There is much more to bird photography than just clicking the shutter button! As a beginner or amateur photographer who is eager to explore bird and wildlife photography participating in bird festivals and photography contests is a must. This will give one the scope to learn from experts through workshops and presentations, take field trips and guided walks from naturalists and learn a lot about bird photography in a fun way. Attending the birding festival or fairs will also allow one to meet the community of fellow birders and create everlasting bonds. This is also the place to get in touch with tour leaders who organize birding trips which are a must-visit for any beginner. Regularly participating in the birding fairs and contests will enable one to understand this genre, stay motivated and enjoy the learning process.
Here is a list of five must-visit bird photography fairs held in the United States-
Morro Bay Winter Festival: This annual festival is held during the Martin Luther King weekend and is open to birders across the globe. Morro Bay is a reputed and vital zone for birds and is located between Los Angeles and San Francisco. One must take a field trip when visiting the festival, participate in the workshops and interact with seasoned photographers.
23rd Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival: This festival is held near Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral and is one of the grandest birding festivals in the USA. One can enjoy numerous field trips which also include a pelagic boat trip from where one can watch shorebirds, attend several photography workshops, watch presentations by keynote speakers and glance through the photography strand. This festival is attended by national and international exhibitors giving one the scope to gain a fresh perspective. The beginners will get a chance to get their doubts cleared during these lively workshops and presentations.
The Biggest Week in American Birding: This ten-day festival is organized by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in northwest Ohio which is known as the ‘Warbler capital of the world’. The chief attractions of this festival are guided trips, nature walks at Magee Marsh, bird counting, bird identification workshops, birding skills and art workshops, birder’s marketplace, and evening socials. Bird photographers and bird watchers of all learning levels can attend this festival.
Acadia Birding Festival: This is the most important birding festival as enthusiasts from across the country gather to watch birds at the Gulf of Maine. The Acadia National Park is a birder’s paradise and one can enjoy early morning walks to spot Warblers, explore Mount Desert Island, watch the rare Peregrine Falcons at their breeding site within the park and observe the seabirds and Puffins. One will come across diverse habitats and bird species during field trips, bird walks, pelagic boat trips, and kayak tours. Apart from that one can attend a series of exciting workshops and presentations by veterans like birding by ear and seabird photo identification workshops to name a few.
Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival: This annual festival is organized by the Coastal Wildlife Refuge society to bring together expert birders and beginners on the same platform. All the trips and outings take place in six counties and national wildlife refuges which makes this festival exciting. One can learn about natural history and birds while exploring the Roanoke Island night kayak paddle, Alligator River Refuge photography tour, and Nags Head Woods reptile and amphibian hike. This festival will be activity-packed to throw in some adventure while learning about the bird species of the area.
Here are the top five photography contests for you to participate in-
Bird Photographer of the Year: This photography competition is exclusively for avid birders with multiple categories like bird portraits, birds in flight, black and white birds, and birds in their environment to name a few. There is a separate category for students to participate in this contest.
Windland Smith Rice Nature Photography Awards: This is another prestigious award many wildlife photographers aspire to achieve and it has several categories in which one can participate. These categories include wildlife, birds, conservation story, African wildlife, and youth photographer to name a few.
35 Awards: This annual international photography competition is open to both beginners and professionals and the entries are judged by the best in the field. Hundred selected photographs that win the award get published in the annual catalogue. There are several categories under which one can participate and wildlife is one of them. Capturing the unique behavior of rare birds, animals, and fishes and their interactions with the environment will make a perfect entry for this competition.
National Wildlife Photo Contest: This competition that began five decades ago remains popular amongst wildlife and nature photographers. The root cause behind the event is protecting the wildlife and its habitat and making the viewers feel the importance of conserving nature and its rich biodiversity.
Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards: This competition focuses on highlighting the hilarious situations one observes in the natural world through photographs and spreading the message of conservation through it. This renowned competition is open to photographers of all levels across the globe. The entries should bring a smile or a laugh to the viewers and make them feel the need to protect the creatures.
Sources:
https://www.travel4wildlife.com/birding-festivals-in-the-us/
https://www.photographyaxis.com/photography-articles/best-wildlife-photography-competitions/
