Macro Photography Workshop
Herps, Insects and Flowers of the Ozarks
with Bryan Maltais
Limited spots left
St. Louis and Jefferson Counties, Missouri
Apr 27-29, 2024 Sat to Mon
Workshop cost is $999 including a 5% discount for paying in full. Or pay $350 deposit up front and $699 remainder before workshop.
What to expect from this Macro Photography Workshop…
Just west of St. Louis County, Missouri lies a swath of lush Ozark border forest with surprising biodiversity. These forests are teaming with colorful, fascinating creatures that may be more expected in the Sonora Desert or subtropical forests. Missouri Ozark forests harbor a beautiful variety of reptiles & amphibians, arthropods and wildflowers that provide world-class macro photography. In springtime they’re exploding with life, providing the opportunity for a veritable macro photography safari. We’ll be visiting a selection of glades, limestone creeks and Oak/Hickory forests where I’ll guide you to secluded spots with a variety of macro subjects to photograph. I’ll help each student find subjects to photograph, including insects, mushrooms, wildflowers and herps, and help choose the best camera settings.
Techniques practiced in this Workshop:
- How to set up flash and a diffuser for macro photography
- Focus bracketing/stacking
- How to achieve sharp images at high magnification
- Producing super macro magnification
- Wide-angle macro photography
- Proper framing and focusing for compelling macro compositions
- Telephoto macro photography
- Conservation of sensitive species
Group Size:
6 photographers
Physical Difficulty:
Moderate
We’ll be taking relatively short hikes to specific spots in the forest. We’ll spend time working each spot, and then move on at a very slow pace, keeping watch for macro photography subjects along the way. In macro photography, sometimes it’s possible to spend hours withing just a few hundred meters. The trails we’ll be operating on are moderately hilly and lie at about 450′ above sea level.
Itinerary
- Pre-workshop Zoom Call-Two weeks before the workshop we’ll have a briefing for introductions and to discuss best settings for different macro photography situations
- Sat, Sun, Mon-We’ll meet at 8am in Wildwood, MO and shoot until about 5pm. We’ll shoot one location in the morning, break for lunch and continue to a second location.
- One-on-one Lightroom Session-Each student receives a free 1-hour Lightroom/Photo editing session over Zoom after the workshop.
Children Attend for Free
Kids under 18 can accompany their legal guardian who is registered for the workshop for free. Missouri Dept. of Conservation regulations limit this group to 10, therefore there’s space for 3 children on a first come, first served basis. This offer does not extend to additional adults or spouses.
When I was a teenager growing up in Missouri I’ll never forget how mystified I was when somebody showed me that fascinating creatures like Tarantulas, Scorpions and cool reptiles lived in my home state. This solidified my lifelong infatuation with nature. I want to pass this experience along in the hopes that natural wonders that we encounter may inspire young nature lovers.
Getting there
Attendees will use their own vehicles and stay locally. Carpooling is encouraged. For non St. Louis locals planning accommodations, we’ll be photographing between Wildwood and Hillsboro, and meet each day at the northerly point on the map in Wildwood. You’ll receive an itinerary of each day’s shoot the day before. There are plentiful lodging choices nearby.
Recommended Gear
The recommended gear isn’t required; you can still have fun with macro photography using whatever camera or device you have, especially if you use a close-up adapter lens. Below is the ideal setup for the type of macro photography that we’ll be doing:
Interchangeable Lens Camera
Macro Lens-Ideally your brand’s standard macro lens. This allows focus bracketing compatibility with your camera body, if it has this feature.
Gorillapod or small tripod that gets close to the ground. A beanbag works well too.
Close-up Macro Adapter converts standard lens to a macro lens, and makes macro lens into a super macro lens
Also Useful:
Wide Angle Lens-For “animal in its environment” shots
Telephoto Lens
Basic Flash Head with Diffuser–Essential for hand-held high magnification shots of insects
*Click here for further reading on macro photography equipment
*You can rent any gear that you don’t have. It’s conveniently shipped to you, then you ship it back in supplied packaging. I recommend Borrow Lenses.
In addition to what you would normally pack for a trip, these are special considerations for this workshop:
Food/Water: Pack enough snacks and water in your photo backpack to last the whole day.
Sun Protection: Headgear and sunscreen
Tick/Chigger Repellent: Though these dates avoid peak season, ticks and chiggers will be starting seasonal activity. I recommend tucking your pants into your boots or socks.
Headlamp: In case we head out at night to photograph calling treefrogs
Clothing: Springtime in Missouri can be be chilly, mild or warm so pack for all. I recommend always wearing long pants to thwart insects, and because we’ll be getting down on the ground. For this reason you might also consider bringing knee-pads.
Rain-gear: We’ll be going out in any weather so make sure you bring a rain top and bottom.
Ready to sign up?
Questions? Contact Me
Workshop Testimonials
- Ed-Falston, MD
- Michael-Eaton, CO
- Jason-Houston, TX
- Stacey-Fort Collins, CO
- Lily-Chicago, IL
- David-Ashburton, NZ
- Michael-Morgan Hill, CA
- Shanna-Loveland, CO
“This workshop was by far the best one I’ve attended. Bryan took us to amazing places! Even though I’m a pretty experienced photographer, he still was constantly checking in with me (and everyone) to make suggestions or check on my progress. He was flexible in changing plans to try and catch the best light. Definitely a five star experience.”
-Ed. Fallston, MD
I took a private camera settings lesson to learn how to use my Sony A6700 with the 200-600m telephoto lens for wildlife photography. Bryan tailored the lesson well and helped me understand many aspects of my camera and the skills needed to make the most of it while shooting my chosen subject wildlife. We covered so much more than I’d expected in the two hour lesson. I feel huge value was added to get the most out of the equipment and subject. Looking forward to getting out into Colorado.
-Michael, Eaton, CO
“I took an absolutely amazing private workshop with Bryan in Telluride, CO. His photography expertise is only surpassed by his knowledge of the Colorado countryside. We shot a large variety of shots including astrophotography, sunset, sunrise, pano, long exposure, starburst, eclipse, and even a little wildlife. I would recommend using Bryan anytime you want to improve your photography game and see some back country hidden gems.”
-Jason, Houston, TX
My husband and I have taken 3 private workshops with Bryan so far. I took the beginner’s camera course and 2 Milky Way workshops in RMNP. I started with the beginner’s course because we bought nice cameras, knowing we wanted to get into serious photography, but let them sit there because they seemed too complicated. In only two hours Bryan showed us how changing one setting affects the others, and how each setting makes the picture look different. I was blown away by how much I learned in just a lesson. I then booked him to take us up to a stunningly beautiful lake in Rocky Mountain National Park at night to learn how to shoot the Milky Way. What an adventure! It was a beautiful hike where we learned how to shoot blue hour along with the milky way. Bryan gave us step by step instructions of which settings to dial in and why. He let me figure them out on my own and stepped in when I couldn’t. And then, voila, I had this amazing, bright picture of the Milky Way on my viewfinder! We even witnessed SpaceX launching a bunch of satellites into orbit! It was so much fun we did it again! I felt safe and listened to the whole time and now feel like since I can take night photos I can do anything with my camera!
-Stacey, Fort Collins, CO
My husband and I have taken 2 workshops with Bryan, awaiting a third. He’s an excellent field guide and teacher! My favorite photo spots with him were landscapes in Colorado, including Crystal Lake and bent Aspens, and his macro workshop in the Ozarks to photograph frogs, insects and salamanders. For the Colorado Fall Colors tour in 2023, I was very impressed with the landscape pictures I was able to take with Bryan’s guidance, both with his technical expertise and willingness to address each student’s needs with personalized tutoring. I went with my husband who had attended Brian’s previous trips. Both my husband and son (age 15) recently attended Bryan’s Missouri Macro photography workshop in April and loved it. We appreciated the wonderful full experience that Bryan provides with from spot-on expertise and fun. Bryan’s tours are one of the best and continue to be a great value. I shoot with a Sony and I plan to buy the Sony A1 second generation camera when it becomes available in 2025. we will continue to refine our photography with his workshops.
-Lily. Chicago, IL
“My wife and I met Bryan while he was photographing the Routeburn track in New Zealand. I had just become interested in photography and he shared some impactful tips for making better landscape photos. We travelled to America a few years later for a photography trip through the western states. For our Colorado leg, we enlisted Bryan for a photography tour of Crested Butte and the Telluride area. As a fledgling photographer, it was highly educational watching and learning from a master at work. Bryan’s knowledge, hospitality and professionalism to his craft is amazing. We are looking forward to getting to the States again soon for more of the same.”
-David, Ashburton, New Zealand
“I’ve been a professional nature photographer and cinematographer for 20 years, and needed video and stills of Colorado’s best spots for a large project. Being from CA, I didn’t have time to figure this out alone. After reviewing Bryan’s website and speaking with him, I spent three highly productive days with him in the San Juan Mountains during fall colors. I captured more material than I could have hoped for. Bryan had an excellent attitude during our 18-hour days. Whenever the light or clouds changed for the worse, he knew right where to go next to suit conditions. He was even able to teach this “old dog” some new techniques.”
Michael Routh, Dreamchase on Demand
“I took a wildflower workshop with Bryan in Crested Butte and was most interested in learning how to shoot flowers in the foreground with mountains in the background. I also wanted to practice macro photography. Bryan took me to spots I would have never found, at the perfect dates for peak bloom. I needed some help with my complicated Olympus, which is a one of the systems Bryan also shoots with. I was amazed what I learned; focus stacking, super magnification, and beautiful ways to take landscape compositions. Bryan was super patient and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!”
Shanna, Loveland, CO
About Bryan Maltais- Fort Collins, CO
Bryan Maltais is an award-winning professional photographer, film-maker and founder of Wilderness Shots Photography Workshops. His images are displayed in spaces around the world and have been published in well known photography magazines and media channels.
“I was addicted to exploring nature and observing animals very young, keeping terrariums full of insects and amphibians. Craving a camera to capture the beauty that I witnessed in nature, my dad gave me a manual Canon that he had lying around from 1970. A military brat, I grew up in Germany, New Jersey and Missouri. I received my BS in Wildlife Biology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. This gave me a good foundation for understanding the natural world. I also did a stint in the Army, which gave me a good foundation for tolerating insects and lack of sleep. My dream was to live in the Rocky Mountains, so after college I moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado where I still live today. Since then I’ve been shooting and documenting the American West and producing wildlife nature documentaries. My latest film is on Amazon Prime. My goal with nature photography workshops is to share knowledge, fun and adventure with others while enjoying nature. I currently shoot Sony and Olympus gear. When not photographing, I garden in my raised beds and teach 3-4 year olds in Sunday School.”
