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You are here > Home > Plan Your Trip > Visitor Information > David Hemmings Photo Tours

David Hemmings Photo Tours

Phone: +1 604 629 9577

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The goal at Hemmings Photo Tours is to lead photographic workshops to some of the world's most beautiful and unspoiled destinations while providing a rewarding and educational learning experience.  

David Hemmings is a world-renowned bird photographer who is known throughout the nature photography world for creating some of the most dynamic and impressive bird-in-flight images anywhere today. His work has been published on the cover of National Geographic, Canadian Geographic and has also appeared on the cover of other numerous nature photography publications including Audubon Magazine, On Feathered Wings, Birding Essentials and more.

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What a wonderful photo workshop! Costa Rica is a tropical paradise with no end to the beautiful vistas, birds and flowers to photograph! David puts on a first class workshop down to the last detail, the many little "side trips" he arranged were fabulous, and our bird guide was simply THE BEST. David was always very encouraging, and always going from participant to participant all day, checking camera settings and offering very helpful tips. "I like how you're doing...., and try this too!" I was very apprehensive that I wasn't an advanced enough photographer to participate on the trip, and I definitely was the "junior" photographer, but everyone made me feel very comfortable. 15,000 photos later...my photography skills improved 1000-fold during the trip. I learned a lot from other participants as well. Folks were emailing saying "How is your vacation in Costa Rica?" "Vacation? This isn't a vacation, it's a workshop, and he's working us hard!!" I would HIGHLY recommend this trip to photographers and birders, and plan to attend another Hemmings Photo Tour again soon! 

I have worked with several of the world's best bird photographers. Recently, when I saw a Facebook notification of a West Florida bird photo tour with David Hemmings, I snapped up the remaining opening. I remembered David's images in the book "On Feathered Wings, Birds in Flight" which has graced our family room coffee table since I got it several years ago. The book features some of his incredible images of Snowy Owls, Great Gray Owls, and other species. I also remembered seeing on Facebook his Grizzly Bear and Polar Bear images, as well as some spectacular hummingbird shots. I'm just home from that West Florida workshop with David and am so glad I attended it!  David keeps his workshops small (there were only 4 participants on this one). David prearranges reasonably-priced hotel/motel accommodations and communicates clearly about what equipment and clothing to bring. He is articulate and very patient in his teaching (I came home having learned when and how to switch from Aperture Priority to Manual and many other techniques on which I needed improvement). He is well-prepared, knowledgeable, concise, and very personable. We all rode with him from site to site so that we could take advantage of that time to learn more or simply enjoy some camaraderie. His new E-book "Nature Photography 101" will be out soon, and I look forward to ordering one Rebecca Field – U.S.A.

"I recommend David Hemmings workshops! The level of services by workshop leaders was excellent.  Quality of photographic instruction was exceptional and they were always on hand to solve issues that arose, and I had more than my share of equipment issues. Quality of wildlife provided was good and I was amazed at how easily the subjects accepted new setups provided.  Locations visited were right on for the spices targeted.  My most memorable moment was using the flash setups the first time and capturing an image of the Swordbill Hummingbird. I feel that my level of photography has improved with the custom functions that were set up on my camera for me and the resulting images that I obtained. Overall experience and expectations were achieved and we were fortunate to have a very compatible group on our tour, which made it very enjoyable. This was my first workshop and I would recommend them to friends".    Rosemary Harris, Canada

"My photographic skill absolutely improved. I was most concerned about getting high resolution pictures. David explained how. You exceeded my expectations by far. I had a ton of fun and got some amazing pictures". Alice, USA Florida West Workshop

" My experience was EXCEPTIONAL! The trip exceeded my expectations in all areas. I hoped to get in a position to see owls and couldn’t possibly have been happier. It was abundantly clear that David invested significant time and effort prior to the arrival of the group in scouting the area around Quebec and Ontario. He knew exactly where to go to find every species of owl. His knowledge and efforts were very much appreciated by the entire group. My primary objective was just getting in a position to photograph owls and was not expecting much in the way of photographic instruction. I was very pleasantly surprised and was very happy with the instruction. Prior to the trip I had a love/hate relationship with auto focus as it applies to photographing birds in flight. I’ve struggled with this for years. While I have a lot more to learn, and need to work at honing my skills, the trip with David Hemmings helped me tremendously in being able to photograph birds in flight. Photographing birds in flight was my main objective. Prior to the trip I was nearly clueless in comparison to my skills after the trip.You can also see from my bird list that I found the trip productive from a birding perspective as well".

Kevin McCarthy, USA Snowy Owl Workshop

"Great trip, great experience and great guides.

Great opportunity for capturing images of magnificent and uncommon (in southern USA) birds.  Organizers contribute to great group dynamics and superb attitude.  Cool techniques". Eric Grossman, USA  

"I would rate this workshop as  exceptional. Excellent overall experience!" Bill Harbin, USA

"The workshop was GREAT and the two Leaders were exceptional.

" Marie O'Shaunessy, British Colombia on the Manitoba Churchill Workshop

"I wouldn’t hesitate to take another workshop with David Hemmings! You absolutely met & exceeded my expectations! The overall experience was fantastic" Debra Herst, British Columbia

"I was extremely happy with David Hemmings on my recent trip to Newfoundland. David went out of his way carrying my gear when I was tired and he made sure that I maximized all of the photo opportunities which were in abundance here!" Mark Halthrew - Ontario

"Costa Rica Bird Photography Workshop I have nothing but positive praise for the Costa Rica- Biodiversity Workshop with David Hemmings. David and his local guide Vernon made this an outstanding workshop experience. Some of the outstanding elements were the close encounters with numerous beautiful bird species in their natural environment; the opportunity to photograph gorgeous hummingbirds in flight; and to be able to see and photograph the stunning Resplendent Quetzal, Trogons and beautiful Macaws. David’s wonderful sense of humor, patience and knowledge made for a relaxing and inspiring learning environment. Vernon’s excellent ear for bird sounds and intimate knowledge of the environment opened up many opportunities to see and photograph exotic birds. The accommodations and meals were excellent with special care to individual dietary restrictions. I highly recommend this workshop. By the way, my experience was so positive, that I have signed up for the Alaska grizzly bear photography workshop in August 2014"

Jane Irvine

“Thank you very much. I loved the owls and enjoyed the workshop leaders and meeting the other workshop participants. Apart from that I had a lovely time and have come away with lots of great photos . 

I hope the next set of workshops are as successful.  It was wonderful to get so many shots of the male as well as the females.

Very best wishes to you.” Diane D.

"I was totally captivated by the Snowy Owls.  They are truly magnificent!  Their speed, their agility, their gracefulness and their beautiful markings.   I've just scratched the surface of the hundreds of images I took while on the workshop, but I can tell you taking the workshop was a thrilling and delightful experience for me .  Worth braving the elements to see the owls in their habitat!"  Anne W.

My husband and I have been on 5 photo workshop adventures with David Hemmings in the past 2 years and we’re booked for the Wild Wolves Photo Tour next year. That we keep going back for more is, in itself, great testimony to what  Hemmings Photo Tours (Natures Photo Adventures) has to offer.  For us it is foremost about the experience – nature, wildlife, camaraderie, and an expert workshop leader. You get that right and incredible photographs are the result.  David Hemmings gets it right!   We not only have wonderful photos from The Alaska Grizzly Bears, Northern BC Grizzly Bears, and Polar Bear Mother & Cubs at the Den Photography Tours, but the unique adventures that go along with these wild encounters.  As a more knowledgeable photographer, capturing wildlife is now even more fun and rewarding. T hank you David Hemmings!  Becci Crowe USA

My wife and I have traveled with David Hemmings and his Photo Tour Company several times and found him to be knowledgeable, reliable and helpful regarding all aspects of a photo tour. David was always well prepared and his photography expertise is considerable . You will be a better photographer after a trip with David. For those who want to get the most out of a photo tour, I highly recommend David Hemmings. My wife and I will next travel to Colombia with David in 2023.  Neil Solomon

My first workshop with David Hemmings was a trip to the Falkland Islands in December 2018.  David came highly recommended to me by a friend and fellow birder.  The trip was well organized from start to finish.  The logistics were well taken care of.  All of the hotels / lodges were comfortable and well located for us to experience the wildlife.  The highlight of course was the penguins, but there is much more to the Falklands than just penguins. David knows his subject well.  He was able to share his photography skills with us in an easy to understand way.  He helped me understand some of the settings that I was not familiar with.  He also conducted a birds in flight training session one afternoon.  Birds in flight is a difficult subject to master and Dave was able to share his knowledge and help me get some great photos. David took his time to make sure that we were getting the shots we wanted.  He would help with camera settings and composition.   He would point out photo opportunities to us if necessary.  I have taken many photo tours around the world, David’s is definitely    top notch.  He is not concerned about getting the best shot for himself.  He also puts his guests first. I loved this trip so much, that I booked it again before we got home! I highly recommend David Hemmings.

Rhonda Handley

David Hemmings’ Nature Photography Guide

David Hemmings is a widely published professional nature photographer who resides in British Columbia, Canada. He leads many photo workshop tours and adventures around the world.  He is the president of Natures Photo Adventures/Hemmings Photo Tours. Website:   www.naturesphotoadventures.com

Bird in flight settings for the Canon MK1V

I have received a number of PMs and emails from folks asking me for my Mark IV settings for birds in flight. Here are my settings along with a brief explanation of why I use each setting. These settings are meant to be use with effective focal lengths of 400mm or longer and hand held techniques.

1. Manual exposure mode. This is almost a requirement for BIF when you have changing backgrounds. There are many other reasons as well.

2. AI Servo AF - To allow AF tracking and locking of moving subjects.

3. High speed continuous drive. This allows me to shoot in controlled bursts to capture the peak action shots.

4. Center AF point only for BIF against very busy and or close varied bgs. Center AF point plus surrounding AF point expansion for BIF against distant varied bgs or BIF against smooth sky or water bgs. When a variety of bgs are possible, I use center AF point only.

5. Tracking sensitivity set to medium. This should be used with bump focus technique #2 below.

6. Lens focus limiter switch set to the longest near focus distance. This helps speed up AF in many situations.

Tap Focus Technique: To quickly focus or let off and refocus. There are three uses for the bump focus technique:

1. The first reason to tap the focus is to pre focus. The first task when photographing a BIF is to acquire it in the viewfinder and focus on it. It is beneficial to be able to do this as quickly as possible. When using long focal lengths, the bird may be so out of focus that you can't see it in the viewfinder even if it's there. Then when you do get it in the viewfinder it may take much longer to focus on it if the focus is set to a drastically different distance. To overcome these issues, I will pre focus at the approximate distance that I anticipate for my subject. Then when the subject arrives, I can find it and focus on it quickly. I pre focus the camera by pointing the camera at something at the desired distance and then I focus on it. Now I'm ready for a BIF at a similar distance. If I need to switch the distance I will simply point the camera at something at the new distance and bump the focus. This will prefocus the camera at the new distance. Photogs that use a tripod will often pre focus manually. Since manual focus is difficult hand held with big glass, I use the bump to pre focus.

2. When I am tracking a BIF against a varied bg and I miss and focus on the bg I will tap the focus to quickly return focus to the bird. Bumping the focus overrides the delay set by the tracking sensitivity custom function. I set tracking sensitivity to medium. This helps when you are focused on the bird and want to avoid focusing on the bg, but it hurts when focused on the bg and you want to return focus to the bird.

3. This is the most important use of the bump technique. Most photographers will acquire focus on a bif and then try to continuously maintain focus while they are tracking and watching the bif in the viewfinder. They tend to focus continuously waiting for the moment they wish to make a photograph. Often while watching, tracking, and waiting for the moment, the photographer will miss and focus on the bg. This is extremely easy to do when the bif is flying against a varied bg. This is the reason it is so much more difficult to photograph BIF against a varied bg as opposed to smooth sky bg. When the focus grabs the bg, then the photographer needs to re-acquire focus on the bif. This may take too much time causing the photographer to miss the critical moment. I try to avoid this by only focusing on the BIF when I'm sure I'm on target and during the critical moments when I'm actually making images. So, what I will typically do is acquire the bif initially and focus on it. Then I will let off the focus and just watch it in the viewfinder while tracking it visually only. As the distance changes, the BIF will start to go out of focus. When that happens I bring it back in focus by quickly making sure the AF point is on the bird and then I bump the focus to get it in focus again. I do this repeatedly as I'm visually tracking the bird. When the BIF gets to the spot I want to start making pictures, I will focus and shoot all at once. I shoot in short controlled bursts trying to time the critical moments with the best wing positions, etc. Because I have bumped the focus along, the focus is very close to where it needs to be when the moment to make pictures arrives. Then when I focus and trip the shutter it happens very quickly. If I tried to focus constantly while the bif approached I would likely miss, focus on the bg, and miss the critical moment. My goal is to keep the bird close to in focus and in the viewfinder without focusing on the bg and to do this up until the critical moment arrives. Then I try to maintain the focus while making great pictures. Bumping takes lots of practice, but if you develop this skill, it will make your keeper rate go way up.

Custom function settings for Birds in flight on the MK 1V:

Custom Function III-3                                                                      

I leave this custom function at its default, which places the highest priority on getting the shot in focus and, then, on being able to continue tracking the subject. At settings other than the default, the highest priority is on either quickly getting the shot off or on maintaining a high frame rate. If the shot isn't in focus or if the camera isn't properly tracking, getting the shot off quickly and maintaining a high frame rate are, I think, irrelevant.

Custom Function III-4                                                                   

This custom function deals with how the camera tracks focus. In the default setting, it will place priority in focusing on whatever is below the active focus point. In the “1” setting, it will place priority on tracking the subject that it has already been tracking. While it might seem, at first, that the “1” setting would be more appropriate, I and other users of Canon cameras have found that the camera seems to lose focus much more often with the "1" setting. Therefore, the recommendation is to use the default “0” setting, except in situations where objects are frequently coming between the camera and the subject.

Custom Function III-5                                                                     

My recommendation is to leave this custom function permanently in the default or “0” position.

This will greatly increase your rate of sharp “keepers”.                      

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David Hemmings

Hemmings Photo Tours

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I can never get enough of seeing the beauty of nature captured through photography. I love to share with others and help others grow to love this medium as I do.

A teacher of the art through my workshop and tour company, Nature's Photo Adventures.

“Our goal at Nature’s Photo Adventures is to lead photographic workshops to the some of the worlds most beautiful and unspoiled destinations while providing a rewarding and educational learning experience to our clients.”

“We strive to give our clients that ‘once in a lifetime’ experience that will not only give them the opportunity to go home with top notch images but also to have fun and take away a total travel experience.”

"We specialize in birds - but are constantly on the lookout for opportunities for our clients to create beautiful images of all parts of the natural world."

workshop destinations:

Vancouver Island

Snowy Owls in Ontario & Quebec

India - Western Himalayas

India - Western India

Churchill, Manitoba

Baffin Island

Please visit the following link for all the details!

• Joined August 2009

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WHEN I STARTED LOOKING THROUGH DAVID'S PHOTOS I WAS SIMPLY AMAZED!!!!! THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT SHOTS THROUGHOUT HIS PHOTOSTREAM THAT I LOOKED AT EVERY SINGLE ONE AND WHEN I WAS FINISHED I WAS HOPING FOR MORE. IF YOU ARE AN ANIMAL OR BIRD LOVER THIS IS THE PHOTOSTREAM YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH. HIS OWL AND OTHER BIRDS … Read more

WHEN I STARTED LOOKING THROUGH DAVID'S PHOTOS I WAS SIMPLY AMAZED!!!!! THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT SHOTS THROUGHOUT HIS PHOTOSTREAM THAT I LOOKED AT EVERY SINGLE ONE AND WHEN I WAS FINISHED I WAS HOPING FOR MORE. IF YOU ARE AN ANIMAL OR BIRD LOVER THIS IS THE PHOTOSTREAM YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH. HIS OWL AND OTHER BIRDS OF PREY PHOTOS ARE INCREDIBLE!!!! I AM GLAD TO BE A CONTACT OF DAVID'S AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HIS UPCOMING PHOTOS TO COME. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK DAVE!!!!

It's located right in the heart of "Gower Gulch," near the corner of Gower Street and Sunset Boulevard) - hence the new name.

In 1972, Columbia left its Hollywood studios at Sunset & Gower (to save money) and moved over the hill to the San Fernando Valley, where they shared "Burbank Studios" with Warner Bros .

In 1978, Columbia Pictures made the Guinness Book of World Records by paying the highest price ever paid ($9,500,000.) for the rights to the Broadway stage hit " Annie " (which, as it turned out, wasn't the wisest investment in the studio's illustrious history.)

But eventually, Columbia was bought by Sony Entertainment of Japan, and they finally settled into the historic M-G-M Studios lot in Culver City, where they remain today, along with Sony's other label, TriStar Pictures.

Now that Columbia has moved on, the old studio lot they deserted isn't just sitting idly by. The re-named " Sunset-Gower Studios " no longer has a permanent film production company to call its own (hence the geographical name), but it keeps busy renting out its ample sound stages for assorted television and indie movie productions. The studio employees between 2,500 and 3,000 people, depending upon the time of year.

As of 2013, the three major TV productions on the lot are Showtime's hit serial killer, " Dexter " and ABC's " Private Practice " & " Scandal ".

But they also shoot " Let's Make a Deal " at Sunset-Gower, as well as a host of TV courtroom shows (i.e. " Judge Judy ", " Divorce Court ", etc.)

The public is invited to the live tapings of these sitcoms when they take place. To find out whether anything is taping there right now, call " Audiences Unlimited " (see separate page), and ask them if there are any free tickets to shows taped at Sunset-Gower. Then you can go inside to watch the TV taping, and walk into the studio which gave us " Gandhi ," " A Man For All Seasons " and " Ghostbusters ."

Update : In late 2008, Sunset-Gower studio was merged with KTLA studios (next door), to create the new Capital Studios . The lot will still be known as "Sunset Gower", while KTLA will be known as "Sunset-Bronson". Together, the new dual studio will cover 28 acres, with 23 sound stages and 700,000 square feet of office production space.

[You can access the studio's official website at www.sunsetgower.com .]

[ The new Capital Studios website is at www.shootatcapital.com ]

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