Photograph the intimate world of the normally reclusive black bear with a three-day course!

Hours

3 Days

About

Eric Tetens Photo Workshops – Anticipating the Shot

Itinerary

• Friday Night: Participants will assemble for registration, introductions and bear safety instructions at 7pm. Eric will provide a brief discussion about what to anticipate over the weekend and answer questions. Attendance for this meeting is mandatory and waivers must be signed in order to shoot at the sanctuary.
• Saturday, Sunday and Monday: 
 We will shoot early in the morning and later in the afternoon when the bears are active and we have the best light. Mid-day there will be optional trips to shoot birds on Pelican lake or waterfalls in the surrounding area. The VSWS is closed to the public on Saturday and Sunday morning as well as all day on Monday, so you will be the only guests!

Eric Tetens is a wildlife photographer, having visited VSWS since 2000 capturing over 100,000 images of the bears. His photo credits include: Sierra Club, ESPN and various regional and local publications. Eric has shot extensively throughout North and Central America focusing on bears and wolves. Eric’s has studied the North American Black Bear extensively and utilizes his understanding of bears, and specifically bears at VSWS, to help his students take better photographs.

Ernie & Angie Page Photo Workshop – Black Bears of the Northwoods

Itinerary

• Sunday: We meet at the VSWS visitor center. Participants will assemble for registration, introductions, some class time on exposure, and bear safety instructions. Attendance for this meeting is mandatory and waivers must be signed in order to shoot at the sanctuary.
• **Monday: We will meet at 6:30 am daily at the VSWS visitor Center and make our way to the sanctuary. Photography time daily will be 7 am till dark with ~3-hour break in the afternoon. We will use the time when the bears are active and we have the best light. All itineraries are subject to change depending on weather and bear activity.

Ernie and Angie Page were born and raised in the rolling hills of West Virginia where they still reside. Their “home away from home” is the Smoky Mountains and quickly becoming a close second is the VSWS! They are a husband and wife team that love teaching others about their love for nature and photography. It is that love and passion for nature that has drawn them to specialize in nature and landscape photography.

They have a combined 20+ years of photography experience. They have been published in a variety of consumer and commercial publications including magazines, calendars, music CD’s, Professional Organization Websites and Business websites. Their fine art can be found in homes and businesses throughout the country. They have won numerous local, state and regional competitions. They are both certified through the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources as Master Naturalist for the state of West Virginia. They have lead numerous photography tours in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and places within West Virginia including Canaan Valley, Marlinton and New River Gorge.

We have been volunteering at the VSWS for 2 weeks during the year for past 5 years. We hope to help you not only have a better knowledge of photographing these amazing animals but to leave with a better understanding of black bears that you can help pass on to others.