We've all seen them. Those remarkable photographs of beautiful hummingbirds frozen in flight. You may have thought that capturing images like these was entirely out of reach. You might not even know where to begin.

You begin right here!!!

Join Mark Thomas in Ecuador, a country that boasts some 130 hummingbird species, and pictures like these can become a reality. You don't need any specialized equipment or training. Mark provides all of that and more. You simply need your digital SLR camera, a lens of about 200mm (a good zoom lens works best), a tripod and the desire to capture incredible images of these flying jewels.

Mark has been a professional wildlife photographer for over 25 years and has photographed on every continent from Africa to Antarctica. He is also an accomplished underwater photographer. But his recent trip to Ecuador to photograph its magnificent hummingbirds was unlike any photography he had done in the past. One of the keys to capturing images like those you see here is spending the maximum amount of time at each location. Only then are you able to learn the unique behaviors of each species, and more importantly, of individual birds. Everybody gets pictures of hummingbirds feeding at flowers. And while those images are indeed beautiful, the photographs that capture behaviors and interactions are often even more dramatic. Mark strives to capture these exciting shots. That's where the time, dedication and love of his subjects makes all the difference. "When you take the time to really learn your subjects, they will often present you with amazing photographic opportunities." In fact, one of the images Mark captured on this trip will hang in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History as a category WINNER in the Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Photography Competition.

Take advantage of what Mark has learned and is eager to share by joining him at the EXACT SAME LOCATIONS where all of these pictures were taken. He captured remarkable images of over 2 dozen hummingbird species in less than 2 weeks. You can do it too!

Mark provides all of the specialized equipment needed such as strobes, triggers, light stands and backgrounds. Variety is the key. Not only as it relates to different species, but also to different environments, lighting and behaviors. To that end, he adjusts the strobes, flowers and backgrounds to give you the most variety of photographic opportunities possible. He is especially alert to behavior patterns of his subjects. And nowhere is that more important than when photographing hummingbirds. They are like lightning. And the only way to get the really exciting shots, is to be able to anticipate their behavior and be ready. This is the challenge that Mark loves the most.

This trip is truly a workshop and not simply a tour (What's the Difference?). While there will be ample opportunities for you to hike the many trails surrounding the lodges and see other unique species such as masked trogons, torrent ducks and tanagers (Guided day-trips can be arranged if you like at additional cost) this particular trip concentrates on capturing those once-in-a-lifetime images of hummingbirds in flight. We stay in very comfortable lodges on both sides of the Andes. Each room has a private bathroom with hot water. In most cases, we will be shooting only a few steps from our rooms. The flash setups will be available to you from dawn until dusk each day. Even on our 'travel days' we usually get at least a half day of shooting in at our destinations. How long and often you shoot is entirely up to you. Along with a variety of hummingbird feeders, the lodges also put out fruit to attract other species. One lodge even leaves the outside lights on at night to attract moths which then often attract the magnificent masked trogon to within easy camera range.

Besides his expertise in the field, Mark has also been working with Photoshop to build web sites since before digital photography even existed. He still exhibits at juried fine art shows across the country and prints every piece he displays himself, even on canvas. While he believes that a good photographer makes all the decisions BEFORE releasing the shutter (like in the film days) and that only minimal adjustments should need to be made after the fact, there are those times when knowing how to "fix" an image after it was taken can be a life-saver. Mark will show you how to do exactly that.

Here is a quick glimpse of some of what he shares with you:

 - Camera settings (ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed etc...), how to choose them and when to use them (take your camera off of "Automatic" and feel comfortable doing so)
 - How your camera's exposure meter works and when to trust it or override it
 - How to work with multiple flash setups in the field
 - Why you never ever ever make adjustments to a JPEG (that doesn't mean that you can't shoot JPEGS)
 - RAW or JPEG, how they differ and which is right for you
 - Many non-destructive ways of adjusting your images in Photoshop
 - Removing "flaws" (like that bug that flies into the frame) using 'layers' and 'masks'
 - How to resize images for e-mail, web use, or printing (including printing on canvas)
 - The actual workflow and adjustments he uses to take an image from camera to printer / stock agency / e-mail
 - And even how to make Photoshop do repetitive tasks to an entire folder of images while you're at lunch with friends ... and so much more.

Mark is happy to share his photographic knowledge. So feel free to ask him about non-hummingbird related topics too. You may even find it helpful to take a few notes along the way. But don't worry ... there won't be a quiz!

Why Ecuador?

Besides the overall birdlife and the unparalleled number of hummingbird species, traveling to Ecuador is easy.

 - A short, 4-hour flight from Miami
 - Same time zone as Miami (in fact, Quito is actually EAST of Miami)
 - Same 120 Volt electricity as the U.S.
 - The US dollar is the official currency of Ecuador
 - Great Value for your Money
 - And did I mention the HUMMINGBIRDS?

Trip Itinerary:

Day 1:	Arrive in Quito. Transfer to your hotel. We stay at a very nice hotel with a restaurant and Wi-Fi.
Day 2:	Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to our lodge in the western Andes. Arrive before lunch. Mark will prepare the flash setups while you get acquainted with the lodge and property. After lunch, the hummingbirds await.  There will be at least 2 flash setups and each photographer will rotate to each one so everyone gets a chance at every location and background.
Day 3:	Hummingbird photography.
Day 4:	Hummingbird photography.
Day 5:	Hummingbird photography.
Day 6:	Hummingbird photography.
Day 7:	Hummingbird photography.
Day 8:	After breakfast we transfer to our lodge on the other side of the Andes for an entirely new batch of hummingbirds. We arrive in time for lunch. Mark will set up the equipment and you'll be shooting shortly after lunch.
Day 9:	Hummingbird photography.
Day 10:	Hummingbird photography.
Day 11:	Hummingbird photography.
Day 12:	Hummingbird Photography up through lunchtime. Leave for Quito after lunch. Dinner at the hotel.
Day 13:	Depart Quito for Home
Next Day	Make your friends jealous with the pictures you captured