Workshop

Florida Bird & Wildlife Workshop II — Fort De Soto / Gulf Coast

April 28–May 2, 2027 · Four days on one of Florida’s premier coastal birding coastlines—field craft, exposure in bright salt air, and portfolio-minded sequencing with Todd Nettelhorst.

Fort De Soto area · Tampa Bay Gulf Coast·April 28, 2027 – May 2, 2027 · 4 days·$2,950 tuition · $1,500 non-refundable deposit·$1,500 non-refundable deposit to reserve your spot

Experience Overview

The Fort De Soto chapter is Gulf Coast bird photography at its most classic—surf, sandbars, skimmers cutting lines, and late-spring behavior in salt air. You move at a workshop pace: field sessions when the birds and light are best, structured critique when the sun is high, and a small group cap so Todd can coach composition, exposure, and flight technique without crowding the frame—or each other.

Quick details

Fee: $2,950 tuition · $1,500 non-refundable deposit

Deposit: $1,500 non-refundable deposit to reserve your spot

Group: 5

Skill: All Levels

Physical: Easy to Moderate

Led by: Todd Nettelhorst

A good fit for

Photographers who want a concentrated Gulf Coast workshop with legendary beach and flat access—ideal if Fort De Soto–style habitat is on your bucket list and you like a midday learning anchor between shoots.
Comfortable with sun, wind, and respectful distance around birds.
Book this week alone or after our Fort Myers workshop as a second registration.

What's included

Workshop instruction and field coaching with Todd Nettelhorst
Four nights lodging—shared home; private bedroom for each participant
Welcome group dinner (Wednesday)
Closing group lunch (Sunday)
Breakfast-to-go options when noted
Snacks and water during organized workshop hours
Classroom, critique, and image review sessions

Not included

Transportation to/from the workshop area
Transportation during the workshop (carpooling coordinated)
Park and venue fees
Personal purchases, gear, and insurance
Alcoholic beverages
Meals not specifically listed as included

Next steps

Why this experience matters

April 28–May 2, 2027 (Wed–Sun): a four-day workshop centered on Fort De Soto and the Tampa Bay Gulf Coast—same rhythm as our Fort Myers week: morning and late-afternoon field sessions, early-afternoon classroom and critique, five participants, lodging included with a private bedroom each. Tuition $2,950 · $1,500 non-refundable deposit.

Overview

Late April into early May keeps spring energy on the coast—terns, skimmers, plovers, herons, egrets, and ibises against sand, shell, and tidal geometry. This week emphasizes approachable flight practice, intimate portraits with sea and sky as canvas, and behavior-rich frames when birds stage along flats and passes.

Highlights

Classic Gulf Coast bird photography—beach, tidal flat, and inlet access timed with light
Morning and late-afternoon field sessions; midday classroom, critique, and image review
Shorebird and tern flocks, wading birds, and flight lines along surf and sandbars
Courtship, nesting, and feeding behavior where access and ethics allow
Five photographers—coaching-forward sequencing, not a rushed checklist
Lodging included—private room each in a relaxed group home base
Welcome dinner, closing lunch, snacks and water during workshop hours; breakfast-to-go when noted

Experience details

Workshop: Florida Workshop II - Fort De Soto, FL
Location: Fort De Soto, FL

Possible birds & wildlife you'll see

Fort De Soto and the Tampa Bay Gulf Coast deliver iconic spring birding—terns and skimmers over sand, herons on tidal edges, and mixed shorebird flocks working flats. Birds lead the week; other wildlife is a bonus when encounters stay ethical and safe.

Royal and sandwich terns, black skimmers, gulls, and shorebird flocks on beaches and tidal cuts
Great blue and little blue herons, tricolored and green herons, great and snowy egrets, white ibis
Chance encounters with roseate spoonbills, reddish egrets, and reddish egret “dance” fishing behavior
Plovers, sandpipers, willets, and oystercatchers on shell and sand
Ospreys and other raptors along shorelines and passes
Migrants and late-spring hangers-on mixing with resident breeders—species mix varies by day

What you'll photograph

Fort De Soto rewards patient field craft—surf lines as leading elements, skimmers slicing color, and intimate portrait focal lengths when birds allow. You will work repeat access to coastal habitats so sequences improve, not just single lucky frames.

Skimmers, terns, and gulls along beach and bar geometry—flight lines and landing shots
Herons and egrets in tidal pools—behavior, stalking sequences, and clean backgrounds
Shorebird portraits and flock abstracts on shell and sand
Rookery and colony frames only when guides approve distance and angle
Bright-air exposure strategies—specular control, fill awareness, and wind-on-feather texture
Portfolio-oriented edits—picking winners, trimming clutter, and sequencing a coastal mini-series

Wildlife opportunities

Workshop II leans on Tampa Bay Gulf Coast access patterns—beach, pass, and tidal flat rotations driven by local knowledge and conditions. You keep a photography-first schedule with real midday learning, not filler.

Repeat access to premier coastal sites—iterate compositions across multiple sessions
Flight practice along predictable flyways and feeding zones when winds cooperate
Midday critique to address exposure mistakes before the next golden-hour push
Small group advantage—room to spread along shorelines without crowding subjects or each other
Bird-led week; other wildlife photographed only when opportunities are safe and ethical

What you'll learn

Flight photography along surf lines and over inlets—panning, shutter choice, and background control
Working skimmer, tern, and gull flocks without disturbing roosts
Portrait focal lengths vs environmental birdscapes on beaches and flats
Managing harsh midday reference frames for later crop and correction discussion
Ethical approach at nests and colonies—distance, angle, and guide cues
Sequencing a coastal story across several shoots for a stronger final edit