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
Workshop details:
September 24–28, 2026
| Date | Time | Daily Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 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 with opportunities to practice composition, camera settings, and field techniques. |
| 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 to continue practicing bird photography techniques in the field. |
| 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 focused on building skills and capturing images for the afternoon work session. |
| 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 and opportunity to put the week’s lessons into practice. |
| 4:00–6:00 p.m. | Participant presentations featuring selected photographs from the workshop. |
Please note: Some field trips may begin as early as 6:00 a.m., including potential outings to photograph Great Gray Owls or visit locations in Klamath County. Participants will receive advance notice of any schedule changes.
Location: The afternoon sessions will be held at the KBO office in Ashland, Oregon.
Workshop Presenter:
Marty Karlin
mrtk.smugmug.com
mrtkarlin@gmail.com
Marty has worked with technology and the digital world since the mid 1980s. He started teaching in the 1960s, and used technology extensively in the classroom since the 1980s. He taught in the education department at St Mary’s College in California during the 1980s. His latest paid gig was as Coordinator of Instructional Technology at Southern Oregon ESD. These days, and for the past 20 years you can find him with Terry, his better half, behind a camera, out in the field somewhere where she’s the brains and he the tool. The primary purpose of his photography has been to document the photographically cooperative birds they have seen. Incorporating artistic aspects into those pictures has become a natural extension. See his Smugmug website for their latest endeavors including a trip to Finland and Northern Norway at mrtk.smugmug.com.
Bird and Photography Guides:
Shannon Rio
Frank Lospalluto
Jim Livaudais
Nick Viani
Keeley Kirkendall
Marty Karlin
Cost: This is a fundraising event for the Klamath Bird Observatory, and donations will be accepted on a sliding scale from $500 to $ 1,000. Please donate what you can to support bird and habitat conservation. This is a non-refundable event.
Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged. Registration closes on August 24th.
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