Merry Lea to host nature photography workshop Oct. 11-14

WOLF LAKE, Ind. – “What makes a good photograph of a mushroom? A deer?” “How can I control lighting in the wild?” “Help! My new digital camera has at least five gizmos I haven’t figured out yet.”

Anyone with questions like these will enjoy the Nature Photography Workshop taking place Oct. 11-14 at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College, near Wolf Lake, Ind. The workshop begins at 6 p.m. on Oct. 11 and continues through the evening of Oct. 14.

During this annual event, participants will live at Merry Lea’s Rieth Village, a “green” biological field station adjacent to 1,150 acres of wetlands, woodlands and prairies. Slide-illustrated lectures, critique of student work and individual coaching are interspersed with plenty of time for shooting photographs. Fall color should peak at or near the weekend of the workshop.

Tim Stiffler, of Syracuse, Ind., will lead Merry Lea’s Nature Photography Workshop this year. Stiffler brings 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and a passion for nature photography.

“I want everyone to understand how to use the equipment that they have to its fullest potential,” Stiffler says. Participants will leave with a better grasp of the exposure system of the camera, meter, lenses and flash photography. Stiffler is also planning sessions on composition, lighting, close-up photography, night-time photography and Photoshop basics.

Merry Lea Program Director Dave Miller will serve as naturalist host for the group. Miller has lived on the Merry Lea property for 18 years. He is also an entomologist. He can help photographers find a preying mantis or identify the bird they photographed.

Registration for the four-day workshop is $475. This includes lodging and all meals. Dorms may have two guests per room. To register, call (260) 799-5869 or e-mail jenniferhs@goshen.edu.

To see samples of Tim Stiffler’s work, go to www.timstifflerthephotographer.com.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.