Early Fall Golden Hour Wildlife Photography on Elkhorn Slough (Oct 11)
Early Fall Golden Hour Wildlife Photography on Elkhorn Slough (Oct 11)
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Join us for a fall wildlife photography experience on Elkhorn Slough, one of California’s richest coastal estuaries. Timed for the final hours of daylight and an unusually low evening tide, this small-group excursion offers an opportunity to photograph the Slough as wildlife activity, changing water levels, and warm late-day light come together.
October is an especially rewarding time to visit. Fall migration brings shorebirds and waterfowl through the estuary, while sea otters, harbor seals, pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets, and other year-round residents remain active throughout the Slough.
This three-part experience combines photographic preparation, time on the water, and a thoughtful group review afterward.
A Three-Part Experience
Session 1: Pre-Trip Preparation
Tuesday, October 6th at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom
We’ll begin with an online preparation session covering camera settings, lens choices, and practical strategies for photographing wildlife from a boat. We’ll also discuss working with changing light, moving subjects, and the particular opportunities created by the evening’s low tide.
Session 2: Golden-Hour Wildlife Cruise
Sunday, October 11, 4:45–6:15 p.m.
We’ll meet in Moss Landing for a 1.5-hour private cruise through Elkhorn Slough aboard a quiet, electric-powered catamaran.
The tide will be falling throughout most of our excursion, reaching a predicted low of approximately 0.1 feet near 5:59 p.m. As the water recedes, exposed mudflats and channel edges become feeding grounds for shorebirds, while harbor seals may rest along the banks and sea otters forage or gather in the deeper channels.
Fall migration may bring sandpipers, dowitchers, willets, godwits, curlews, and other shorebirds into view, along with pelicans, cormorants, grebes, herons, egrets, and waterfowl. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, but October offers a rich mixture of migratory visitors and year-round residents.
Sunset is expected at approximately 6:35 p.m. Although our boat returns about 20 minutes beforehand, the later portion of the cruise will take place in golden-hour light, when lower contrast and warmer color can bring depth and atmosphere to both wildlife portraits and wider photographs of the estuary.
Session 3: Post-Trip Image Review
Tuesday, October 20th at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom
We’ll come together afterward to share photographs, discuss what worked, and learn from the different ways participants responded to the same wildlife, light, and landscape.
Why We’re Excited
- A small-group experience: Our private charter is limited to 12 photographers aboard a 32-passenger boat, leaving room to move and work from different viewpoints.
- A distinctive tide-and-light window: The combination of a falling tide and late-afternoon light should reveal mudflats, winding channels, feeding birds, and the layered textures of the Slough.
- Expert photographic and naturalist guidance: Experienced photo instructors and California naturalists will help you anticipate behavior, make sound technical choices, and respond to changing conditions.
- A responsible approach to wildlife: As certified Wildlife Stewards with Sea Otter Savvy, and aboard a quiet electric vessel, we prioritize the well-being of wildlife and the habitat we have come to photograph.
- Protected, stable water: The Slough’s sheltered waters and the boat’s stable platform make this a comfortable setting for handheld photography.
Know Before You Go
- Date: Sunday, October 11
- Cruise Time: 4:45–6:15 p.m.
- Location: Moss Landing, California, approximately a two-hour drive from the Berkeley area
- Expected Sunset: Approximately 6:35 p.m.
- Expected Tide: Falling to a predicted low near 5:59 p.m.
- What to Bring: A camera, charged battery, extra memory card, binoculars if you have them, and warm layers for the cooling coastal air. A telephoto lens is useful for wildlife, while a standard zoom or wider lens can capture the Slough’s landscape and evening light.
- After the Cruise: Consider staying near the harbor to photograph the sunset or continuing to Monterey or Santa Cruz for dinner or an overnight coastal getaway.
Cancellations for a refund must be received at least seven days before the pre-trip Zoom session.
Description
Description
Join us for a fall wildlife photography experience on Elkhorn Slough, one of California’s richest coastal estuaries. Timed for the final hours of daylight and an unusually low evening tide, this small-group excursion offers an opportunity to photograph the Slough as wildlife activity, changing water levels, and warm late-day light come together.
October is an especially rewarding time to visit. Fall migration brings shorebirds and waterfowl through the estuary, while sea otters, harbor seals, pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets, and other year-round residents remain active throughout the Slough.
This three-part experience combines photographic preparation, time on the water, and a thoughtful group review afterward.
A Three-Part Experience
Session 1: Pre-Trip Preparation
Tuesday, October 6th at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom
We’ll begin with an online preparation session covering camera settings, lens choices, and practical strategies for photographing wildlife from a boat. We’ll also discuss working with changing light, moving subjects, and the particular opportunities created by the evening’s low tide.
Session 2: Golden-Hour Wildlife Cruise
Sunday, October 11, 4:45–6:15 p.m.
We’ll meet in Moss Landing for a 1.5-hour private cruise through Elkhorn Slough aboard a quiet, electric-powered catamaran.
The tide will be falling throughout most of our excursion, reaching a predicted low of approximately 0.1 feet near 5:59 p.m. As the water recedes, exposed mudflats and channel edges become feeding grounds for shorebirds, while harbor seals may rest along the banks and sea otters forage or gather in the deeper channels.
Fall migration may bring sandpipers, dowitchers, willets, godwits, curlews, and other shorebirds into view, along with pelicans, cormorants, grebes, herons, egrets, and waterfowl. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, but October offers a rich mixture of migratory visitors and year-round residents.
Sunset is expected at approximately 6:35 p.m. Although our boat returns about 20 minutes beforehand, the later portion of the cruise will take place in golden-hour light, when lower contrast and warmer color can bring depth and atmosphere to both wildlife portraits and wider photographs of the estuary.
Session 3: Post-Trip Image Review
Tuesday, October 20th at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom
We’ll come together afterward to share photographs, discuss what worked, and learn from the different ways participants responded to the same wildlife, light, and landscape.
Why We’re Excited
- A small-group experience: Our private charter is limited to 12 photographers aboard a 32-passenger boat, leaving room to move and work from different viewpoints.
- A distinctive tide-and-light window: The combination of a falling tide and late-afternoon light should reveal mudflats, winding channels, feeding birds, and the layered textures of the Slough.
- Expert photographic and naturalist guidance: Experienced photo instructors and California naturalists will help you anticipate behavior, make sound technical choices, and respond to changing conditions.
- A responsible approach to wildlife: As certified Wildlife Stewards with Sea Otter Savvy, and aboard a quiet electric vessel, we prioritize the well-being of wildlife and the habitat we have come to photograph.
- Protected, stable water: The Slough’s sheltered waters and the boat’s stable platform make this a comfortable setting for handheld photography.
Know Before You Go
- Date: Sunday, October 11
- Cruise Time: 4:45–6:15 p.m.
- Location: Moss Landing, California, approximately a two-hour drive from the Berkeley area
- Expected Sunset: Approximately 6:35 p.m.
- Expected Tide: Falling to a predicted low near 5:59 p.m.
- What to Bring: A camera, charged battery, extra memory card, binoculars if you have them, and warm layers for the cooling coastal air. A telephoto lens is useful for wildlife, while a standard zoom or wider lens can capture the Slough’s landscape and evening light.
- After the Cruise: Consider staying near the harbor to photograph the sunset or continuing to Monterey or Santa Cruz for dinner or an overnight coastal getaway.
Cancellations for a refund must be received at least seven days before the pre-trip Zoom session.
