Photography is a significant component of travel these days, and Rehoboth’s Accent On Travel is proud to be a leader in this capacity by partnering and co-hosting April 2019’s exclusive 14-day exotic charter yacht trip with award-winning photographer Jay Fleming, son of National Geographic Photographer. This Galapagos bound adventure will host 14 travelers who are eager to hone their amateur or professional skillsets. If you’re supporting a loved one or are always carrying a camera around your neck, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the Galapagos Islands through a professional’s eyes.
Featured in over 30 publications, Fleming is well-known for his wildlife, scenic, underwater and local photography making him an exemplary and exciting leader through the Galapagos Islands.
A frequent destination for travelers from all around the world this trip is designed to dive deeper than a typical vacation plan, offering travelers an insight into local life with an individualized touch. This simultaneous luxurious and up close and personal excursion will include four nights in the historically rich Quito, Ecuador.
Also on the agenda are three nights at the internationally recognized Finch Bay Hotel. Centrally located in the hub of the beautiful land and seascapes, shopping and highlands, our 14 guests will not only enjoy Accent On Travel’s and Jay Fleming’s hospitality, but the superior comfort and adventure the Finch Bay Hotel has elevated for years.
As the trip continues, travelers will have the privileged opportunity to follow a local fisherman, better immersing themselves in the culture and environment. Another itinerary feature is visiting the local blue-footed booby hatchery. This colorful bird found on the Galapagos Islands is estimated to include nearly half of all breeding pairs population of the blue-footed boobies.
Each day includes expert photography workshops with Fleming, as he teaches the travelers how to hone their skills, understand lighting, put their photography vocabulary to the test and much more. By the end of the two weeks, you should not only be able to handle your camera better, but you should also have a better appreciation for the outdoors, remote lands and species rarely seen.
For any interested passengers, Accent On Travel of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware will be hosting a complimentary presentation July 17, 2018, where they can meet Jay Fleming and learn more about his photo retreats, his professional instructions and the trip logistics handled by Accent On Travel. Space is limited, so RSVP is required. Call Accent On Travel’s office number at 302-278-6100 to save your seat today. Interested in other Accent On Travel cruises and trips? Visit their website at www.accentontravel.us.
Smith Island Photography Workshop: June 22-24
A great end to the 2018 Photography Workshop season on Smith Island. Looking forward to planning for my workshops out of Annapolis which start on July 27th.
“The Smith Island Workshop was awesome. Jay greeted our group like we had been friends for years. We all quickly bonded into a photography team, sharing knowledge and experiences. Jay worked with each of us providing guidance into bettering our skills on camera settings and lens selection. From the first day to the last, we were on the move experiencing the life of Smith Island and the Chesapeake Bay. Jay has a very special bond with the local fishermen and their families which provided a better photo shoot and a deeper understanding of life on the water. Thanks Jay for one great adventure. ”
Smith Island Photography Workshop: June 19-21
For the sixth Smith Island Photography Workshop of 2018, I had six photographers from Maryland and Delaware out on the island. The photographers all brought with them varying skill levels, but were all interested in becoming more well rounded shooters, learning more about the Chesapeake Bay and experiencing the island's way-of-life .
The group arrived to the island on Tuesday and was greeted with hot and humid conditions which spurred an afternoon thunderstorm. We were on the water prior to the arrival of the storm shooting reflections of workboats and crab shanties in Ewell's channel. As the clouds developed and moved towards us, we ran the boat back to the basin. The conditions changed within a matter of minutes - from no wind to 40mph and horizontal rain. As we watched the violent winds turn calm water into angry water from the deck of the Bed and Breakfast, we all took a minute to appreciate the weather on the Chesapeake Bay. The remainder of the evening was spent shooting around Ewell. Wednesday morning's weather was dramatically different than the previous evening - clear skies, cool temperatures and a light western breeze.
After a 4:00 am wake up call and coffee, we were on the water by 4:45 am heading out into Tangier Sound with the Island's watermen. Our first stop was to photograph hard crab potters working near the channel edge. After shooting silhouettes of the potters, we headed northwest into shallow water to find the crab scrapers. We found three scrapers working in an area known as 'The Barn' - each of the students had an opportunity to get onboard one of the workboats as the waterman pulled in the scrape and culled through the crabs. After shooting photographs of the two crabbing gear types, we headed to one of the island's Brown Pelican nesting colonies to take advantage of the last of the soft morning light. We photographed the pelicans and as the light came up, we meandered through the marsh creeks back to Ewell. The late morning and early afternoon was spent reviewing photographs, having a crab feast at a waterman's shanty and exploring Tylerton. With the same weather pattern as the previous day, we stayed off the water for the evening shoot after seeing lightning to the southwest of the island. The evening was spent in Rhodes Point shooting an abandoned house and a dilapidated workboat melting into the marsh.
Thursday morning, the final morning of the trip, was spent on the water. With evening storms, we took advantage of the clear skies in the morning and the best light of the day. The dreaded 4:00 am wake up call came early on the longest day of the year. As we navigated through the narrow channels into Tangier Sound, the sky came to life with beautiful dawn light. The first stop was at one of the Brown Pelican colonies that we had photographed the previous day. We focused on shooting the pelicans against the bright backlit sky to capture silhouettes of the birds. As the sun came up, we left the colony to shoot Solomons Lump Light in Kedges Strait. On the way up to Kedges, we found a peeler potter working and photographed his workboat with the light in the background. After photographing the workboat, we ran towards the light for shots of the uniquely shaped beacon. As the morning progressed and the light became harsh, we headed back through the 'Back Cove Guts' to Ewell to finish out the workshop. The students spent the remainder of the day reviewing/critiquing photographs, and preparing for the 4pm departure.
Smith Island Photography Workshop: June 15-17
I had an awesome group of photographers from Annapolis, Kent Island and Northern Virginia on Smith Island for the fifth photography workshop of the year. We went out at odd hours of the day to take advantage of the best light for shooting wildlife, watermen at work and iconic landmarks around the island. As always, the kind and generous people of Smith Island were the highlight for the photography students. Looking forward to my next group coming out this week.
