Birds of Happiness. Bird Photography Course: We Tested It for You
Fabrice André, nature guide and photographer, offers outdoor bird photography courses at the Lachaussée ponds and Lake Madine in the Meuse department. These courses take place from March to October. We tested them for you.
Classes run from March through October. Photo: Thomas Chiarazzo
Even though I'm a journalist, I admit I'm no photography expert. So when, at 9 a.m., Fabrice André, a nature guide, starts talking to me about his camera's "ISO," "speed," and "shutter," I'm a little lost.
It's 9:30 a.m. when the five people registered for the photography workshop sit down around a table. " I have a license limited to ten people on the pond, but I try not to exceed five registered per class ," says Fabrice André, a bird enthusiast and nature guide. He's the one who will teach us how to photograph the many species found in the protected area.
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This is the first class of the season, and it addresses depth of field in photography. " I try to explore different themes every weekend ," explains Fabrice André. The program for the coming weeks includes macro photography, motion photography, and a class focused on dragonflies and orchids.
There were seven of us at the start of the season listening to Fabrice André. Photo by Thomas Chiarazzo
First, we have to learn the basics. " We have to lay down the basics of photography so that everyone understands what I'm saying. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that photography is art and that settings hold us back in our artistic practice," explains Fabrice André. "I find a lot of things in my drawing practice ," smiles a fresco artist who came from Briey to take the course.
It's 10:30 a.m. when we go out to practice in the middle of March. It's 2 degrees, feels like -3. " Don't think that you only take beautiful photos in summer. On the contrary! When the weather is awful, it's certainly not very pleasant, but with the rain, you take magnificent photos ," our guide for the day enthusiastically emphasizes.
I head with the rest of the group to a small protected area where two fake birds are fixed: a kingfisher and a heron. " It allows us to fix a lens that doesn't move ," reassures Fabrice André. Some succeed, others don't. That's my case. After several minutes, my photos are still blurry. " You can see I'm not a pro ," one of the day's apprentice photographers jokes.
From the observatory, accessible to all, you can see many birds. Photo: Thomas Chiarazzo
Once ready to capture real birds, we walk for a few minutes before nesting in an observatory. Through it, we have an impressive view of the pond. " We position ourselves and don't move. " After a few seconds, we are already observing tufted ducks and egrets. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait another time to see the white-tailed eagle. It's already time to go home.
12 p.m. The church bell tolls midday. It's time for the tasting promised earlier in the morning by Fabrice André. The advocate of local produce then offers us carp rillettes.
To experience this, you need to contact Fabrice André and pay €40 per person per class. Be careful, however, as places are limited for each session, so you need to be attentive and patient. A bit like wildlife photography, after all... Finally, note that the classes run from March 15th to October 19th. Information and reservations at 06 28 60 50 86, on the Facebook page: Fabrice guide nature photographe Lachaussée or on the website https://www.fabriceguidenature.fr/
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