Phinizy Swamp, teacher capture imagination of photographers
Trees dripping with Spanish moss and lily pad-covered waterways provided the backdrop for a Saturday morning photography class at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park.
Ed Belinski talks about composing a scenic nature photograph at Phinizy
Swamp Nature Park. Seventeen people took the
photography class at the swamp.
Photo by Charmain Z. Brackett
"We started doing this classes about a year ago," said Ed Belinski, photographer and instructor for the class. "We do them about every two to three months."
Saturday's class was a general overview of nature photography, which drew many novice photographers including one who admitted she didn't know much about her camera, but she played with the buttons until they stopped beeping to learn more.
More than an hour of the class was spent indoors discussing aperture and shutter speed and how to get great photographs outdoors no matter how much or how little sunlight.
Lynda Johnston of Warrenville, S.C. had attended the previous photography workshops.
"Ed is real interesting," she said. "He gives a lot of information on how to take better nature pictures."
Many of those attending wanted tips on composing a photograph and how to take better pictures of everything from butterflies to lightning to snow-covered mountains in Alaska.
Others just wanted a closer look at the swamp.
Belinski of Martinez said that he's taught other classes on more focused subjects such as taking nature close-ups and taking landscapes.
Another class will be held in about two months but has not been scheduled yet.
Upcoming activities at the park include the blue moon walk from 9 to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 31. A blue moon is the second full moon of the month, and the walk will be a search for nocturnal animals at the swamp.
On Thursday, Aug. 12, the park will be a spot to see the Perseids Meteor Shower from 9 to 11 p.m.
For more information about either event, call 828-2109.