Northern Harrier Field Workshop
Learn to Read the Grasslands | Anticipate the Birds | Make Better Photographs
A private, one-on-one full-day photography workshop focused on Northern Harriers, wildlife behavior, habitats and the field craft that can turn fleeting opportunities into better photographs.
Inaugural Season - $995
Select Sundays | October - March | One Photographer
October 18th | November 8th | November 15th | December 13th | January 10th | January 24th | February 7th | February 21st
This is More Than a Day Photographing Harriers
Northern Harriers are challenging subjects.
They move quickly, hunt low over the grasslands, change direction without warning, and can disappear from view just as quickly as they appear.
Getting consistently good photographs isn't simply about having the right camera and a long lens.
It starts with understanding the landscape and the animal.
During this private experience, we'll spend an entire day in the field learning how I approach these grasslands, how I interpret Harrier behavior, and how I use that information to anticipate photographic opportunities.
My background in fisheries and wildlife science, combined with years of photographing wildlife throughout New England, has taught me to approach wildlife photography from both sides of the equation:
Understand the wildlife. Then use that knowledge to improve the photography.
The Difference is Field Craft
Those things matter—but they aren't what this experience is built around.
The biggest difference in my approach is field craft: understanding where to be, when to move, when to stay put, what the wildlife is telling you, and how the habitat and conditions are likely to influence what happens next.
Throughout the day, we'll work on:
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Learn how the structure of the grasslands influences where Harriers hunt and travel, and how to identify areas that are more likely to produce opportunities.
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Learn to recognize hunting patterns, flight paths, changes in behavior, and subtle clues that can help you anticipate what a bird may do next.
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Learn how your position, movement, background, and relationship to the light can affect the photographs you're able to make.
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Instead of simply raising your camera when a Harrier appears, learn to recognize situations where a photographic opportunity is developing before it happens.
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Light, wind, clouds, and weather all affect wildlife behavior and the photographs you can create. Learn how to adapt rather than waiting for perfect conditions.
The Field Workshop Experience
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Private Instruction and a full day out in the field photographing the species of the grassland habitat. A $250 non-refundable deposit is due upon booking.
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Exact location provided upon booking. We will be spending the day at a location that is approximately a half hour west of Hartford, CT.
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A FULL DAY IN THE FIELD
Sunrise: Observe & Photograph
We'll meet before sunrise and begin working the grasslands as the day begins.
The morning will focus on observing the habitat and wildlife while taking advantage of the early light and activity.
As opportunities develop, we'll work on positioning, exposure, autofocus, flight photography, backgrounds, and—most importantly—anticipating the birds rather than simply reacting to them.
The field is the classroom.
Midday: Refuel & Review
After several hours in the field, we'll take a break for lunch at a nearby coffee and sandwich shop.
This isn't simply a break from photography.
We'll use the time to look back at what we experienced during the morning and discuss:
What worked
What didn't
What opportunities we may have missed
What the birds were doing
How positioning affected your images
What you can change during the afternoon
We'll also spend some time reviewing and editing images from the morning.
Then we'll head back into the field with a better understanding of what we've learned.
Afternoon: Put It Into Practice
The afternoon becomes an opportunity to apply everything from the morning.
We'll refine our approach based on the birds, the habitat, and the conditions we're seeing that day.
I'll help you recognize opportunities, anticipate movement, improve positioning, and make more deliberate photographic decisions.
Observe. Photograph. Analyze. Adjust.
We'll continue photographing through the afternoon and into the evening, taking advantage of the changing light and the final opportunities of the day.
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The goal isn't simply to come home with more photographs.
It's to leave with a better understanding of how to think in the field.
By the end of the experience, you'll have practiced:
Reading wildlife habitat
Interpreting Northern Harrier behavior
Anticipating animal movement
Making better positioning decisions
Working with changing light
Improving your flight photography
Adapting to changing conditions
Thinking about the photograph before it happens
These are skills you can take with you to other wildlife photography situations long after the Harriers have left the grasslands.
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This workshop is designed to provide a unique look at the wildlife of Connecticut and Massachusetts. This workshop is designed for those looking to spend time developing compositions with subjects rather than simply getting the shot and moving on to the next subject. This workshop is not designed for someone looking to check off a bunch of bird species from their list.
We will be observing wildlife, taking time to discover the best locations to capture images, while letting the wildlife become accustomed to our presence to provide natural behaviors.
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Your preferred mirrorless or DLSR camera.
Because we will be photographing distant wildlife, a 400mm+ full-frame equivalent lens is recommended.
Spare batteries and appropriate memory card storage for a full day in the field.
Clothing appropriate for the conditions. We will be out rain or shine so be sure to have rain gear for equipment. Waterproof footwear is highly recommended.
Bring your normal camera support equipment if you use it. A tripod or monopod is useful as we will be sitting for periods of time waiting for opportunities.
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Because Wildlife Doesn't Always Cooperate With a Crowd.
This experience is intentionally limited to one photographer per date.
Northern Harriers are wild animals, and our presence can influence their behavior. Keeping the experience private allows us to move carefully through the habitat and make decisions based on the birds rather than the needs of a larger group.
It also means that my attention is focused entirely on you and your photography.
If you're struggling with a technique, missing opportunities, or trying to understand what you're seeing, we can stop and work through it together.
This isn't a group lecture.
It's a full day of personalized field instruction.
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Private one-on-one instruction to make the experience tailored to your goals and experience.
Approximately 10 hours in the field. The workshop runs from sunrise to sunset. Actual hours in the field are influenced by time of year and weather conditions.
Learning field craft and wildlife behavior hands on in the field.
Midday lunch. Lunch at a local coffee/sandwich shop is included in the workshop. This gives us a chance to warm up and discuss the morning events.
Image Review and Editing. During our lunch break we will review images that were taken during the morning and walk through what we observed and how to edit those images.
Pre-experience Planning Call. The session begins before sunrise. Approximately 1 week prior to workshop, we will meet via Google Meet to discuss how to prepare for the workshop so come sunrise, we can hit the ground running.
Examples of what we’ll discuss:
Your photography goals
Your equipment
Your experience level
The types of photographs you want to create
Camera setup
Autofocus and shooting settings
Field clothing and gear
What to expect
Our approach for the day
Current conditions and activity
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Species in Italics are most likely to be observed.
Northern Harrier
Mourning Dove
WIld Turkey
Turkey Vulture
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Great Horned Owl
Short-eared Owl
Barred Owl
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Merlin
American Kestrel
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Horned Lark
Golden-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Field Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Limited Session Dates
Northern Harriers are a seasonal opportunity, and this experience is only offered on select Sundays due to hunting in the area on other days of the week.
October through March
2026-27 Field Season
Sunday, October 18th - Available
Sunday, November 8th - Available
Sunday, November 15th - Available
Sunday, December 13th - Available
Sunday, January 10th - Available
Sunday, January 24th - Available
Sunday, February 7th - Available
Sunday, February 21st - Available
Wildlife Photography is Unpredictable
Northern Harriers are wild animals, and sightings, behavior, and photographic opportunities cannot be guaranteed.
Weather and wildlife activity can change the character of a day in the field.
That's part of wildlife photography—and part of what you'll learn.
We'll work with the conditions we have, while always prioritizing the welfare of the birds and the integrity of the habitat.
If dangerous conditions or weather that would make the experience substantially unproductive are forecast, the experience may be rescheduled.
The birds set the schedule. We adapt.
Ready to Learn How to Find the Photograph?
Spend a full day learning not just how to photograph Northern Harriers, but how to read the landscape, understand the wildlife, and make better decisions in the field.
One photographer. One day. One-on-one instruction.
