Take Your Bird Photography to the Next Level

Klamath Bird Observatory invites bird photographers and those who would like to become bird photographers to a comprehensive fall bird photography workshop in Ashland, Oregon, from September 24–28, 2026. The series includes five afternoon workshops and four full days of guided field trips. The workshop begins Thursday, September 24, from 4:00–6:00 p.m. with a session covering composition, camera settings, and techniques for photographing perched birds and birds in flight. Following Friday's field trip, participants will upload photographs to a computer or external hard drive, efficiently review and select images, and prepare files for processing. The session will also include further discussion of bird photography strategies. After Saturday's field trip, participants will process photographs in Adobe Lightroom. While Lightroom will be used for demonstrations, the concepts will apply to most photo-editing programs. Sunday's field trip will be followed by a hands-on editing session, with experienced photographers available to offer assistance and suggestions. The workshop will conclude on Monday with a final field trip and an informal presentation of photographs taken by participants during the week, followed by a question-and-answer period. The workshop is camera-, computer-, and software-agnostic. Presenter Marty Karlin will demonstrate techniques using a Nikon camera, Mac computer, and Lightroom, but KBO associates familiar with a variety of camera brands, computer platforms, and editing programs will also be available to assist. Participants should have some photography experience and a basic understanding of camera settings, including ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and, ideally, exposure compensation. Please bring your camera to Thursday's workshop. For the remaining sessions, participants with photo-processing software are encouraged to bring a fully charged laptop, mouse, card reader, and/or external hard drive. Please make sure all equipment is fully charged before each session. Participants without a laptop or editing software are still welcome to attend. You may sit with another participant or follow along with the instructor's presentation. Marty will also assign a small amount of pre-workshop homework to help everyone prepare. For the field trips, bring your camera, your longest lens, and a teleconverter if you have one. A lens of 500mm or longer is highly recommended for bird photography. Participants who do not own a long lens may want to consider renting equipment through Lensrentals or other rental options. Participants will be divided into two or three field groups, depending on enrollment. Each group will have a birding guide and photography consultant and will visit a different location each day. Over the four field days, participants will explore several birding hotspots in Jackson and Klamath counties, with an emphasis on finding good opportunities to observe and photograph birds at a respectful distance. Groups will remain in communication throughout the day so that unusual or exciting sightings can be shared. Many participants are accomplished birders and photographers who are eager to share their knowledge and experience. Bird photography takes a village, and we have one. Participants should bring their own lunches, beverages, and snacks for each field day. Bird Photography Workshop 5-Day Syllabus: - Thursday, September 24, 4:00–6:00 p.m.: Learn camera settings and practical techniques for photographing bird portraits and birds in flight. - Friday, September 25, 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.: Guided field trip; 4:00–6:00 p.m.: Upload, organize, select, and prepare photographs for processing. - Saturday, September 26, 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.: Guided field trip; 4:00–6:00 p.m.: Introduction to processing and editing photographs in Lightroom. - Sunday, September 27, 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.: Guided field trip; 4:00–6:00 p.m.: Participant processing session with time to edit photographs and receive assistance. - Monday, September 28, 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.: Final guided field trip; 4:00–6:00 p.m.: Participant presentations featuring selected photographs from the workshop.