Spring Rookery Workshop in Louisiana

The trip of a life time, expert guide service and advanced photography education all rolled into a three day long experience that people travel from all over the world to see. Truly one of America’s best kept secrets.

We now offer boat only workshops with kayaking as an option

I will show you how to keep your expensive gear safe and dry. have no fears.

Don’t worry about the gators or snakes in this region. I have never had problems with either and I spend a lot of time in the swamps.

“The beauty of this place is breathtakingly beautiful as anyone who has been their can attest to”

Doug H.

About the Workshop

Your tour guide Doug Hansgate; will work hard to get you to the best locations depending on weather and bird activity. When I shoot these areas, I like to explore and encourage you to spread out some, look for a vision of an image, find still water, and explore the best angle of light and composition. I will stay within our group to give you any assistance you might want, my focus is on you getting the shots not me. Plus, since the tour is limited to 6 participants, you can be assured of individual attention.

Photography skill levels will range from expert to far less experience levels. If you are a pro or less experienced, no worries; there is plenty of freedom to operate at your creative best. And if you are still eager to learn to improve your skills, consider arranging for private lessons from Doug Hansgate the day before or after tour.

On this trip, you will use a variety of length lenses plan on at a least a wide angle and a zoom in the 70-300mm or 100-400mm range or so. Many of my images taken gliding through the cypress are shot with a zoom. I don't always use all of that but when I need to, I am well equipped. Add a tripod and maybe a remote release and you have what you will need. Most of the time you will shoot hand holding, sitting inside the kayak. Other times you might want a longer shutter speed and will need your tripod. Some of the images in the impressive sideshow were taken with the tripod in the water and me in the kayak.

What to wear: Can you say layers? Weather changes frequently. At the time of this photo tour, spring is upon us, however the mornings can still be cool. It would be rare that more than a fleece would be needed at that time of year but who knows? Plan for it. Also, bring light rain gear — the fog, mist, or a light sprinkle are all likely during your time here. We enjoy the photographic opportunities that each offers, unless high winds or lightning dictate otherwise.

We use Native Ultimates kayaks, which are fantastic for photography. They are sit-inside kayaks and with your waterproof bag you should be fine. If you have not kayaked before, we will be happy to give some brief instruction. It is not nearly as hard as you might think. A friend that is a 73 year old retired priest finally tried one last summer after overcoming his fear. His reaction after about 30 minutes on the water? Where could he buy one!

Since kayaks give us great mobility, we can move around most of the day to find just the right spots. But we are never in a hurry. Rest assured you can paddle at your own pace. When asked about level of fitness, moderate would be likely the best answer.

I will transport all the kayaks and have them ready for you at our launch points when you arrive.

The length of our daily outings is flexible. I want to maximize the best light, atmosphere, colors and subject matter. Most days will include a morning session and then a late afternoon session to capture the golden hour, sunset and more. Our morning sessions start before sunrise. Generally we run later into the morning as we have shadow areas that can be spectacular when the sun is quite high. The bottom line is to stay flexible. While the trees aren't going anywhere, the weather, light, atmosphere and more will change — even a bit of rain may fall which can greatly enrich the colors. We adapt to what Mother Nature throws our way with safety first always at the top of our agenda.

Each day starts out before sunrise with a quick coffee or drink, as well as some rolls and pastries to get you off to a good start. Our goal is to have you on the water at our location before sunrise. We will head back to the hotel after our morning on the water, usually around 9:30 - 10:00 am.

After breakfast, we give you some time to relax. Our post-production classes run generally from 12 noon to 3 p.m. After class, we depart for our afternoon/evening paddle/outing on the water. We will remain out until Sunset.

If nature calls. we will assist getting you to shore should that be necessary & all part of helping you have the best experience possible.

Accommodations: Hampton Inn, 1700 Commerce Blvd., Opelousas, Louisiana

The tour is priced at $1600 per person and the guide and kayaks along with safety equipment are provided . Food and Lodging not included.

Payment methods accepted: Stripe payment, Credit card via a phone call to Doug Hansgate, reservation coordinator, at 716-860-7194, or a check made out to Doug Hansgate and sent to 154 Christiana Street, North Tonawanda, NY 14120.

Please register by paying using Stripe or contact Doug for additional registration information

Refund Policy: >60 days- full refund, >30 days 50% refund unless replacement found, 30 days or less-no refund.

Included:

Power Boat usage and launch fees

Guide service

kayak rental, paddles, and life vest

any kayak or park launch fees

photographic assistance, image reviews and coaching in the field

daily post-production classes and review of your images

daily discussion group about improving your images

Not included:

airfares

lodging

food

car rental, transportation to and from the airport, and operating costs

snacks and any alcoholic drinks

waders and wet bag

personal items

trip insurance

tips and gratuities

and anything else not specified as included

“Waking up at 4 a.m. to kayak into the swamps of Louisiana in order to greet its unknown inhabitants probably isn’t on your bucket list, but it should be!  It certainly wasn’t on my bucket list either--I just went on a whim and can’t say enough about how glad I am.  Being alone in the early hours on the still waters of the Atchafalaya Basin as the mist rises was possibly one of my most enchanting photography encounters, almost surreal in its effect. The historic cypress, many over 1000 years in age, appear to be carved by artists of nature, draped in moss that comes alive in the early sunlight. Under the expert direction and tutelage of Doug Hansgate, award- winning photographer, we captured images of birds and plant life I’d only ever seen before in photographic magazines.  Doug went above and beyond my expectations in making this photographic journey one to put at the top of my book.  Doug's gentle guidance and patience, helping each person at his or her own level of ability, was a major part of what made this experience appropriate for the novice to expert.  Every person in our tour came away with a feeling of having learned new skills while undergoing an adventure that was nothing short of magical!”

Katie Stankey

"I attended Doug Hansgate’s autumn in the bayou workshop in early November of 2019. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from him or the workshop since I’d never heard his name mentioned among my landscape photographer friends or the people I followed on social media. Having attended the workshop I can say that this is one of the best photo workshops I’ve ever attended. Many photographers offering photo tours use the term “workshop.” But this was truly a workshop. In between shooting sunrise/sunset, Doug led us on a 2-3 hour editing session every day. I’ve been using Lightroom and Photoshop for 4-5 years now, but I learned many tips and tricks from him during these sessions, and I really appreciated his artistic and creative perspective on the images he edited.

As a guide Doug really knew his locations, and he took us to the best locations according to the weather conditions we received. Many photo guides will take you to a location and simply turn you loose to do your own shooting. Doug allows you the freedom to do so, but he was constantly pointing out possible compositions and nuances with the light that made you see scenes in a way that you would probably never see on your own. To me this is the real value of a photo guide. Not just pointing out good locations but helping you to see it and photograph it properly.

As a bonus the food in Louisiana was amazing. I felt like I got a twofer - a photo workshop and a food tour of the south! Fairfax House was very comfortable and had a lot of character. It reminded me of one of those antebellum houses in the south during the Civil War, and the lady who runs the place was very attentive and accommodating to our needs.

I’ve photographed many well known locations around the world, including Iceland, Lofoten Islands, Greenland, New Zealand, China, Patagonia, the Canadian Rockies and Namibia. I have to say that photographing mossy cypress trees in the swamp during the golden hours and especially in the fog rivals any of the above locations, and should be on every serious landscape photographer’s bucket list. If you’re thinking about joining this workshop in the near future, I would not hesitate. Doug is a great landscape photographer and just an all around nice guy!"

Hilton Chen, Seattle, Washington