Cave Photography Course at Mammoth Cave

[Dave Bunnell]

Some readers of this forum might be interested in a course I'll be teaching in Digital Cave Photography at Mammoth Cave this summer, from June 18-24. We will be based at the CRF field station in Hamilton Valley.

This will be a new addition to the Western Kentucky University field courses that are offered each summer. The February NSS News will carry the first advertisement for this summer's offerings but at the time it was placed the dates for my course had not yet been determined. Their website is caveandkarst.wku.edu

Here is the course description:
Digital cameras are rapidly surmounting film cameras in every field of photography, and cave photography is no exception. The instantaneous feedback of digital photography is a great learning tool for the cave photographer, enabling photos with better lighting and encouraging experimentation and creativity. This course will focus on multiple flash photography in both developed and undeveloped sections of Mammoth Cave, with subjects ranging from close-ups, speleothems, action shots, shafts, passages, entrances, and big rooms. Electronic flash, flashbulbs, and natural light will all be used as light sources, singly or in combination. Students will also learn basic and advanced techniques for processing their images in Adobe Photoshop, and at the end we will craft a short multimedia presentation displaying the best of the week’s photographic efforts.

Requirements: Good physical condition for yourself and a digital camera that permits manual control. You should have at least one external flash with a slave unit, and a tripod. Contributions of flashbulbs are welcomed. Contact instructor if uncertain about your camera.

Contact me if you have any questions, or visit the website (http://caveandkarst.wku.edu/) if interested in signing up for this or any of their other excellent course offerings.