July is a great month – not only are lots of flowers in bloom and wonderful fresh berries at the Farmer’s Market – but it is also when my birthday is. And this year – it’s one of those big round number birthdays (# 50!!!). Wahoo!!!
My birthday gift to myself was an incredible trip to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier and Theodore Roosevelt National Parks. It was amazing – it was my first time visiting any of these parks. I’m already trying to figure out when I can head back.
On my trip I realized just how incredible my life is. Some of you have heard me say that I have the best job in the world. I get to spend my time photographing wildflowers and landscapes in our national parks. I am so grateful for how wonderful my life is and how much all of you have supported and encouraged my photography.
So I’d like to celebrate my birthday with you by offering you a special gift – my new video “The Beauty of Nature: Western Parks” which includes photographs from my birthday trip to the west. It features the harp music of Pamela Bruner as the soundtrack.
I hope you are having a wonderful summer – and Thank You for celebrating my birthday with me!
There are still a few spaces left in my Capturing the Beauty of Nature workshop scheduled for July 8 & 9 at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens in Washington DC. If you’ve been thinking about joining me for the workshop – now is the time to sign up.
If you register this week at the regular price of $ 149 – you can bring a friend to the workshop for free! I don’t know about you – but I love attending workshops with a friend – because then I know I’ll have someone to talk over all the new ideas with when I get home.
I really appreciate all the comments and compliments I received last month when I sent out my 3 Tips for Taking Better Flower Photos video. What I didn’t expect was that I’d get so many more questions about how I take my photographs!
One of the most frequent questions is – how do I get my photos to look the way they do – strong colors, lots of details, etc? One of the answers is when I take most of my flower photos – early in the day. Here’s a video talking about why I love photographing in the magical light of early mornings.
I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my video and that it helps you with your photography.
A Hands-on Workshop with Flower Photographer Patty Hankins
July 8 & 9, 2011
Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens
Lotus Blossom (c) 2007 Patty Hankins
The workshop will include classroom sessions on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, and a Saturday morning field photography session at Kenilworth Gardens. I’m limiting registration to 8 participants so that everyone can get the maximum benefit from the workshop.
Located in North East Washington, DC along the Anacostia River, Kenilworth Gardens and Aquatic Park is one of the hidden gems of the National Park System. The park features wetlands and ponds full of water lilies and lotus blossoms.
Some of my absolute favorite places to photograph are in National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges and National Forests. These are some of the last unspoiled natural places in some parts of the country. When you visit a National Park or National Wildife Refuge, you can get a sense of what the landscapes were like before they became covered with buildings and highway. They are also wonderful places to see and learn about wildlife, native plants and historical events. The National Parks and Wildlife Refuges are incredible resources that need to be protected and preserved.
Unfortuantely, they don’t receive as much funding as they need from the Federal government. Over the years, a huge backlog of deferred maintainence and unfunded projects has developed. Even with all the funds directed to these areas in the 2009 economic stimulus bill, which has funded 750 million dollars in repairs and projects in the parks, there is still a several billion dollar shortfall. In the current federal budge climate, ensuring adequate funding for parks, refuges and forests will continue to be an issue.
So the question is – what can individuals do to support these incredible places?
1. Purchase an America The Beautiful Pass – at only $ 80, the America the Beautiful Pass is an interagency pass that provides admission to any National Park, National Wildlife Refuge, National Forest and other federal lands for a full year. While some Parks and Refuges have admission fees that help support them, the majority do not.
2. Shop at the stores at the Parks and Refuges. Many National Parks and Wildlife Refuges have gift shops that feature items related to nature and places you are visiting. Many of the stores are run by Friends organizations and profits from the stores help support the Park or Refuge where it is located.
3. Join a Friend of a Park or Refuge Organization. From the Great Smoky Mountains Association to the Friends of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, there are a variety of organizations that support a specific park or refuge. When you join, you not only are supporting a place you love, but you also receive benefits such as discounts at stores and recipriocol discounts at other parks and refuges.
4. Contribute to one of the non-profit organizations that supports the National Parks, Refuges and Forests. There are several national non-profit organizations that help protect and support our public lands
The National Park Foundation works to strengthen the connection between the American people and their National Parks by raising private funds, making strategic grants, creating innovative partnerships and increasing public awareness. It was established in 1967 by an Act of Congress.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association works to to conserve America’s wildlife heritage for future generations through strategic programs that protect, enhance, and expand the National Wildlife Refuge System and the landscapes beyond its boundaries that secure its ecological integrity.
The National Forest Foundation works to promote the health and public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System.
If you enjoy spending time in the National Parks, Wildlife Refuges and Forest as much as I do, I hope you’ll consider ways in which you can help support them.
I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about how I create my flower photographs. So I created a new video 3 Tips for Taking Better Flower Photos. I hope it helps answer some of the questions people have been asking.
