, 400 rechargeable batteries, and with numerous backgrounds, clamps, clips, eye-droppers, and lots more. All you need to do is show up with your camera (and a back-up), a decent lens of from 300-500mm, one flash, some flash cards, and your laptop and you are good to go. With only two photographers per set-up, you will be photographing 100% of the time if your arm or your trigger finger does not give out. (I once created 3,500 images in a single morning at Guango.) Linda is an excellent Photoshop instructor and does lots of image optimization and teaching on the trips.

See http://www.birdsasart.com/TOUR FLYER FOR GUANGO TRIPS NOV 2009.pdf and http://www.birdsasart.com/TOUR FLYER FOR GUANGO TRIPS JAN 2010.pdf for complete details, registration and cancellation info, and a slew of great hummingbird images. If you would like to join Linda (or Linda and me) for the hummingbird photo experience of lifetime without having to spend thousands of dollars to purchase the needed gear, e-mail her at lindaasart@aol.com or call he on her cell at 941-350-5796. Do not tarry.

[PEC]

Thanks, was kinda hoping for something in the DFW area :)